A new video by our partners at UNHCR Canada showcases the remarkable impact of sourcing talent from within refugee populations, for the candidates relocating to Canada from displacement and the workplaces and communities they serve.

Profiled here is Chancellor Park, a long-term care provider and leader in this transformative initiative. The team has discovered exceptional nursing talent globally by partnering with TalentLift and leveraging Canada’s Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) visa program. Allison Billard, the human resources manager with Chancellor Park, observed, “there’s been something special about the refugee applicants. You know, they come with the experience and the education that we’re looking for. And also sort of a different sense of purpose when they come to the workplace.”

Many skilled professionals can spend years unable to lawfully practice in their professions while living in refugee circumstances. Mustafa, a trained nurse who was unable to work in his field for eight years, shared that he found hope when “one day, TalentLift they called me and they asked me if I wanted to come to Canada and work for my real job.”

Tekle, who now works in healthcare after years of displacement, explained, “the main thing is I am living peacefully. I am living with my dream job.”

This renewed sense of purpose and professional identity, and the richness this brings to the workplace, is part of what makes recruiting team members from displacement so powerful.

Sisi ended with a smile: “Do not stop yourself because you are a refugee. Don’t look down on yourself […] How you survive with those things that are sour taste, that you don’t like – make lemonade out of it.”

Candidates living in refugee circumstances and seeking a job in Canada can join TalentLift. Employers seeking global talent while engaging their team in something transformative can start hiring.