Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce / CIBC

The bank recently launched the "CIBC Connection to Employment" program, in conjunction with the YMCA in Toronto. New Canadians seeking jobs in the Canadian financial services sector enrol in a free five-week pre-employment program. Participants receive job search training and assistance, and learn about the skills required to obtain jobs at the CIBC or at other financial institutions. CIBC has hired over half of the program's participants in loan operations, trade finance, and customer service roles at the bank.

CIBC manages "Newcomers to Canada", a specialized web portal specifically for immigrant jobseekers. It provides information on credential assessment, language training and assessments, local community agencies, mentorships and internships specifically for new Canadians. The site also includes a diversity recruitment calendar that includes a list of workshops and recruiting events specifically for new Canadian jobseekers.

CIBC is also the first bank in Canada to integrate the resume database Skills International into its web-based recruitment management system. Skills International is an online database of internationally-educated professionals who have been pre-screened and deemed job-ready by employment advisors and community agencies. Employers can perform searches based on criteria such as skills, education or experience to find candidates who match available job openings.

CIBC provides new Canadians with valuable Canadian work experience through the Career Bridge internship program. Established in 2003, Career Bridge provides four, six or twelve-month paid internships to immigrants who have been in Canada for less than three years. To be considered, immigrants must apply online and meet eligibility requirements. Impressively, CIBC has hired more than half of their Career Bridge interns to permanent jobs within the bank and many have been promoted to senior financial analyst roles. The bank also provides specialized training to Career Bridge interns, including workshops on Canadian workplace culture, networking and career development. CIBC managers who hire interns receive cultural sensitivity training to anticipate the needs of Career Bridge candidates.