Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc.

Christie Digital's longstanding commitment to immigrant employment in the Kitchener-Waterloo area is demonstrated by their enthusiastic support of the newly-formed Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network (WRIEN), an organization working to create and improve employment opportunities for new Canadians in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Christie provides internships to internationally-trained engineers in partnership with WRIEN and Conestoga College. The company also attends networking/recruiting breakfasts hosted by WRIEN at Kitchener City Hall, and participates in employer panels hosted by various organizations, including WRIEN, the YMCA and COSTI Immigrant Services. Panels are small groups of employers who describe their hiring practices to skilled immigrant jobseekers in a classroom setting. At these sessions, Christie highlights the importance of interview skills, describes the company's hiring process, and outlines the kinds of skills and qualifications they look for in prospective employees.

Through their connection with WRIEN, Christie has hired new Canadian employees through the Working Centre, a non-profit community organization and job search resource centre. The Kitchener-based organization provides employment counselling and other job assistance to new Canadians, including credential recognition advice, resume critique, and guidance on job search strategies that will help them find a job in their field of expertise.

Christie Digital is working with WRIEN to publish a resource guide for employers in the Kitchener-Waterloo Area. The guide will help employers learn how to hire, integrate and retain internationally-trained employees. The company has long promoted the benefits of hiring internationally-educated individuals to other employers whenever possible, emphasizing that hiring the best candidates means hiring the most qualified candidates, even if their credentials and experience were obtained overseas.