Supported by funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the SEY Initiative delivers a dynamic suite of training initiatives and resources tailored to the evolving needs of Ontario’s immigrant and refugee-serving sector.
The program aims to strengthen sector-wide capacity and improve service coordination across agencies by offering accessible, high-quality training through self-directed online courses, in-person learning and hybrid formats. These offerings are grounded in anti-racism, anti-oppression (ARAO), trauma-informed, and client-centred approaches to learning.
The program extends beyond digital training by collecting and analyzing sector feedback and collaborating with practitioners to develop relevant, timely, and diverse learning opportunities, including:
- Regional in-person workshops and forums
- Live webinars and interactive learning sessions
- Hybrid events that blend online and face-to-face engagement
- Forums and networking opportunities that foster collaboration and community
Most sessions are recorded and shared on OCASI’s Professional Development Training Program YouTube channel, allowing service providers access to content so they can revisit and learn at their own pace.
Our multi-format approach supports professional development that is accessible, responsive, and rooted in real sector needs.
SEY Initiative themes
Foundations of Settlement Work (FSW)
Build your understanding of Canada’s complex immigration systems and the settlement sector’s role through our two-level course series:
FSW Level 1 – Historical and Structural Foundations
Explore Canada’s settler-colonial history, key immigration policies, and the systems supporting newcomers’ arrival. Participants will:
- Understand the colonial roots of Canadian immigration systems.
- Identify key immigration pathways, including economic, family, and refugee categories.
- Learn about the refugee protection system and the experiences of those with precarious status.
- Reflect on how policy and history shape settlement practice.
This course is ideal for those new to the sector or seeking a structured foundational understanding.
FSW Level 2 – Systems, Barriers, and Professional Practice
Dive deeper into the systemic forces behind migration, including colonialism, conflict, climate change, and global inequities. Participants will:
- Examine the intersection of race, gender, class, and migration.
- Understand trauma-informed and violence-aware practices.
- Learn practical tools for client support, conflict resolution, and mental wellness.
- Gain insight into the history, operations, and funding of settlement organizations.
Level 2 is designed for those ready to enhance their practice and critically engage with sector challenges.
Employment Support – Training for Employment Service Providers
OCASI’s TESS (Training for Employment Support Services) course supports practitioners working with racialized and newcomer communities on employment pathways. Through interactive modules and professional workshops, participants will:
- Strengthen employment support, referral, and advocacy practices.
- Analyze structural and systemic employment barriers faced by migrants.
- Explore equitable and inclusive employment strategies.
- Learn to design impactful, client-centred employment services.
This training empowers service providers to champion meaningful employment outcomes for newcomers.
Newcomer Youth – Supporting Young People with SYNC
SYNC (Supporting Youth Newcomer Communities) is a self-directed course created for those working with newcomer youth across Ontario. Through an anti-oppressive, trauma-informed lens, learners will:
- Challenge personal and systemic biases through self-reflective practice.
- Build professional and interpersonal skills to support youth meaningfully.
- Critically assess systems that affect newcomer youth, such as education, housing, and justice.
- Design responsive programs centred around youth voices and community-identified needs.
SYNC empowers service providers to create inclusive, healing, and engaging environments that foster youth's thriving.
To learn more about eLearning online courses visit our LearnAtWork Catalogue!
