ST. LOUIS, MO (December 4, 2013) – The St. Louis Mosaic Project has identified 20 “Connectors “who will help immigrants launch their careers by providing networking referrals. The Professional Connector Program is modeled after a project started in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The program, which officially launched December 1, connects skilled immigrants to well known “Connectors” for a cup of coffee and career networking referrals. Until now few programs for the foreign born have focused on integrating immigrants into informal networks.
The initiative is based on an award-winning program called the Greater Halifax Partnership Connector Program that has had major success in helping immigrants (and now other newcomers) to network into jobs in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The program filled such a need that it has grown from 50 Connectors to upwards of 500 in three years, with hundreds of immigrants getting jobs.
https://www.greaterhalifax.com/en/home/ourprograms/connectorprogram/default.aspx
“The generosity of Halifax to allow its program and materials to be leveraged for the first US launch is much appreciated,”
says Denny Coleman, former Chairman of the IEDC and currently CEO of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership of which the St. Louis Mosaic program is a part. “Replicating the Halifax program has allowed the St. Louis Mosaic Project to launch our Professional Connector Program in record time. We read about it in July and are now starting a pilot with 20 highly connected professional connectors,” he said. The program is working with local universities, organizations and agencies to recruit the 60 immigrants to benefit from this program.
Both the Halifax Connector Program and the St. Louis Mosaic Program were featured in the International Economic Development Council’s July 2013 report, entitled, “The Economic Development Impacts of Immigration”, which included best practices in immigration attraction and retention for economic development.
Foreign born residents who are college educated with long term work authorization in St. Louis can go to www.StlMosaicProject.org under “Learn More” to see the criteria and sign up as a participant to have a coffee or tea networking experience for their job search.