My Barriers Don’t Define Me

Hi, my name is Sara and I came to Canada in 2006. I have always wanted to be in a field where I am able to help other people. Being an immigrant, I faced a few challenges and therefore wanted to guide others from my experiences. However, it was very hard for me to get into such a career without Canadian work experience and certification. Like many immigrants, this was my major barrier.

I started working as an admin person with the Ministry of Social Development & Poverty Reduction as well as did a lot of volunteer work for non-profit organizations including the Muslim Foodbank. After a lot of struggle and doing some basic survival jobs, I came to know about Project Based Labour Market Training (PBLMT) offered by Options Community Services. I learned that this training was fully funded by the Province of BC, including the work experience! It got me really excited and I registered with WorkBC Employment Services for a referral to this training.

With the help of WorkBC Employment Services, I took the Multicultural Worker Training program which was a 22-week long course. During the training, I received a fixed living support stipend, which immensely helped me, as I had no other source of income at that time.

After completing my training, the doors of success opened up for me and I started working as a Client Service Navigator immediately. I am successfully employed and applying my knowledge and skills from the training on a daily basis. At work, I help people coming from diverse backgrounds like Francophones, refugees, immigrants, youth, people with disabilities, and multi barriers. 

I am grateful to the WorkBC Team and Options Community Services for providing a long waited opportunity for me to be successful. The training got me closer to my goals!