双语报道｜2024年阿尔伯塔省新移民平等峰会在卡尔加里举行

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    10月16日，2024年度阿尔伯塔省新移民平等峰会在卡尔加里盛大召开，这是该峰会第三年举办，旨在解决与移民政策、文化融合和新移民对阿尔伯塔省的经济贡献等关键问题。今年的峰会聚集了来自各个领域的新移民代表、政策制定者以及机构领袖，与以往届相比，此次参与人数更多，话题更广泛。

    活动从早晨开始，首先由原住民领袖代表Elder Charlie Fox祝福开场，随后由阿尔伯塔省高等教育厅长Rajan Sawhney发表开幕词。与会者还互动参与了一个新移民代表的经验分享讨论，几位代表通过介绍他们的心路历程，展现了他们在阿尔伯塔省不同领域建立事业和家庭的故事，令人动容，也给了众多新移民参会者振奋和鼓舞。峰会上还提到的一些有趣的统计数据，例如在阿省，近年每5位新移民中就有1位从事建筑行业；2023年，永久居民贡献了阿省劳动力增长的80%，为各个经济领域做出了显著贡献。

    此次，《天时周刊》也受邀参加了峰会，并对包括省长Danielle Smith、省高等教育厅长Rajan Sawhney、移民与多元文化厅长Muhannad Yaseen及安大略省前劳动、移民、培训和技能发展厅长Monte McNaughton在内的多位领袖进行了采访。采访围绕新移民面临的挑战和发展，特别是文化融合和职业发展方面的话题。

    在对省长的采访中，我们重点提到了“加拿大经验”这一新移民求职的常见问题。Smith省长对此表示：“这确实是省政府目前正在应对的一个重大问题。在安大略省，很多领域和工作单位已经取消了对加拿大经验的要求，而在阿省，我们也在考虑采取类似措施。阿尔伯塔省专业工程师和地质学家协会（APEGA）有一个非常好的项目，帮助认证国外资历，接下来的步骤就是消除对加拿大工作经验的要求……这可能需要一些立法的变更，以便更好地进行资历认证。”

    省高等教育厅长Rajan Sawhney也谈到了本地学历和职业资质的问题，她提出：“我们在努力探索更多认可海外资历的便捷途径，创造更多机会，帮助新移民找到梦想的和专业匹配的工作。”

《天时周刊》团队和省高等教育厅长Rajan Sawhney采访合影

     移民与多元文化厅长Muhannad Yaseen在采访中强调了新移民的重要性，认可了他们在学术和职业方面的成功和贡献。他表示新移民多样化的背景丰富了阿尔伯塔省的社会结构，是省经济和文化发展的重要贡献者，并鼓励新移民积极参与多元文化社区的活动，以便尽快融入。

安大略省前劳动、移民、培训和技能发展厅长Monte McNaughton

接受本刊采访后合影

    此次峰会还邀请了安大略省前劳动、移民、培训和技能发展厅长Monte McNaughton发表主题演讲。他的演讲题为 “建设更强大的省份”，详述了安省为赋能和支持新移民而实施的各项举措，这些内容引起了与会者的共鸣。McNaughton厅长在和《天时周刊》的访谈中还分享了阿尔伯塔省与安大略省之间的合作计划，以帮助新移民更顺利实现职业发展。

    下午的会议包含了省长Danielle Smith致辞在内的几场重量级演讲，以及Trades Union研讨，几位发言人和会与者探讨了支持新移民进入劳动市场的举措。

省长Danielle Smith发表致辞

《天时周刊》社长谢琰女士与省长Danielle Smith合影

与移民与多元文化厅长Muhannad Yaseen合影

2024 Premier's Summit on Fairness for Newcomers Held in Calgary

Calgary, Alberta – October 16, 2024 – A packed room at the Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre witnessed a pivotal gathering on Wednesday as the 2024 Premier’s Summit on Fairness for Newcomers convened, bringing together community leaders, policymakers, and newcomer representatives from various sectors. The summit aimed to address key issues surrounding immigration policy, cultural integration, and the economic contributions of newcomers in Alberta.

The event kicked off early in the morning, starting with a warm welcome and Elder Prayer from Elder Charlie Fox, and followed by opening remarks from the Honourable Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education. Attendees were then treated to a powerful Newcomer Experience Panel, where inspiring stories from successful newcomers highlighted their journeys in building careers in Alberta. Key statistics highlighted during the summit included that one in five newcomers in Alberta are employed in the construction industry, and that in 2023, permanent residents accounted for 80% of the workforce growth in the province, significantly benefiting various sectors of the economy.

CMH News was honored to participate in the event, conducting interviews with prominent figures such as Premier Danielle Smith, Minister Sawhney, Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism Muhannad Yaseen, and Ontario’s former Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton. These discussions focused on the challenges faced by newcomers, particularly issues surrounding cultural integration and career advancement.

One pressing issue addressed was the challenge of "Canadian experience," a common barrier for newcomers seeking employment. Premier Smith acknowledged this problem, stating to us: "You mentioned one of the big problems in our legislation. We know that in Ontario, they eliminated that Canadian experience, and that's what we are looking at doing. APEGA(Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta) has a really good program for helping recognize credentials, and the next step they are doing is to eliminate the Canadian work experience... There may have to be a legislative change to make that happen regarding credential recognition."

Minister Sawhney also spoke about local higher education and the importance of recognizing foreign qualifications, noting, "We need to find pathways to recognize foreign credentials … and create more opportunities to help people find their dream jobs, pursue their passions."

Minister Yaseen highlighted the importance of newcomers, acknowledging their academic and professional successes. He encouraged active engagement with multicultural communities, stating that diverse backgrounds enrich Alberta's social fabric and should be viewed as valuable assets in professional settings.

The summit also featured a keynote address from Monte McNaughton, former Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development in Ontario. His speech, titled "Leaving No One Behind: Creating a Stronger Province," outlined initiatives implemented in Ontario to empower and support newcomers, which resonated deeply with attendees. In our interview with him, Minister McNaughton also shared insights on collaborative initiatives between Alberta and Ontario aimed at facilitating smoother career transitions for immigrants.

The afternoon sessions included several impactful speeches, notably the Premier's Address by the Honourable Danielle Smith, as well as a Trades Union Panel, where representatives discussed their roles in supporting newcomers in the labor market.

Throughout the day, attendees engaged in meaningful discussions, fostering connections and sharing resources aimed at promoting a more inclusive Alberta. The summit not only highlighted the challenges faced by newcomers but also celebrated their invaluable contributions to the province's economy and cultural landscape. Looking ahead, participants expressed hope that supportive policies will be implemented swiftly to help newcomers secure greater job opportunities and continue to play a vital role in strengthening Alberta’s future.