An idea to offer a temporary public service job to a Syrian refugee comes too early, according to the executive director of the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society.
John Van Horne, the city's director of human resources, pulled a council report on providing temporary, seasonal employment to a Syrian refugee after hearing from the multicultural society that there's greater benefit for refugees to settle first.
The idea for employment came from CUPE local 401 president Blaine Gurrie and would have seen the city ask the Human Rights Tribunal to allow a one-time special program for temporary, seasonal employment for a Syrian refugee. The work would give an individual income and help establish Canadian-based employment experience with a reputable local employer to help with a future job search, according to a city report.
Hilde Schlosar, executive director of the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, calls it a wonderful idea, but a little too early.
There's about 45 government-assisted refugees in Nanaimo, said Schlosar, who points out refugees haven't been here long, have gone through difficult situations and some speak no English at all.
“If you’ve had a lot of trauma and everybody is adjusting, everybody in the family is adjusting at a different pace you need time to help each other and work through that together. Employment immediately is not the best thing,” she said. “They have so much to learn about the culture and the country and everything there is from day to day that it just puts an extra burden of stress on them.”
Schlosar said government-sponsored refugees are supported by the federal government for a year and will need to be ready to go to work then, but shouldn't even start the process until they've been in the country for six to nine months.
In an e-mail, Van Horne said if the city was going to potentially risk someone's long-term adjustment to their new community it was better to hold off and perhaps consider such a project at another time.
“If it’s something that’s meant to be then the report will come forward next year,” he said.