Portal makes it easier for Ukrainian refugees to find jobs in Winnipeg

My mother is very enthusiastic about the idea of ​​working with the firmtranslated Yuliia Fedorova, the daughter of Mrs. Fedorova.

The Ukrainian interior designer and engineer will start next week at Architecture49, a Winnipeg firm that has worked on projects like the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Mrs. Fedorova’s husband remained in kyiv where he is taking part in the war effort against Russia. Olha Fedorova moved to Canada with her twin daughters who are studying at the University of Manitoba.

We decided as a family that it was better for mom to join us, hoping that our father would join us latersays Yuliia.

Since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, more than 5 million refugees have fled the country, according to the UN refugee agency.

The speed of Ms. Fedorova’s move was partly due to Manitoba’s economic agencies.

Before the war, Yes Winnipeg already had a job portal that connected Manitoba businesses with qualified employees. The organization has since adapted it so that Ukrainians fleeing the war can easily post their profiles and Manitoba businesses can post temporary and permanent jobs specifically for them.

There are labor shortages in various sectors, says Nick Krawetz. This Ukrainian Canadian Congress volunteer from Manitoba helped create the portal.

We can cite aerospace, manufacturing, transport, all industries where Ukrainians are highly qualifiedhe says.

Nick Krawetz expects the portal to bring a wave of Ukrainians to Manitoba. He hopes this kind of focused effort will continue if another country faces difficulties in the future.

According to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, at least 70 Ukrainians have already used the welcome desk set up at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport last week to help people fleeing Ukraine settle in Manitoba.

Now that Ottawa has special visas for Ukrainians fleeing the war, the hiring process can move quickly.

The portal is linked to the Manitoba and Winnipeg Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Once a person is connected with a potential employer through the portal, the hiring process is accelerated.

Architecture49 interviewed and hired Olha Fedorova within 15 days. Normally the process takes two months.

You see online and on TV what’s going on [en Ukraine] and you wonder what you can do, shares Architecture49 Managing Director Lee McCormick. He says he is also Ukrainian on his mother’s side and for him that is all the more reason to help.

This hiring is good for everyone, says McCormick. We have needed someone for many months and now we have someone who meets the job criteria and wants to come to Canada to build a new life.

Ms Fedorova is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, but her spoken English can be a bit difficult, she says, although she can read and write it well.

Lee McCormick says he and other employers can work around language barriers, since most people work remotely and rely on written communication.

So far, nearly 440 Ukrainians who are abroad have created profiles on the network and 29 Manitoba companies offer temporary or permanent jobs, according to Winnipeg Economic Development.

For Olha Fedorova, the quick move brought her family closer together. Her daughters came to Winnipeg three years ago to fulfill their dream of becoming doctors.

She is also happy to be able to launch her Canadian career.

With information from Sam Samson