WorkBC Staff – So Kind and Supportive
October 16, 2022
Ana’s story is much like the story of many other new immigrants; she arrived from the Philippines with a Nursing Diploma that was not recognized in Canada. Unable to restart her career as a nurse, Ana became a Caregiver. Unfortunately, she did not have the funds to cover the cost of upgrading her skills and qualifications. In April 2021, when she was laid off and on Employment Insurance (EI), Ana approached the Maple Ridge WorkBC Centre to get support to get her career back on track.
Staff at the Centre assisted Ana to obtain funding to complete the Graduate Nurse Internationally Educated (GNIE) Program. Ana successfully completed GNIE and passed her nursing exam with flying colours!
With recognized nursing qualifications in hand, Ana began to work with the Centre’s Employment Placement Specialist (EPS). The EPS assisted Ana to build a LinkedIn account, create her resume and cover letter, helped her to polish her interview skills, set up informational interviews with professionals from the healthcare sector, and directly marketed Ana to potential employers. With this support, Ana was asked to two interviews. Ana’s goal was to work in either the ER or the OR and she achieved it!
In Ana’s words:
“I am very grateful to WorkBC Maple Ridge. They have been very kind and supportive with my career goals. They provided me resources to get the job that suits my skills. I’m an immigrant and a year ago I wasn’t sure I could still practice in the field I was trained in. I contacted WorkBC Maple Ridge and was in touch with Tracy. She spent time helping me get the resources I need. She was so patient and worked hard so I could get the funding I need to go back to school.
I’m extremely thankful to Sheryl S. for guiding and supporting me with my job search. She’s amazing! She has been so patient and kind. She assisted me with resources to help me with my job search including resume and interview workshops. She didn’t stop the support when I got hired, she continually supported me making sure that the job I got best suits my skills and goals. She is very thoughtful, made sure I was doing good and happy with my job.
I’m also grateful to Dana for making sure I got the resources for the training/education program that I was in.
It has been a challenging journey for my career but WorkBC Maple Ridge made it easier. I wouldn’t achieve my goals without their support. I couldn’t be more grateful to them!”
