Johann came to Canada as a refugee claimant from Venezuela.  Johann was new to job searching in Canada and joined the Employment Ontario services at ACCES. He quickly learned effective job search strategies and was impressed with the quality of ACCES’s active employer network:

“After having a very hard time last year as a refugee claimant and after facing many different challenges as a first-time job seeker in Canada I can tell that I’m getting this opportunity thanks to the initiative, effort, and great work ACCES has done in approaching good companies and building bridges among them for people like me, who just needed this help to demonstrate our drive and talent.”

The opportunity that Johann refers to is a role that emerged with Shopify, an employer partner with ACCES. Having started this role during the height of the pandemic, Johann is very appreciative of the opportunity to work from home and to continue to work in the technology space. As a gesture of gratitude he is looking to continue his efforts to give back to the newcomer and refugee community as a mentor with ACCES. His story, his experience and his expertise are an inspiration to others.

Johann Marquez
Support Advisor, Shopify
ACCES Employment Alum