Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - June 2009 - Index

Bridge training program helps
newcomers get licenced and find jobs
Sanjay Lekhi speaks enthusiastically
about the
bridge training program
funded by the government of
Ontario that launched his
career as a pharmacist in
Ontario.
“I earned a Bachelor of
Pharmacy in India,” he says,
“and I had work experience
with a number of companies.
So when I came to Ontario
and heard about the bridge
training program for pharmacists,
I didn’t pay attention.
I thought I could do it
on my own.”
A year later, Sanjay
realized that the Ontario
work environment was
different, and that he needed
help.
“I got information from the
Ontario College of Pharmacists,
and I could see that
without help from the college,
I might not be able to do this.”
Sanjay took the University
of Toronto International
Pharmacy Graduate Program,
a bridge training program
funded by the Ontario
Ministry of Citizenship and
• Ontario’s bridge-training program
made Sanjay Lekhi’s dream
come true
28 Desi News June 2009
• Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Citizenzhip and Immigration,
announced $38 million for 38 programs across the province to help
skilled newcomers bridge their international credentials to Ontario
qualifications and work in their fields faster.
Immigration. The Ministry
provides funding to organizations
who provide newcomers
with training, support
and tools without duplicating
what they already know.
“The bridge training program
was a polishing program,” Sanjay
says. “It polished my skills. I
had the basic knowledge, but I
learned how to use my skills
in the Canadian environment.
So it helped me from
the pharmaceutical point of
view. But it also improved my
communication. I learned
how to deal with clients in
difficult situations, for example,
so it was very foused.
I would definitely tell
every foreign-trained pharmacist
to go through it.”
After finishing the bridging
program, Sanjay worked with
an Ontario retail pharmacy
chain, and then went on to
establish his own business,
providing fill-in services for
pharmacies in various locations
across the province.
Sanjay’s story is not unique.
In fact, bridge training has
helped more than 20,000
newcomers find work in their
fields since 2003. The government
recently invested more
than $38 million to create
bridge training programs in a
wide variety of fields including
health care, finance and
information technology;
helping 10,000 more individuals.
“My sincere advice to all
newcomers would be that, as
soon as they come, they
should really hunt for a bridge
training program,” he says.
“By getting to know about
these programs they won’t
waste their time, and they
can be in their field as soon
as possible.”
For Sanjay, the real re-ward
was his recognition in 2007 as
Pharmacist of the Year.
“This is what I dreamt of
when I was in India. Now it’s
a dream come true.”
• Learn more about
bridge training programs
by visitng www.ontario.ca
/immigration.
– INFORMATION COURTESY ONTARIO
MINISTRY OF CITIZENSHIP AND
IMMIGRATION
Checklist
First things first!
IN YOUR FIRST FEW WEEKS
• Exchange your money for
Canadian currency
• Find accommodation
• Have some identification (ID)
with you
• Get a map of the area and
find out about transportation.
• Get your phone book
• Contact an immigrant-serving
organization
• Fill out the forms for a Social
Insurance Number card and a
Health Insurance card
IN YOUR FIRST FEW MONTHS
• Find permanent housing
• Get a telephone installed
• Enrol children in school
• Get a family doctor
• Have your children immunized
• Open a bank account
• Look for a job
• Join the Host Program
• Register at a LINC centre.
• Apply for the Canada Child Tax
Benefit:1-800-387-1
1-800-387-1193
193
• Apply for the GST/HST credit.
Call 1-800-959-1953
• Get your driver’s licence
IN YOUR FIRST YEAR
• Improve your language skills
• Register for adult continuing
education classes
• Take time to relax and participate
in community activities
• Understand your rights and responsibilities
under Canadian law
– INFO COURTESY
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA
Getting settled in,
the information you need
There are many newcomer
settlement and community support
services across Ontario. They are
there to answer your questions
and make sure you get the help you
need – in many different languages
– about housing, education, health,
transportation, employment,
etc., and also refer you to
other services such as
job search workshops.
Many of these services
are free
of charge.
iMIGRATE