About BIES

Bengali information and employment services (BIES) is a not-for-profit and community-based organization working for the community in Taylor-Massey, Crescent Town and Victoria Park village area in the City of Toronto since 2011.

About Us

History And Background

Bengali Information and Employment Services (BIES) was established in December 14, 2011 by a group of newcomers with a passion of helping each other in a new country. The founding members took their first initiative by forming a volunteering organization to serve the community with necessary information on employment and settlement. This group now has numerous active members.

BIES first started with a vision to promote the well-being of people by providing necessary information, tools and techniques to navigate community resources and opportunities. Starting at the heart of Toronto’s Bengali speaking communities’, living in Danforth and Victoria Park area, all the members and the organization itself has always been very attached to its roots.

From the very beginning, the organization has been involved with many cultural events and employment supports initiatives. The group members and the board have progressed with setting more goals and the numbers list kept growing and so did its activities. From helping with employment opportunities, immigrants’ credential assessment for colleges admission and training centers, schooling, to job searches, and resume writing, BIES has always been with the community to assist. The first concern for most newcomers is employment. Therefore, BIES became a source of information on employment from the very beginning of its journey. Now it has expanded its activities including seniors supports, youth supports and so on.

Afterwards, on December 2011, BIES was formally established as a non-profit organization with the registration from The Ministry of Government Services under the Ontario Corporation Act. The primary purpose of BIES was set to promote and uphold community spirit, and reduce unemployment among new immigrants, belonging to the Bengali community in Ontario. BIES eventually started serving members of all communities living in Toronto to promote their well -being and have prosperous lives as Canadians.

Our Vision

Our vision is a community, where every member has equal access to resources and opportunities for growth and thriving.

Our Mission

Our mission is to enable individuals in the community by helping them access appropriate information and resources available around them, fostering socio-economic development and empowerment, and improving wellness through awareness and advocacy.

Our Objective

The establishment and maintenance of this community organization for the purpose of

  1. Promoting the best interests of the bengali community
  2. Developing and fostering community spirit
  3. Establishing educational, informational, recreational and employment programs for the benefit of the community
  4. Fostering the establishment of adult education, arts, civic education, social services and other community endeavors

Core Values:

Inclusivity: We believe in providing equitable access to information and employment resources regardless of background, gender, or socioeconomic status, ensuring no one is left behind.

Empowerment: We strive to empower individuals by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to make informed decisions about their careers and future aspirations.

Community Engagement: We are committed to actively engaging the community we work for, understanding their needs, and co-creating solutions to address employment challenges and information gaps.

Transparency: We maintain transparency in our operations, ensuring accountability to our stakeholders and fostering trust within the community.

Our Guiding Principles

We are a non-profit organization committed to respecting the following principles:

 

  • as an organization, we  work in collaboration  with all individuals and groups, for-profits and non-profit corporations, the governments to reduce poverty and inequality, subject only to the policies and priorities set by our governing bodies.
  • We are democratic, politically non partisan and non sectarian in our work.
  • We are open, honest and accountable in our relationships with everyone we work with and with each other.
  • The positions we take will be based on sound, objective and professional analysis and high standards of research.
  • We do not accept funding that does not compromise our ability to address issues freely, thoroughly and objectively.
  • We  provide accurate and timely reports of our activities to our stakeholders, partners and funders.
  • We  respect and encourage respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in ontario human rights code, canadian charters of rights and freedoms,  and un charters of rights.
  • Those guiding principles are adopted by bies’s board of directors on 4th january 2012.