Case study: Anas
Even as a child, Anas was fascinated with fixing things.
At the age of six, he started building miniature machines that he would hide in his bedroom. Born in the outskirts of Damascus, Anas’ dreams of becoming an engineer seemed realistic. His parents owned a plastics manufacturing company, and he planned to continue their legacy. After graduating first in his class, he earned a full scholarship to Damascus University’s School of Mechanical Engineering in 2006. But the war in Syria changed everything.
One of Anas’ dearest friends was killed in the conflict and within days he and his family left everything they knew in Syria for Lebanon. In Lebanon, Anas married Marah – an ambitious computer engineer who, like him, was also the first in her class and distinguished for her intellect. But life remained difficult for them in Lebanon and they struggled to support themselves. They were looking for a way out when they came across Talent Beyond Boundaries.
Anas signed up on TBB’s Talent Catalogue in 2018 and was shortlisted for a role with Davert Tools in Niagara Falls, Canada. Davert Tools creates specialised mechanical and automotive parts for major businesses globally, and is one of the many advanced manufacturers across the Niagara region facing shortages in the skilled trades.
With the company facing retirements and no local candidates, Davert Tools approached TBB. After a 90-minute interview, Bob Collier, the president and founder of Davert Tools, said to TBB staff, “I’ve found my guy.” TBB worked closely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Province of Ontario’s immigration ministry, and UNHCR to secure Anas’ visa.
Anas qualified for an economic program to Canada, but due to his displacement, could not meet certain administrative and financial requirements of the immigration application. He could not renew his Syrian passport, obtain police certificates from Lebanon and Syria, provide documentation of paid work (because he lacked a work permit), and he didn’t have access to a bank account. IRCC and the Province of Ontario worked through alternative solutions to these barriers.
Anas, Marah and their baby boy arrived in Canada in July 2019. According to Bob Collier, “The best thing to come out of hiring Anas is that it filled a position in the tool room that we badly needed. We are so busy right now. We really need him. I think it also sends a message to the other employers in the area: this is a solution, we're not draining another company. I'm bringing in new, fresh skills into the country and into the company.”
Bob is now spreading the word to other companies searching for international talent.