FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 23, 2010

Four Major Immigrant NGO's Form Consortium to Respond to Employment Needs 

Vancouver, BC, – Four of BC’s largest immigrant serving organizations have for the first time joined forces to respond to an upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) to deliver the Employment Program of BC that addresses the varying needs of British Columbians looking for work.  The RFP is part of the Business Transformation Model for Employment being initiated by the BC government to deliver a comprehensive made-in-BC employment service delivery model.

The Immigrant Services Network  (ISN) – comprising  ISSofBC, MOSAIC, PICS and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. – has been established in response to the goal of the Ministry of Housing and Social Development’s Business Transformation Project to “build working relationships with other organizations to develop a collaborative service delivery model to meet the community’s needs”.

The Immigrant Services Network is an innovative and community-based partnership that will facilitate the delivery of integrated, flexible and responsive employment services to address the labour market needs in Vancouver. This unique partnership capitalizes on the strong linkages and vast experience these agencies have within the community including businesses, government, community service providers, training and educational institutions. The ISN consortium will increase the likelihood that immigrants in Vancouver continue to receive the specialized employment services they need to contribute fully to the BC economy.

"Collectively, these agencies deliver employment services to over 50,000 British Columbians annually, and by pooling resources and expertise, the consortium will be in an even stronger position to assist BC job seekers and employers to achieve success,” stated Thomas Yeung, an ISN spokesperson.

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