Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)

Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)
Name	Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
Abbr	TRIEC
Formation	2003
Type	Non-profit organization
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Region served	Greater Toronto Area

Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) is a Canadian non-profit focused on improving employment outcomes for immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area by connecting employers, academic institutions, and settlement organizations. Founded in the early 2000s, the council developed mentorship and sector-specific initiatives to address labour market attachment for internationally trained professionals and skilled immigrants. Its activities span mentorship programs, research collaborations, employer best practices, and policy engagement with provincial and municipal stakeholders.

History

The initiative emerged from consultations involving stakeholders such as Business Council of Canada, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, United Way Greater Toronto, Royal Bank of Canada, and representatives from institutions like University of Toronto, Ryerson University, George Brown College, and York University. Early collaborators included corporate partners such as TD Bank Group, Scotiabank, CIBC, BMO Financial Group, and Manulife Financial alongside community agencies like COSTI Immigrant Services, MOSAIC (organization), and Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia which influenced program design. The council drew on comparative models from Calgary Economic Development and policy discussions referencing institutions like OECD and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Leadership involved figures connected to boards of Toronto Board of Trade and networks linked to Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Toronto Community Foundation.

Mission and Programs

TRIEC’s mission aligned with the aims of organizations such as Employment and Social Development Canada, Statistics Canada, and Canadian Labour Congress by promoting employer-based solutions to underemployment among immigrants. Core programmatic areas reflected sector partnerships with entities like Toronto District School Board, Hospital for Sick Children, St. Michael's Hospital, and private-sector partners including RBC, Accenture, KPMG, Deloitte, and PwC. Program models paralleled initiatives from Canadian Immigrant Integration Program and drew upon research produced by think tanks like Institute for Research on Public Policy and C.D. Howe Institute. Operational partnerships included community organizations such as HASA, Centre for Immigrant and Community Services, and settlement agencies modeled on Settlement.Org frameworks.

Mentoring and Career Services

A signature program was a large-scale employer-led mentoring initiative that connected internationally trained professionals with established staff from firms like Bell Canada, Enbridge, CN (Canadian National Railway), Bombardier, and Toronto-Dominion Bank. Mentoring activities echoed practices from professional associations such as Ontario Bar Association, Medical Council of Canada, and Engineering Associations including Professional Engineers Ontario. Complementary services involved résumé clinics and interview workshops informed by standards from Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and credential-recognition pathways referenced by bodies like Ontario College of Trades and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Program delivery often involved volunteers from Toronto Police Service leadership, executives from Hydro One, and human resources specialists from Hudson's Bay Company and Sobeys.

Research and Policy Advocacy

TRIEC commissioned and partnered on research with academic units at University of Toronto Scarborough, York University Glendon College, Ryerson Centre for Labour Management Relations, and policy institutes including Maytree Foundation and The Conference Board of Canada. Studies examined labour market integration metrics used by Statistics Canada and policy levers discussed with agencies such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and provincial ministries. Evidence informed advocacy targeting municipal actors like City of Toronto and provincial stakeholders such as Government of Ontario. Research outputs referenced trends in occupations identified by National Occupational Classification and regulatory barriers highlighted by professions including Law Society of Ontario and College of Nurses of Ontario.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnership networks incorporated corporate donors like RBC Foundation, Scotiabank Philanthropic Foundation, TD Economics, and foundations such as Trillium Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, and Laidlaw Foundation. Institutional supporters included universities—University of Toronto, Ryerson University—and civic funders like United Way Centraide Canada chapters. Collaborative program delivery involved employer partners from sectors represented by Toronto Financial Services Alliance, Information Technology Association of Canada, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, and healthcare networks such as Sinai Health System and Trillium Health Partners. Granting relationships drew on models from federal initiatives administered by Employment Ontario and philanthropic funding principles used by J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.

Impact and Outcomes

Evaluations reported improved employment outcomes for participants reflected in metrics comparable to reports by Statistics Canada and analyses by The Conference Board of Canada. Employer partners including RBC, BMO Financial Group, TD Bank Group, KPMG, and Deloitte documented gains in talent pipelines and diversity practices. Academic collaborators such as University of Toronto and York University cited TRIEC-linked programs in research on immigrant integration, while municipal actors like City of Toronto noted contributions to workforce inclusion strategies. The model influenced similar initiatives across Canada and informed discussions at convenings hosted by organizations such as OECD and UNHCR.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Toronto Category:Immigration to Canada