Businesses in Regina meet with refugees seeking employment

Members of the Regina business community and local Syrian refugees met today to discuss future business connections.

The event was put on by the Regina Open Door Society and the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber CEO, John Hopkins, said connecting local businesses with potential employees is a role the chamber can help with.

“We’ll be there to try and help as much as we possibly can with refugees and whoever else might be looking for opportunities in this great province and city of ours.”

Premier Brad Wall has said the province has welcomed approximately 2,000 refugees in the past year. The Regina Open Door Society estimated about 650 Syrian refugees live in Regina.

Hopkins said the event was a success as the conversations have been started and business cards have been handed out.

“I did talk to an employer today who said that they are definitely looking at hiring some refugees and it’s going to happen very, very soon,” said Hopkins. “So that’s encouraging and we’re quite optimistic that things will go very well.”

The Minister of Economy, the Honourable Jeremy Harrison, was also in attendance.