Ceremony of the Investissement-Compétences certificates of commitment (14-12-2012). Photo : Gunther Gamper
Montreal, January 3, 2013 – By the end of 2012, at Savoir-faire Linux, there were exactly 20 different nationalities. In an environment where computer skills are scarce, cultural diversity has never been perceived as a handicap, but rather as an asset that must simply be managed on a daily basis. The solution lies in openness, integration and rapid training.
These keys are precisely those that the TechnoCompétences organization seeks to stimulate through the IntégraTIon Montréal progam. 43 companies in the metropolitan area – including Savoir-faire Linux – have participated so far. It is aimed to subsidize and support the training and integration of “Professionals Trained Abroad” (PTAs) in the Québec IT industry.
Last December 14, Christophe Villemer, executive vice president, and two human resource managers of Savoir-faire Linux attended the presentation of results of the first phase of the program. “In all preparatory meetings and workshops we had with TechnoCompétences”, he said, “we realized we were very innovative in our ability to integrate diversity and manage it daily regardless of cultural or linguistic differences. So we brought this experience to the program, benefitting in return from grants invested in the formation of six new employees.”
A free software developer and consultant at Savoir-faire Linux, Nicolai Climciuc appreciated this assistance which has greatly facilitated his employability: “With TECHNOCompétences, I found a job in less than a week. And with the training that I received upon my appointment I was able to quickly integrate in my team.”
Christophe Villemer confirms that the challenge lies less in training than in integration: “We realized that the computer training given abroad is as good as and sometimes even better than our own. For us, it is therefore less a question of providing the person with a Canadian degree than giving him or her specific training in order to integrate more quickly into our work process with our tools and methodologies.” Thus, PTAs hired at Savoir-faire Linux under the program have received upgraded training in Python, the Liferay technology, or in agile methodologies, to name a few examples, thus ensuring rapid integration into our development teams.
But the adventure is not limited to hiring professionals from immigration. At the ceremony on December 14, Savoir-faire Linux also received the Investissement-Compétences Commitment Certificate, a statement formally registering the benefits of continuing education at the heart of the company’s values and a commitment to work to that effect.
“The president of the Commission des Partenaires du Marché du Travail (CPMT), Jean-Luc Trahan, sees this commitment as a kind of quality label for human resource development in Quebec”, Christophe Villemer analyses. We are already certified to ISO-9001 and ISO-14001, and since we believe in the training of our people, since we work in a field where we must constantly evolve, we adhere unreservedly to this project.”
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Our Commitment- We recognize that the skills, experience and knowledge of people are at the heart of our business success.
- We promote the development and recognition of skills of all staff categories.
- We recognize that basic education is a key determinant of the quality of life of individuals.
- We promote cooperation between the employer and the workers or their representatives in order to develop a mechanism for identifying training needs.
- We encourage investment in training to develop human capital and to increase business productivity.
- We are committed to learning at workplace practices in order to encourage greater participation.
Jean-Luc Trahan (CPMT) & Christophe Villemer (Savoir-faire Linux).
Photo: Gunther Gamper