The City of Mississauga has been identified as one of the nation's best employers for recent immigrants. The 2012 Best Employers for New Canadians special designation recognizes the City for offering “interesting programs to assist new Canadians in making the transition to a new workplace and a new life in Canada.”

"We are so pleased that the City’s partnerships with community agencies and the corporate sector have been recognized in this way," said City Manager and CAO, Janice Baker. "Mississauga has benefited from the arrival of thousands of immigrants, and we are working to do our part to give new Canadians relevant work experience and the best possible start in their adopted country."

In a special editorial supplement published in the Globe and Mail, the City was acknowledged for the second year in a row as demonstrating commitment to investing in the best talent through participation in a number of mentoring and internship programs aimed at new Canadians.  Some of these programs include:

* hiring 24 interns through Career Bridge – an internship program for internationally qualified professionals.  Many have gone on to secure permanent employment with the City;

* supporting ACCES Employment Services which assists job seekers from diverse backgrounds find employment and integrate into the Canadian job market; 

* working with partners and programs such as the Mentoring Partnership, Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and corporate partners which match experienced professional mentors with internationally educated professionals; and

* hiring volunteers through the Dufferin Peel Adult Learning Centres, many of whom go on to secure more permanent work at the City.

Based on 2006 census results on Immigration and Citizenship, more than half (51.6 percent) of City of Mississauga citizens where born in another country, which is the highest proportion of immigrants in the nations 10 largest municipalities.

The winners of this competition were selected by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Selection was based on each organization's willingness to offer programs specifically designed to assist employees who are recent immigrants; recognize foreign educational credentials and experience; assist new employees in getting qualifications formally recognized in Canada; offer internal coaching or mentoring; and training managers and employees in cross-cultural issues and/or inclusiveness.

For more information on the Best Employers for New Canadians visit: www.canadastop100.com/immigrants.

As Canada's sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 738,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is "Leading Today for Tomorrow" by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.

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