Ayyoub ELWARTITI
My name is Ayyoub Elwartiti. I am a newcomer to Canada from Morocco and I was fortunate enough to benefit from the valuable pre-arrival services that the YMCA’s Build ON program offers.
I moved to Canada as a permanent resident about two months ago, around mid-August 2020, even though my arrival was initially scheduled for the first part of the current year. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the whole world, my immigration plans were turned upside down in numerous ways, starting with the cancellation of my flight due to the border closures imposed by Morocco as well as the expiration of my immigration documents (immigrant visa, Confirmation of Permanent Residence) since I wasn’t able to travel within the required time limits. This was followed by four months of delays and uncertainty in my country of origin, not knowing when Morocco would reopen its borders to air travel or when the activities would resume at the Canadian Embassy in Rabat in order to renew my expired documents.
Since every obstacle in life has a positive side, I took the opportunity to register with the YMCA’s Build ON program during this waiting and lockdown period. Their agents and services have helped me greatly, whether it be for adapting my resume to Canadian standards, preparing for a job interview, getting familiar with Canadian workplace culture or job searching in the context of COVID-19, through various media and platforms (one-on-one discussions on Skype or WhatsApp, personalized action plan, webinars on various topics, etc.).
I highly recommend Build ON’s services to all newcomers who want to successfully integrate and settle in Canada as soon as possible.
Note from Ayyoub’s consultant – Kepreye Otrofanowei
As an employment consultant working with newcomers during the uncertainty that is COVID-19 I have had to readjust some of the information that I would typically pass across. Often times clients have a lot of questions and concerns and the honest answer is generally “I do not know” which is frustrating to say but I can imagine that it is also frustrating to hear as a newcomer coming to a professional for guidance. The truth of the matter is that COVID-19 brought a lot of changes that often happened so rapidly that it was nearly impossible to keep track of them all. Despite this, everyone in the employment and settlement field is doing their best to keep helping clients through this period. Closing out the year there is still a lot of uncertainty in terms of migrating and settling in a new home during these times however I hope Ayyoubs experience is able to provide comfort in the knowledge that it is possible to move and settle into a new country while accessing support services even in the midst of uncertainty. Happy Holidays readers.