“EmployExcel emphasizes collaboration, not guilt. It’s rooted in the belief that lasting change occurs when employers are engaged, informed, and supported on their journey toward inclusion.”

Templeton Sawyer - Cofounder of Alive House

Message from Our Co-Founder:

Program Overview:

EmployExcel is an 6-week virtual program designed to equip employers with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to build inclusive, newcomer-friendly workplaces.

The program addresses the systemic, cultural, and operational barriers newcomers face in employment—such as lack of "Canadian experience," unrecognized credentials, and unconscious bias—while also highlighting how financial literacy and mental health intersect with workplace success.

Why This Matters: The Employer’s Role in Newcomer Integration

Many newcomers arrive in Canada highly skilled, experienced, and eager to contribute. However, barriers such as credential recognition issues, exclusion from professional networks, and systemic discrimination often lead to underemployment, financial hardship, and social isolation.

These challenges are compounded when employers lack the tools or confidence to support newcomer integration. Moreover, mental health needs and financial instability can affect workplace performance and retention.

By engaging directly with employers, EmployExcel fills a critical gap—ensuring that workplaces evolve in tandem with newcomer talent and that inclusive practices become standard, not exceptional.

Program Objectives

  • Increase employer awareness of newcomers’ legal rights, cultural contexts, and support pathways

  • Promote cross-sector collaboration and peer learning

  • Advance inclusive hiring practices that support newcomer retention and well-being

  • Build employer understanding of how financial literacy and mental health impact workplace success

Executive Speakers Announcement Coming Soon…..

Themes/Dates

    • Focus: Understanding systemic barriers newcomers face (e.g., "Canadian experience," credential recognition, unconscious bias).

    • Outcomes: Shared vocabulary, baseline awareness, and framing the "why" behind newcomer inclusion.

    • Focus: Practical strategies to make hiring practices more equitable—job postings, interview processes, credential assessment, and bias mitigation.

    • Outcomes: Employers gain concrete tools to redesign recruitment for fairness and newcomer accessibility.

    • Focus: Building belonging after hiring—onboarding practices, mentorship, sponsorship, and culturally competent workplace policies.

    • Outcomes: Strategies to reduce turnover and support long-term newcomer success.

    • Focus: How mental health stigma and cultural differences affect workplace integration, plus tools for supporting employee well-being.

    • Outcomes: Employers learn how to integrate mental health supports tailored to diverse teams.

  • Focus:

    • Overview of key Canadian immigration pathways (e.g., work permits, permanent residency, refugee status) and how they impact work authorization.

      • Employer responsibilities: compliance, verification, and avoiding discriminatory practices.

      • Common misconceptions about hiring newcomers (e.g., myths around sponsorship or extra costs).

        Outcomes:

      • Employers gain clarity on how to responsibly and confidently engage newcomer talent.

      • Demystifies legal obligations vs. inclusive practices.

    • Focus: Moving from learning to leadership—how leaders model inclusion, measure progress, and embed accountability for newcomer inclusion.

    • Outcomes: Employers create actionable leadership commitments for sustaining change.

Apply Now!