By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland residents are coming together to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion of their country.

And even beyond welcoming them in, some members of the community are making a significant difference in their lives. Among that number, Port Hope and District Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Brenda Whitehead puts Trade Tech Industries high on the list for hiring Ukrainian newcomer Olga Nykouchuk.

“We are here today to celebrate Trade Tech's innovation and outreach,” Whitehead said Tuesday morning at a special coffee-break celebration of this milestone.

Trade Tech Industries has long been known for these qualities. Touring the visitors around his facility, owner Walter Hillman pointed out that their employee demographic skews young.

Hillman described how he invests in training, both onsite and off. In fact, many of their most highly skilled employees originally applied for jobs as labourers.

“All they need is the drive to do it,” he said.

“We have had great success with young people – Olga is going to be a great addition here.”

“We are really excited to have organizations like Trade Tech that continue to think outside the box,” Whitehead said.

“There's a labour shortage, a lot of businesses looking for employees – skilled labour, unskilled labour, hospitality, tourism, I could give you a list.

“Debra and Walter (Hillman) reached out and connected with Olga.”

“This is not charity – you roll up your sleeves and do some work,” Mayor Bob Sanderson said.

“I can't imagine how it feels for you to be here. It's been a very difficult journey, and we all feel strongly for you and your country.

“That being said, we are happy to have you here,” Sanderson stated.

“Our residents, our councillors, everybody feels very strongly about what brought this situation around, but the best we can do is welcome you and thank you. If we can help more in any way, we would like to do so.”

Brian MacKinnon of the Northumberland Manufacturers' Association offered kudos on behalf of his organization.

“The hurdles we face, both here locally and abroad, require unique and collaborative solutions. I think today, what we are celebrating is that help that goes beyond the status quo of creating a job posting or writing a cheque. Your leadership goes beyond that status quo to create an inclusive work environment – something to be commended and emulated across the manufacturing community,” MacKinnon said.

Chamber president Maria Papaioannoy-Duic gave a welcoming hug to the new employee.

“I think about what you have gone through, being displaced. What you have done and what you are moving forward with takes courage, determination and love for yourself and for your family. And for that, I am in awe of you and every single person that has gone through what you have in such a short period of time,” Papaioannoy-Duic said.

“I encourage other businesses in the chamber to focus outside the box to include people from different cultures, especially people who have moved here because they are displaced, and give opportunities, because we are helping people build homes and new lives.”

Olga Nykouchuk, the new Trade Tech receptionist, arrived in this country five weeks ago. Now living in Cobourg, she has a university degree in economics and more than eight years of experience in the business world as receptionist, sales assistant and administrative assistant.

Hearing all the welcoming words, she smiled and said, “I'm happy to be here too.”

In addition to Trade Tech, several partners made this day possible, including Northumberland County Settlement Services Co-ordinator Emilio Ojeda. He organized a pivotal May 31 event, the Newcomers Job Fair, as an information-and-networking event for newcomers. Ojeda recalls that it was well attended by a good number of Ukrainian citizens (including one who had just arrived by plane the night before).

Ojeda said, for the most part, these job-seekers speak very good English. Those who do not are working to sharpen their skills through programming offered locally in order to become job-ready.

Another partner in this success story is Watton Employment Services Inc. Employer Liaison Georgette Jatas said Olga was registered with them prior to the Newcomers' Job Fair.

At this time, she added, there is provincial programming in place that allows Watton to offer grants to help with Olga's training and her first few weeks of employment.

“There's still funding available. If anyone has a position, please feel free to reach out to us and learn more,” Jatas said.

Finally, Hillman said, his staff worked with him in reorganizing their responsibilities in order to create the new position.

The chamber of commerce and NMA encourage businesses that have vacancies and the potential to employ other newcomers to contact them.

“That is the key message today – Trade Tech being a leader, setting an example for other businesses and manufacturers,” Whitehead said.

“There's always space for people who work hard,” MacKinnon said.