OMSSA Lunch and Learn

2025 Lunch and Learn Webinars

#WelcomingEconomy: A Collective Response to Refugee Labour Market Integration

October 9, 2025 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Our vision for a Welcoming Economy: A future where refugees have equal access to employment, businesses recognize and value their diverse talents, and inclusive practices drive innovation, prosperity, and social cohesion across communities.

In 2022, the #WelcomingEconomy campaign was launched by a coalition of Canada-based organizations under the Refugee Jobs Agenda Roundtable, coordinated by World Education Services (WES). This multi-sectoral network collaborates with government leaders, community agencies, and employers to design and implement employment-focused initiatives that connect refugees with meaningful job opportunities across cities in Canada.

Join us for an inspiring and practical session that explores how inclusive hiring practices can strengthen local economies and foster resilient communities. This panel will highlight the #WelcomingEconomy campaign and showcase the innovative Refugee Hiring Event model, with a special focus on the successful Durham Region event held in April 2025.

Participants will gain insights into the planning, partnerships, and outcomes that contributed to the event’s success, from employer engagement to community impact. Panelists will share lessons learned, discuss the critical role of municipalities and community partners, and offer actionable guidance for replicating the model in other regions. Participants will also be informed of ways to engage with the 2^nd phase of the #WelcomingEconomy communications campaign this Fall.

Speakers:

• Jessie Castello, Project Manager, Employer Solutions, WES
• Danielle Pineda, Manager – Local Immigration Partnership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Division, The Regional Municipality of Durham
• Chris Espana, Planning & Projects Manager, Canada Programs, WES 

Turning System Data Into Action: Financial Risk, Benchmarking, and Intelligence for Public Service Managers

October 21, 2025 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

Across child care, housing, employment services, and other human service systems, leaders face the same challenge: how to make confident, timely decisions in complex funding environments.

Join Charitability Inc. for a practical look at how system managers and public funders can embed regular financial risk assessment, benchmarking, and intelligence processes into their operations. We’ll share how these approaches are already helping Ontario municipalities manage funding, surface early warning signs, and guide investments that strengthen the entire system — and how the same principles apply across childcare, housing, employment services, and beyond.

You’ll learn:

• Proven approaches for turning raw system data into actionable insight
• How regular benchmarking can help you manage risk and identify growth opportunities
• Ways to adapt these tools across different service areas, from child care to housing and homelessness services to employment services

Whether you fund or manage a single program area or an entire portfolio, you’ll leave with practical strategies to increase clarity, improve forecasting, and make smarter decisions for the communities you serve.

Speakers:

• Jennifer Kirkham and Matt Ross, Co-Founders, Charitability Inc.

International Academic Document Authentication and Evaluation

October 29, 2025 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

This session will cover the utility of the World Education Services (WES) international academic credential evaluation service and recognition by employers, academic institutions, licensing bodies, and other end-users. You will learn about the available evaluation services, the type of evaluation reports your clients may need for different purposes, and how to best capitalize their Canadian academic equivalency for labour market integration and Canadian society at large.

For those of your clients who may already have a WES ECA for Immigration (IRCC Express Entry Program), we will provide directions on how to Upgrade their ECA for employment, higher education and licensing purposes.

We will also introduce the WES Gateway Program, which provides credential evaluation for forcibly displaced individuals who may lack official academic documentation. Participants will learn about the program’s origin, eligibility, and how it differs from a standard WES evaluation.

The session will also explore how the program removes barriers to employment, licensing, and education, highlights partnerships with community agencies, and outlines how your organization can help expand access for newcomer talent.

Speaker:

• Kevin Kamal: Director, Business Development, World Education Services
• Monamee Ishika, Manager, WES Gateway Program

Increasing income and financial stability for residents: A critical role for municipalities

November 12, 2025 | 12:00PM to 1:00PM

This webinar will help municipal staff understand how financial empowerment can enhance the well-being of individuals, reduce municipal costs, and foster thriving, resilient communities. This session is perfect for municipal leaders and anyone looking to improve financial access for their residents. You will learn: 

• Why municipalities should prioritize financial empowerment.  
• The impact of financial empowerment on reducing financial stress within communities.  
• How financial empowerment can support strategic plans, including poverty reduction initiatives.
• About a powerful model (Prosperity Gateways) that integrates financial empowerment into local municipal services through human-centered design.  
• About the Benefits Wayfinder, a tool to help individuals access income-boosting benefits and improve financial stability.  
• How Prosper Canada supported the City of Toronto to increase the financial stability of residents through collaboration with the Toronto Public Library.   

Speakers:

• John Stephenson, Manager, Program Delivery and Integration, Prosper Canada
• Lua Eghanian, Senior Officer, Program Delivery and Integration, Prosper Canda
• Janet Flynn, Manager, Program Delivery and Integration, Prosper Canada