Regional Connections Immigrant Settlement Services in Winkler, Morden, Altona, and Dauphin reported some success with the employment services offered to newcomers and Canadians. This is the one program the agency offers to all people, not just immigrants.
A team rooted in purpose
Jessica Lopez, Employment Program Coordinator at Regional Connections, supervises the three different employment projects called Employment Assistance Services (EAS), Professional Bridging, and GWEN—Gateway to Work Experience for Newcomers.”
These programs, while unique in their focus, are all guided by the same goal: to walk alongside individuals in some of the most uncertain moments of their lives and help them find purpose and stability through work.
In this article, Lopez will share some statistics presented at the June Annual General Meeting and highlight the Professional Bridging program.
A growing demand, a steady hand
From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, the Employment Program helped nearly 1,000 clients. “Eighty-nine percent of our clients are newcomers to Canada,” Lopez shares, “and about 11% are local Canadians.”
More people than ever are reaching out for help—whether they’re internationally educated professionals struggling to get a foothold, underemployed workers hoping to contribute more meaningfully, or individuals impacted by unexpected layoffs.
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Opening doors through EAS
“Most of our clients access supports through EAS,” Lopez explains. “They meet with our career coaches one-on-one... to help them with their resumes and help them find meaningful employment.”
With patience and perseverance, transformation happens. “On average, these clients are able to find work after three months of ongoing support,” she says. “About 60% of our EAS cases last year ended with successful employment outcomes.”
Professional bridging: rekindling careers
Then there are those whose careers require more than a resume refresh. “We had about 126 clients in Professional Bridging last year,” says Lopez. “These are all internationally educated professionals… nurses, doctors, engineers, pharmacists—highly skilled people who just need a path back to their profession.”
Many are underemployed, working in roles far beneath their capabilities. “Teachers working as cashiers. Nurses assembling parts in factories,” she explains. “We support them so they can land jobs where their skills are truly valued.”
Step by step, milestones matter
Licensing in Canada is a long and often expensive journey. “Some cases in Professional Bridging take about a year,” Lopez says. “Last year, six professionals completed that journey: four teachers, one engineer, and one respiratory and sleep therapist.”
“It may not sound like a lot,” she says, “but it is because it takes so much time, with so much red tape. So much perseverance.”
These aren’t just numbers. These are dreams revived.
A stronger workforce, a richer community
“Twenty-five percent of our clients in Professional Bridging last year were nurses. Second, engineers and geoscientists, then accountants, teachers, and others like psychologists, lawyers, architects, chemists.”
Lopez sees something powerful in the wave of talent coming through her program. “There’s so much skill and experience here in the region,” she says. “We just want to bring this international training into meaningful jobs… to help build a more robust local workforce.”
Overcoming the invisible barriers
While credentials are key, Lopez is quick to point out that other barriers loom just as large. “Language is a big one,” she says. “Some need to reach a certain Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level and take official language exams. That takes time, preparation, and money.”
Cost is another hurdle. “Licensing fees, travel to Winnipeg for exams, and taking time off work to study.” Regional Connections supports clients wherever possible, but many also turn to provincial programs like Manitoba Careers for additional help.
And sometimes, it’s simply a matter of opportunity. “For some professions, like architecture or engineering, there might not be a lot of options locally... So people decide to move,” Lopez explains.
Success stories that inspire
Among the many milestones, a pair of success stories shines especially bright for Lopez.
“We had two internationally educated teachers,” she says with a smile. “One was working as a cashier. The other, a cleaner. Both were highly trained professionals back home.”
Regional Connections invited them to a school division networking session and personally facilitated introductions. “A couple of weeks later, one was offered a job as a substitute teacher, the other as an educational assistant.”
They didn’t stop there. “We invited them to a workshop designed just for internationally educated teachers… helping them understand Canadian school culture, communication styles, and workplace expectations.”
Now, both have initiated their teaching license applications in Manitoba. “I think either they already have their license or they’re about to receive it,” Lopez says with a hopeful tone. “Their next step is to apply for official teaching positions, hopefully this year.”
The joy of seeing dreams come true
When asked what it feels like to see a client cross that finish line, Lopez pauses.
“There are milestones in between, and we celebrate each one,” she says. “Passing a language test. Securing funding. Landing that first job.”
“But when someone goes from cleaning jobs to a licensed teaching position working in the local school division, it’s just amazing. A huge relief. For them. For us. It’s everything.”
This is part one of this interview with Lopez. In the next story, Lopez shares about the incredible resilience and community partnerships of the GWEN program.