César with his family. César is an engineer originally from Venezuela, who works at IKO Industries as a Utility Operator in Ashcroft, BC.

For César, ‘normal’ life is looking pretty good: whether it’s dropping off his young daughters at their new school, learning different processes at work, or exploring a new community in interior British Columbia with his family on weekends, it’s a relaxing pace of life compared with prior years of struggle and insecurity in Venezuela and Peru.

Originally from Cabimas – Zulia State, Venezuela, César and his family now call Ashcroft home after a long journey in pursuit of safety and stability. With degrees in mechanical maintenance engineering and experience in mechanical maintenance and utilities, César found a perfect match in IKO Industries, a roofing and insulation manufacturer working with TalentLift to recruit skilled professionals.

His job offer with IKO Industries “changed my life 180 degrees,” César shares. “I can have a normal life. It’s just amazing. I don’t have that many words to describe this beautiful thing.”

César’s journey began years earlier, when he made the difficult decision to leave Venezuela in 2018. Political instability and skyrocketing inflation made it nearly impossible for him and his wife, a human resources professional, to provide for their newborn daughter Alondra Isabel. In February 2018, César moved to Peru, and his family followed him seven months later.

Like so many people living as refugees, César and his family struggled in Peru, where discrimination – in employment and otherwise – persists against Venezuelans. In Peru, César and his wife welcomed a second daughter, and he continued to seek employment in his field, holding various roles in mechanical maintenance and engineering. However, the instability of the Peruvian job market made it difficult for César to maintain steady employment, eventually pushing him to work as an Uber driver since September 2021 to support his growing family. In the spring of 2023, a friend and fellow Venezuelan Uber driver recommended he look into TalentLift for better opportunities.

Things came together quickly: After attending a TalentLift webinar in June 2023, César began applying for positions that aligned with his qualifications. Just a few months later, in October 2023, he received a job offer from IKO Industries, to work as a Utilities Operator, with a start date set for April 2024. With the support of HIAS, a partner organization in Peru, César began completing the paperwork necessary to move to Canada, and began preparing for the big move. In July 2024, César and his family moved to Ashcroft, BC, marking the beginning of their new life in Canada.

At IKO’s plant, César has been learning the ropes by rotating through different roles and processes to gain a comprehensive understanding of the plant’s operations. He thinks this training reflects IKO’s confidence in his diverse skills and his potential to grow with the company. César’s colleagues have also extended a warm welcome, assisting his family in finding an apartment and helping them settle into their new life in Ashcroft.

His daughters, Ariana Isabel and Alondra Isabel, have settled into life in Ashcroft, too, making friends and studying in English, and César is particularly proud to note Alondra Isabel is helping her kindergarten teacher learn Spanish.

César says for them, life in Ashcroft is “perfect,” describing the town as, “good weather, good people, quiet place. You know, we are far from bad things.”

“Being a father, I like it because we have peace, and that’s what I was looking for.”

Candidates living in refugee circumstances and seeking a job in Canada can join TalentLift. Employers seeking global talent while engaging their team in something transformative can start hiring.

A fresh start: César’s journey to Canada and the promise of a better life