Twenty-four newcomers in the Greater Toronto Area are on their way to starting a career in the Canadian financial services industry, CIBC said Wednesday.

They are the first class of graduates from CIBC Connection to Employment, a free, unpaid, six-week job readiness training program for qualified newcomers during which they learned about the business culture and banking-specific information relevant in Canada.

Professionals from the YMCA and CIBC led the training which was held at the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s newcomer centre in downtown Toronto.

“For most newcomers to Canada, finding a job is one of their most important first steps,” says Christina Kramer, executive vp, CIBC Retail Markets. “We are pleased that the CIBC Connection to Employment program has been able to help give 24 newcomers the skills and information they need to get a job in financial services.”

“This program is the springboard for my future success. It is absolutely fantastic,” said Yuqi Peng, formerly of Hunan Province in China and who has recently joined CIBC. “It not only provided me with essential soft skills, like time and stress management, but also more confidence because CIBC and YMCA helped me build a clear and solid career goal and shape a career path with the skills and strategies I learned from this great program.” Peng also has a Commerce degree in Finance from the University of Windsor and an MBA from Brock University.

“This program exceeded my expectations,” adds Angelica Perboni, who brings to Canada 18 years of banking experience in Brazil. “I gained a deep, new knowledge about how banking works in Canada. I am now better prepared to look for a job in financial services with all that I have learned here.”

IE