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Immigration initiative brings Filipino civil engineer to BC Hydro

Carolyn Gleeson
For bchydro.com

When Armand Landas first came to B.C., it was the middle of August 2007, and all he saw was green when he and his family drove away from the airport, ready to start a new life in Canada.

He had yet to find work, but he wanted something that would fit his skills as trained civil engineer. Luckily, Armand had learned about BC Hydro’s partnership with the Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP) during his participation in the program while he was still in the Philippines.
 
CIIP has partnerships with several companies, including BC Hydro, where they inform new Canadians about work opportunities and the skills sets required. But Landas said that the program also provides new Canadians with information that is difficult to get ahead of time.

“This program lets you know more about what to expect moving to a new country, what agencies you need to approach, what will be different from your home country, and little things that you might not think about initially,” he said.

“They also let us know that moving to a new country is like building up a new foundation but equipped with the training and skills acquired from your country of origin  – you need to build a new work experience, make new contacts and new connections when you arrive.”

One job leads to another

Landas, who trained as a civil engineer and worked in property development for 10 years in the Philippines before arriving in Canada, found work with a local property development company three months after he arrived. But in February 2008, he saw a posting for a project technologist at BC Hydro, and applied for the role. He received a call from Human Resources in May 2008, had two interviews, and began working that July.

Landas likes the variety of his work as a project technologist – where he keeps tasks, timelines and budgets in line.

 “If you imagine the project manager is the big picture strategist, I am the person who is striving to see that nothing falls through the cracks," he says. "It is a very detail-oriented role.”

Keep training, keep connecting

Landas said that joining engineering professional associations and getting certified by the Association of Technologist and Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) eight months after he arrived gave him an instant network of colleagues and credibility. It also helped him to gain Canadian work experience, which is one of the biggest challenges for new Canadians who have years of training and experience internationally in highly skilled professions.

“My advice to new Canadians who are coming here would be to ask about opportunities, make new connections, but also keep your skills and expertise in mind, because there will be times when you get discouraged or frustrated looking for a role or a career that is a good fit,” says Landas. “It can sometimes feel difficult to engage with people, especially if you are learning a new language or not sure of the cultural differences, but it can really help to connect with others.”

Landas is just one of many new Canadians who have found work at BC Hydro in recent years, and hopes to stay for a long time.

“One thing that gives me a high comfort level is knowing that BC Hydro has a respectful workplace,” he says. “Despite coming from different places and working on different projects, we realize we all have knowledge and experience to bring, and it gives us a relaxed and productive atmosphere.”

Carolyn Gleeson is a writer-editor with BC Hydro's corporate and employee communications group.