News: Business Immigrants in Demand

Business Immigrants in Demand-

by Michael Maloney: ( Freelance Writer)

I have had the pleasure of working with New Brunswick’s Population Growth Division’s Moncton Business Immigrant Mentorship Program as attached to the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, since early September of 2011 and my involvements have been diverse, inspiring and most learned.

MLA Troy Lifford and Doaktown’s Kevin Price possess much insight into New Brunswick’s declining population (the negative impact of low birth rates - 1.3 children per family; the outward migration of many of our citizens to other regions both within our borders and outside, our aging population and a dwindling labour force … these are problems that we have to address) and the resultant negatives; they devote much time to our dilemma.

The mandate of the Business Immigrant Mentorship Program is to encourage independent small business immigrant start up and retention while facilitating successful ventures through support mechanisms of varying sources and activities, and to integrate our new Canadians into our New Brunswick community. I have met in the Moncton area some seventy-plus entrepreneurial newcomers – each unique with respective skill sets and experiences.

I have met several venerable New Brunswickers while serving under the direction of Moncton Business Immigrant Mentorship Coordinator, Danielle Salib (BA Law, CHRP Candidate, HR) and these hardworking people of character, immigrant and native, are without a doubt worthy of respect.

Lizzie Cheng, a graduate of Saint Thomas University is employed by New Brunswick’s Population Growth Secretariat. It is evident that this mentorship program is successful because of the people involved - they genuinely care about others and they are passionate about helping New Brunswick move into the 21^st century with a global perspective.

We need immigrants, we need the businesses they open and the jobs they provide through small and large enterprises - we need these fine people to remain in our province as an integral part of our ever growing multicultural community. Diversity from a business perspective, means prosperity.

Europeans, Asians, Africans, South Americans; all with differing backgrounds, cultures and experiences, well educated and self sufficient, these are the people from abroad with whom I have had much interaction. They do not look for handouts, but they do seek the opportunity to be accepted, to prove themselves and to contribute to New Brunswick, their new home.

Business Immigrant Mentorship Programs are active in Fredericton (Coordinator Janet Mosher), Bathurst (Coordinator Vincent Poirier), Moncton (Coordinator Danielle Salib) and Saint John.

[caption id="attachment_8972" align="alignleft" width="448" caption="(L-R) MLA Troy Lifford, Moncton BIMP Coordinator Danielle Salib, EA Kevin Price for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans"][/caption]