Back to Search
Mohja Alia is the Manager of Employment and Bridging Programs at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). Mohja oversees employment and bridging programs and services that support immigrants in Nova Scotia and pre-arrival to Canada. She is an accomplished professional who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1997 as an immigrant from Jordan.
Like many immigrant families, Mohja and her family came to Nova Scotia eager to contribute to their new home as entrepreneurs who dreamt of starting a business. During her first years, Mohja recognized the importance of effective communication and support services for immigrants like herself. Her journey is a remarkable example of determination and commitment to making a positive impact in her adopted community.
From Volunteer to Leader
Mohja's own experience as an entrepreneur and immigrant fueled her desire to provide newcomers with access to vital support services which led her to reach out to what is now known as the ISANS for assistance in her business. When Mohja contacted ISANS, she discovered that the organization aligned with the work she was passionate about. Eager to contribute, she helped as a volunteer at the front desk, immersing herself in learning everything about the organization and its mission.
Within a few months, ISANS recognized her potential and offered her the opportunity to work with them. She started in a program assistant role, where she continued to absorb knowledge about immigration and support services. This led her to employment counseling, where she played a pivotal role in assisting newcomers in finding employment opportunities and connecting with local colleges. Over time, she progressed to become the team lead and the Manager of the employment team, a testament to her dedication and expertise.
Embracing Newcomers’ Dreams
Mohja understands the aspirations and dreams that newcomers bring with them when they arrive in Canada, and she believes in nurturing those dreams. “When immigrants come to Canada they come with hope, the hope of sharing their dream and their experiences and apply it to their fields and build a future for their families.” Yet she points out how many newcomers don’t expect the challenges they may face once they come to Canada, from language and cultural barriers to licensure difficulties.
Mohja's passion truly ignited when she saw skilled professionals, such as doctors and nurses, forced to take survival jobs unrelated to their original careers. This realization led her to seek ways to help immigrants succeed in their chosen fields, mainly by trying to eliminate the barriers they face.
Navigating Complex Pathways
Mohja recalls the years 2002/2003 where there was a vast lack of clear pathways for skilled immigrants, especially those in the medical field, “there was no clear place that had clear pathway of licensure for physicians.” Their first project at ISANS which was related to licensure was through Health Canada where they created licensure pathways for 15 healthcare occupations back in 2005.
Later on, ISANS took the initiative to get the regulatory bodies together and collaborate with ISANS to create clear pathways for newcomers. This was the start of their multi-stakeholder work groups where they would get decision makers and internationally trained professionals. As a result of these work groups, ISANS conducted 13 bridging programs for physicians, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, engineers, architects, etc. Mohja emphasizes the point that these bridging programs shouldn’t be seen as a school-type bridging program, but rather as a “community organization trying to orient professionals on how to prepare for licensure exams and work in a Canadian environment.”
During those bridging programs, Mohja found the main area of struggle wasn’t the language barrier, but the communication barrier in the profession that comes from cultural differences. These points were raised during the multi-stakeholder work groups from employers, and the goal of the bridging programs was to tackle those communication challenges.
What does the future hold for Newcomers in Canada?
ISANS has many successful initiatives to help newcomers in Canada, but Mohja still sees there is a long path ahead, especially in the health sector due to many occupations being subject to regulations and licensure. Yet, this doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been any improvement, Mohja sees “a huge difference compared to many years ago. Because of the shortages in the healthcare sector in general, we have started seeing many new initiatives to expedite licensure processes in the healthcare field.”
With Canada's ambitious plan to open its doors to millions of immigrants by 2030, Mohja is keenly involved in facilitating this initiative, committed to providing pre-arrival services to newcomers, ensuring they are well-prepared for their journey and adhere to all necessary rules and regulations.
Mohja highlights the importance of sharing success with other organizations that share the same goal of integrating newcomers, whether that would be learning resources or research findings, it is crucial to share our achievements with others to accelerate our success.
Her final advice to newcomers is to take advantage of the services provided by immigrant-serving agencies. She acknowledges that there is sometimes a lack of understanding regarding these services, often because they are free for newcomers. However, Mohja emphasizes that when immigrants properly engage with and participate in these services, the results can be exceptionally successful.
Mohja believes in the transformative power of human connection, her approach goes beyond viewing immigrants as statistics or cases; she sees each person as an individual with unique dreams and aspirations and encourages a deeper level of engagement, where newcomers are connected with those who have successfully navigated the immigration journey.
Subscribe to Blog