The
Marketing PAD guides Skills Without Borders campaign
The Marketing PAD is working with The Brampton Board
of Trade and a number of organizations and agencies
including Service Canada to help connect skilled immigrants
with employers in North Peel.
The year-long program called “Skills without
Borders” is designed to raise awareness about
labour needs in North Peel and the ability of skilled
immigrants to meet those needs.
The Marketing PAD is involved in conducting research
on labour needs, facilitating focus groups on barriers
to skilled immigrants, preparing all advertising and
marketing materials for the campaign, including a
website at www.skilswithoutborders.com
“North Peel attracts a large and growing pool
of skilled immigrants every year with a strong potential
of contributing substantially to our region’s
economy. While not all immigrants require assistance
upon arrival to Canada, many are encountering challenges
related to unemployment or underemployment –
which over time leads to skills atrophy and the inability
to be marketable, resulting in permanent loss to the
economy,” says Sheldon Leiba, CEO of The Brampton
Board of Trade.
The Brampton Board of Trade is project leader, with
funding assistance from Services Canada. Other partners
include The Caledon Chamber of Commerce, Brampton’s
Economic Development Department, The Region of Peel,
United Way of Peel, Toronto Region Immigrant Employment
Council; (TRIEC), ACCES, Human Resources Professional
Association of Peel and the Brampton Neighbourhood
Resource Centre.
Leiba says that while the Federal and Ontario governments
have undertaken a number of initiatives with respect
to settlement and integration services for skilled
immigrants and programs targeted to employers, “there
is little awareness about these programs, services
and resources amongst the business community. Employers
have not been engaged to any large extent in helping
to address issues related to the effective employment
integration of skilled immigrants.”
“Skills without Borders” will survey
North Peel employers about labour needs and conduct
focus groups to help better understand some of the
barriers to hiring skilled immigrants. The information
will be gathered in two reports that will provide
a good resource for settlement agencies and other
program providers.
“We need to consult businesses across a broad
cross-section in North Peel to better understand these
issues.”
The project will also prepare a Resource Guide to
help employers find the resources they need. “We
hope to educate the business community and employers
in North Peel about the benefits of hiring immigrants,
and increase their awareness about and ultimately
their demand for the many existing programs and services
available to facilitate the employment integration
of skilled immigrants, whether its job placement services,
co-op and internship programs, wage subsidies, or
mentorships.
Leiba says this works both ways. “Immigrant
settlement organizations and service providers also
need to better understand labour demands, needs and
challenges of employers in North Peel.”
When completed, the research and resource information
will be presented to employers through events and
activities; marketing advertisements; a resource guide
and online resources. The Brampton Board of Trade
and its partners will continue to promote “Skills
without Borders” to ensure it reaches as many
employers as possible in North Peel.
“We believe this is a win, win for our community.
North Peel’s economy will be greatly enhanced
through this initiative that will better link skilled
immigrants in North Peel with employment opportunities.
Employers will benefit from an increasingly skilled
and diverse labour force that meets short and long-term
labour needs,” Leiba says. “With Brampton
becoming increasingly diverse and attracting more
and more immigrants, our business community has a
very strong vested interest in this issue.”
“This is an exciting
project for The Marketing PAD because we are involved
in all aspects of the campaign,” says Stephen
Rhodes, President of The Marketing PAD.
With an innovative approach to business,
Bowman Training Initiatives was recently awarded a
Business Recognition Award from the City of Mississauga,
Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre (MBEC).
The award recognizes member businesses
that have achieved excellence in their given field.
To select the winner, MBEC reviewed the business plans
of submitted entrants and examined their business
goals and achievements in the past year.
Jeff Bowman, a Brampton business owner,
also was named Small Business of the Month with the
Brampton Board of Trade in January.
“The Mississauga Business Enterprise
Centre has been instrumental in the growth of Bowman
Training Initiatives, through the summer student program,
members networking events and working with new businesses,”
said Bowman. “Success in business depends on
the contacts you make and the relationships you cultivate.
The value of working with MBEC can not only be measured
in revenue growth, but in personal growth and the
development of strong relationships with the staff
and other mentors.”
Bowman Training Initiatives, a company
specializing in Sales and Productivity Training for
small to medium sized businesses, has been in business
for four years and has developed an impressive list
of clients including the Brampton Board of Trade,
Construction Safety Association of Ontario, Canadian
Coffee Association and The Brampton Real Estate Board.
Bowman donates his free time to Training
for The United Way of Peel, mentoring Summer Student
Entrepreneurs at The Mississauga Business Enterprise
Centre, mentoring Small Businesses at the Brampton
Small Business Enterprise Centre and coaching hockey
locally.
“Jeff Bowman exemplifies true
entrepreneurial spirit,” said Heidi Brown, manager
of MBEC. “His keen willingness to support MBEC
through mentorship and training facilitation has demonstrated
his commitment to giving back to the business community.”
Bowman is also a partner in a new
company, The Marketing Pad, which is a full service
Marketing, Sales and Design firm. He also is an instructor
at Sheridan College in the Continuing Education division.
Sheldon Leiba, CEO of The Brampton Board of Trade,
unveils the new BBOT website at www.bramptonbot.com
at December’s After Business. The site was designed
by The Marketing PAD, a fully integrated marketing
company and member of The Brampton Board of Trade.
Pictured from left are Sheldon and The Marketing
PAD partners Jeff Bowman, Stephen Rhodes and Khaled
Iwamura.
Brampton
Board of Trade launches new website
The Brampton Board of Trade unveiled its new redesigned
website at December’s After Business meeting.
At www.bramptonbot.com, this feature-rich website
combines a contemporary look with an extensive platform
of information about The Board, its activities, events
and advocacy work.
“Our old site served us well
but we wanted a more contemporary user-friendly site
to keep our members informed and involved in the work
of the Board,” says Board of Trade CEO Sheldon
Leiba. “We want the website to be a complete
source of information about The Brampton Board of
Trade and our members.”
The website was designed by The Marketing
PAD, a full-service marketing company in Brampton
and member of The Brampton Board of Trade.
“The website presented an interesting
challenge because of its sheer size. There is a lot
of information for members including an online business
directory, event registration, news and advice, benefits
and services and a calendar of events,” says
designer Khaled Iwamura, a partner in The Marketing
PAD. “Despite the volume of information, we
wanted to make navigation intuitive and as easy as
possible.”
The website allows potential members
to search for information about the Board of Trade
and its history, services and benefits and even register
for membership. Members can use the site to find other
members, search out benefits and programs and explore
the Board’s position on a number of policy issues.
Visitors can also register online for upcoming events.
The site is intended to bring together
all of the communication tools employed by The Brampton
Board of Trade. Built into the site are the top stories
that run each month in Trade Talks, the member-driven
monthly newspaper. So members can expect to see business
news, Spotlights on members, Small Business of the
Month profiles and business advice by member contributors.
Moreover, the twice-monthly email Bulletin distributed
by CEO Sheldon Leiba is also available online.
The website also presents a unique
opportunity for advertisers, who want to reach other
members or businesses in Brampton. Special rates are
available for members who want to expand their reach
utilizing online services with Trade Talks.
“I think The Marketing PAD has
delivered a great website. Like all good marketing
tools, we hope to be able to build on this success
over time, adding even more benefits for our members,”
Leiba says.
The Brampton Board of Trade
The Brampton Board of Trade is an
independent, not-for-profit business organization
that has served the needs of businesses in Brampton
since 1887.
The Board of Trade is the voice of
business for business in Brampton. It represents approximately
1,200 members ranging from home-based to large multi-national
companies. Members include small businesses, corporate
executives, public officials, community organizations,
consultants, engineers...and the list goes on.
The
Marketing PAD guides Skills Without Borders campaign
MBEC
award
