FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Skills for Change Receives Donation from Laurentian Bank to Fund Immigrant Black Youth in STEM Project

Toronto, ON, March 15, 2023 – Skills for Change, a non-profit organization focused on providing learning and training opportunities to immigrant and refugee communities, is thrilled to announce that we have received a donation from Laurentian Bank to fund an Immigrant Black youth in STEM project. 

The project will focus on supporting Immigrant Black youth and young adults (aged 18-29) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with skills development training in data analytics and IT, areas that are highly in-demand and transferable across industries.

The program will provide essential training and support to Immigrant Black youth and young adults, who often face significant barriers to entering the digital economy. With the help of the donation from Laurentian Bank, the program will equip participants with the necessary skills to succeed in careers in data analytics and IT, which will ultimately help to close the employment gap for Immigrant Black youth and young adults in the GTA.

“We are extremely grateful to Laurentian Bank for their generous donation, which will enable us to provide valuable skills development training to Immigrant Black youth and young adults in the GTA,” said Surranna Sandy, CEO of Skills for Change. “This program will help to break down barriers and provide pathways to success for Black youth who face significant challenges in the job market.”

The Immigrant Black youth in STEM project is a critical initiative that will help to support a group of individuals who have historically been underrepresented in the tech industry. Through the program, Skills for Change aims to make a meaningful impact by helping to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce in the digital economy.

“We are extremely proud to be supporting Skills for Change and their important work in delivering skills development training to immigrant Black youth and young adults in the Greater Toronto Area,” said Rania Llewellyn, President and CEO of Laurentian Bank. “This donation is part of our Bank’s new Giving Beyond Numbers™ corporate giving program which focuses our support on organizations whose mission is to combat economic inequities impacting underrepresented groups because, at Laurentian Bank, we believe that everyone belongs and should have the chance to thrive.”

About Skills for Change

Founded in 1982, Skills for Change is a leading non-profit organization serving immigrants and refugees in Canada. Our mission is to build welcoming and equitable communities. We offer over 25 programs and services and annually serve more than 16,000 immigrants and refugees. 

About Laurentian Bank 

At Laurentian Bank, we believe we can change banking for the better. By seeing beyond numbers. 

Founded in Montréal in 1846, Laurentian Bank helps families, businesses and communities thrive. Today, we have approximately 3,000 employees working together as one team, to provide a broad range of financial services and advice-based solutions for customers across Canada and the United States. We protect, manage and grow $50.4 billion in balance sheet assets and $28.1 billion in assets under administration. 

We drive results by placing our customers first, making the better choice, acting courageously, and believing everyone belongs.

Contacts: 

Sampada Kukade, VP of Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, skukade@skillsforchange.org or 416-658-3101, ext. 234.

Merick Seguin Senior Manager, Media Relations, Laurentian Bank of Canada merick.seguin@banquelaurentienne.ca or 514 451-3201