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Francois Houde is part of a diverse group of professional graduates of the N4-SPU Online Program. Working as a manager at MAGMA, he shares his experience from the settlement sector. MAGMA (Multicultural Association of Greater Moncton Area) is an organization that provides newcomers with a variety of settlement services. These services include adjusting to local culture and norms, language aid and certification as well as community connections. His team’s work is oriented towards intake and assisting newcomers who are economic immigrants as well as exploration visits from all streams. Francois (a.k.a.Frank) and his team help to gather information and assist in newcomer navigation within the plethora of services Canada offers, including services such as finding employment, getting driver permits and opening bank accounts for example, from the moment the newcomers step off the plane until they develop their independence.
One of his favorite things learned from the program was the development and applied practice of learning journals. Francois found that they would help dissect situations to better understand them and improved problem-solving strategies. This method helps put oneself into another’s shoes. This helped situations like when there might be confusion and/or miscommunication upon first arriving at the airport, understanding situations, thinking ahead, and moving forward, to improve the quality of service and improve newcomer experiences.
Francois Houde
Another aspect he enjoyed was the conversation circles, he said “I was choked up because of the feedback and the support I was getting was phenomenal.” It helped to receive the perspective of others from diverse backgrounds to gain insights into situations he might not have had otherwise. Like many other students, time-management was a challenge for Francois due to the intensity of the N4 program. Despite pressure and stress, he benefited from course content and applied its elements to practice.
Francois addressed some of the many challenges of accommodating immigrants with diverse cultural backgrounds during the interview. He further discussed the benefits of formal education in this practice. “It has helped develop the foundational knowledge, philosophy and mindset needed to assist newcomers. It has helped me think deeper down and reflect to a greater extent on the actions I do every day. It helps during the process of guidance to make them feel more comfortable and that’s important. It helped me reconcile different cultural perspectives.” It is an added layer of knowledge combined with the experience of working with newcomers that makes his actions within his role as manager more effective as a leader for his team of settlement counselors.
Thanks to Alison Frise, a human resource manager at MAGMA, Francois had the opportunity to participate in the N4 program.
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