Luncheon encourages Windsor immigration

By Chris Jackman

The second annual employer appreciation luncheon at Caesars Windsor on Thursday highlighted the importance of encouraging new immigrants to choose Windsor.

Diversity Works was hosted by the New Canadians’ Centre of Excellence Inc. in association with the Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. Its purpose was to recognize and show appreciation for the members of the NCCE who help new immigrants find job training and work in Windsor and Essex county. It also stressed the importance of welcoming new immigrants to Windsor in order to encourage economic development.

Melissa Basarak, employment services manager at the NCCE said she was glad for the opportunity to recognize the work being done.

“It’s important to create jobs and appreciate the people who are doing it,” she said. “It’s an appreciation event.”

Guests who came to the event said they were also grateful for the work being done by the NCCE. Sokol Aliko, energy manager for the City of Windsor, said he used NCCE’s services when he moved to Canada from Albania.

“Both me and my wife went through the centre,” he said. “It was necessary to become familiarized with the market.”

Although people are appreciative of the work that has been done to boost immigration, Matt Marchand, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce said Windsor is still in need of more newcomers. He said Windsor is already a diverse city but more can be done to further diversify the work force.

“Immigration is so key that we have to raise our immigration by a significant level,” he said. “We live in a globalized world, we need to compete globally.”

He said hundreds of jobs are being left vacant in the city that need to be filled.

“We’re literally leaving millions of dollars in payroll on the table, and that’s something we want to change.”

The luncheon also featured keynote speaker Taylor Conroy. Conroy is the founder of Change Heroes, an organization which aims to bring education to children all over the world by encouraging large groups of people to make regular, affordable donations. Conroy said it funds projects to build schools in underprivileged communities in nine different countries and aims to reach the $1 million mark in total donations this fall.