Members of the Montreal business community rubbed shoulders with elected city officials as the mayor unveiled plans for the city’s Inclusive Workplace Strategy campaign on Wednesday.

The workshop event aimed to create discussions with figures in the local business community on how to help integrate newcomers into the Montreal workforce.

The event, called SATORI, which means “awakening” in Japanese, is the beginning of an awareness-raising campaign.

The event aimed to provide a “better understanding” of the challenges faced by the immigrant population in the job market.

Exchanges between participants will serve as inspiration for an awareness campaign the city plans on rolling out for the fall of 2019.

The Inclusive Workplace Strategy was put in place by the Montreal Newcomers Integration Office (MNIO). The group plans to create awareness among the Montreal population about the importance of collective action surrounding integration.

They hope to include community leaders in the creation of a circle of governors that will be committed to accelerating the integration of newcomers into the workforce. The circle of governors will be chaired by Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante.

The goal is to help equip managers with the necessary tools to hire immigrants.

According to the city, the 11.9-per cent unemployment rate among newcomers in Montreal is significantly higher than that of those born in the province (5.3 per cent).

Robert Beaudry, Montreal executive committee member in charge of economic and commercial development, said multiculturalism benefits businesses as it does cities.

“It’s the same thing for a business because you have different kinds of forces and abilities when you have someone with a different culture,” Beaudry said.