A unique partnership in Alberta is helping refugees overcome significant barriers to employment, offering them a crucial foothold in their new Canadian lives. The StartWork program, led by the Institute for Community Prosperity at Mount Royal University (MRU), has successfully placed participants into jobs after providing targeted training and cultural orientation.
From PhD to Paycheck: A Refugee's Journey
The human impact of the program is embodied by individuals like Afshan Khurshid. She arrived in Calgary in 2023 as a refugee from Pakistan with her family, fleeing death threats against her husband, a police officer. Despite holding a PhD in chemistry from a top Pakistani university, Khurshid struggled to find work for a year, relying on income support despite numerous applications.
Her breakthrough came after seeing a social media callout for the StartWork program. "It's really an amazing program," Khurshid stated during a recent celebration of the initiative's success at MRU. Through StartWork, she secured a permanent position as a key holder at the Women in Need Society (WINS) thrift store. While not her ideal career, she expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity to work and build a new life.
Partnerships and Practical Training
The program's effectiveness stems from its collaborative model and practical approach. StartWork is a partnership between Mount Royal University, the Government of Alberta, and the Northpine Foundation. The Toronto-based non-profit provided a substantial $1.2 million investment to fund the initiative.
The core of the program involved partnerships with four specific employers who offered job training to 40 refugees. Participants could choose training pathways with:
- Fire X-3
- Women in Need Society (WINS)
- Momentum
- Centre for Newcomers
The training covered in-demand skills in sectors like carpentry, food and hospitality, cleaning, fire safety, and warehouse management. Beyond technical skills, the program offered essential support classes in language, networking, and driving. It also provided guidance on navigating Canadian life, from surviving winter to furnishing a new home.
Lived Experience Informing Support
Adding a layer of deep understanding to the program is the fact that one of the employer-trainers is a refugee herself. Sofia Ricalde, a skills program facilitator at Momentum, originally came from Cancun, Mexico. She shared her own difficult journey, stating, "I didn't have access to any grants, and I didn't have a work permit. It was really difficult. So for me, it was really close to my heart to be able to help all these people who came here like I did and were struggling."
Bayan Khatib, Impact Director with the Northpine Foundation, emphasized the program's dual purpose at the MRU event: to help refugees orient themselves to new social and cultural norms while gaining the practical tools to become self-sufficient. For participants like Afshan Khurshid's husband, who also joined the program, and dozens of others, StartWork has provided more than just a job—it has offered a renewed sense of stability and hope in Canada.
