Meaningful employment starts with believing
in the value you
already bring.
An 8 - session career exploration journey designed for Canadian refugees in partnership with Upcomers.
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The Direction Journey is a career exploration program designed to help participants build confidence, recognize their transferable skills, and successfully navigate the Canadian workplace. Our goal is to help participants find meaningful work, build confidence, and create a successful life in Canada.
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Together, we will explore careers, build workplace skills, grow professional networks, and create a step-by-step plan for the future. Throughout the program, participants also have the chance to earn free workplace certificates that employers look for. These may include First Aid & CPR, WHMIS, and other safety training, depending on the chosen career pathway.Â
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Between each Waypoint, participants complete Direction Missions. These are simple activities that help participants practice what they learned, explore careers, meet new people, and take small steps toward their goals. Every mission helps participants move closer to meaningful employment and financial independence.
The Journey
Waypoint #1: My Story: Strengths, Values & Goals
Building the foundation
Waypoint #2: Discover Your Work Vibe
Understanding yourself before choosing a career
Waypoint #3: Build your Personal Brand
Share your story with confidence
Waypoint #4: Professional Presence
How Professionalism creates opportunity
Waypoint #5:Â Networking 101
Building and maintaining meaningful relationships
Build confidence meeting new people and growing a professional network.
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Participants will investigate:
- Networking isn't asking for a job
- Building authentic relationships
- Body language, Active Listening
- Asking good questions, Following up
- LinkedIn connections
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Waypoint #6: Career Roadmap
Creating a plan while expecting change
Waypoint #7: Roots to Routes Showcase
Present what you've learned
Waypoint #8: Career Checkpoint
Optional One-on-one Coaching Session
Help participants recognize the strengths, experiences, and values they already possess while creating a vision for their future.
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Participant objectives:
- Recognize the valuable experiences, and transferable skills they have developed in their lives.
- Identify how life experiences have prepared them for success in the Canadian workplace.
- Reflect on their values, motivations, and vision for their future in Canada.
- Reframe life challenges as evidence of resilience, adaptability, and capability rather than barriers to employment.
- Build confidence by recognizing that they are not starting over—they are building on a lifetime of knowledge, skills, and experiences.
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Before choosing a career, participants need to understand themselves. This session helps to explore their personality, work preferences, values, and the type of environment where they will thrive.
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Participants explore:
- Work style and personality
- Ideal work environment
- Lifestyle goals
- Income, flexibility, and work-life balance
- Education preferences
Learn how to communicate your strengths with confidence.
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Participants in small groups will delve into:
- Communicating your story and unique strengths
- Resume writing
- Highlighting transferable skills
- Elevator pitch
Participants will work through common workplace situations that require professional communication, problem solving and sound judgement.
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Participants will examine:
- First Impressions, Professional attire
- Workplace etiquette, Employer expectations in Canada
- Communication, Body language
- Reliability, Taking initiative, Going the extra mile
- Advocating for yourself, Giving and receiving constructive feedback
-Â Professional conversation topics
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The future rarely follows a straight line. This session helps participants create a flexible roadmap that gives them direction while leaving room for growth and change.
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Participant objectives:
- Develop a personalized career roadmap aligned with their strengths, interests, and goals
- Identify multiple pathways to achieve their career aspirations.
- Recognizing that there is more than one route to success.
- Explore the development, volunteering, networking, and employment opportunities that support their chosen pathway.
- Identify potential barriers and the resources available to help overcome them
- Create measurable goals and a realistic action plan to guide their next steps.
Celebrate participants' growth, strengthen confidence, and provide an opportunity to share their career roadmap while receiving encouragement, feedback, and community support.
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Participant objectives:
- Confidently communicate their career goals and future plans.
- Demonstrate their understanding of multiple career pathways.
- Reflect on their growth throughout The Direction Project.
- Receive constructive feedback, encouragement, and additional ideas from peers, facilitators, and community partners.
- Leave with increased confidence, motivation, and a support network for their next steps.
Provide personalized coaching, celebrate progress, and ensure participants leave with the confidence, resources, and support needed to successfully implement their Career Roadmap.
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Participant objectives:
- Reflect on the progress they have made since completing The Direction Project.
- Review and refine their Career Roadmap based on new experiences and opportunities.
- Identify remaining barriers and develop strategies to overcome them.
-Connect with additional resources, mentors, or employment opportunities as needed.
- Renewed confidence and a clear plan for their next steps.
Testimony
Every upcomer's path is different. Here's what a few of them had to say.
"I came to Canada ready to work, but I didn't know how to build a career. This program gave me direction. I learned new workplace skills, earned certificates, and found a job where I can build a better future for my family."
~ Amina Khan, Pakistan
"Before this program, I had a job that paid $15 an hour, but I didn't see a future. There were no opportunities to learn new skills or move up. The Direction Journey helped me create a career plan, earn workplace certificates, and find a job where I can continue to grow. Now I feel like I have a future in Canada."
~ Olena Kovalenko, Ukraine
"The free training and certificates helped me prepare for work. I could not afford courses like First Aid on my own. Now I have new skills, new certificates, and more confidence when I apply for jobs."