New immigrants and refugees who possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit can now learn the basics of starting a business in Canada at an Immigrant and Refugee Entrepreneur Training Workshop, hosted by the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society.
The program, offered in partnership with the Victoria Community Micro Lending Society, is funded by the Victoria Foundation.
Newcomers often experience difficulties securing employment and contributing to the local economy due to difficulty with mastering a new language or family commitments.
“The program seeks to provide those who possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit the tools to employ themselves,” said David Lau, executive director of the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society.
The program consists of eight sessions with a total of 24 hours of instruction. At the end of the course, the participants will continue to receive one-on-one coaching and mentoring to increase chances of a successful outcome.
“We have focused on the participants’ specialized needs, fine-tuning the program to fit newcomers,” said Lau.
Resources include the hiring of interpreters to help bridge the language gap.
But the workshops don’t just provide a benefit for participants.
The overall goal of the initiative is to encourage the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in Victoria’s economy, inspiring a broader, multicultural business landscape in a vibrant and healthy community.
The first group of 12 participants started their course in January and are due to graduate in March.
The Victoria Community Micro Lending Society is a peer-to-peer lender, started about eight years ago, that provides modest loans — up to a maximum of $5,000 — to local entrepreneurs.
The Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society assists in the settlement and adjustment of immigrants and refugees in Canada, providing services designed to increase the newcomers’ participation in Canadian society, by helping them to overcome barriers.
For more information, go to vircs.bc.ca.
