Canadian Multiculturalism Day: The Importance of Open-mindedness
At Englobe, we have a sincere commitment to diversity and inclusion. Our employees from diverse cultural communities contribute to the collective enrichment of our work environment.
We firmly believe that together we are better, and that diversity makes us stronger. We believe that to be successful, we must work hand in hand with the different communities around us.
Marie-France Lavallée, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Communications and Marketing
We recently spoke with Pierre Odessi, Project Manager, Materials Engineering at Englobe to learn more about his experience immigrating to Quebec and his integration so far at Englobe.
Originally from the Republic of Congo, Pierre first migrated to the United States in North Carolina. Wanting to continue his studies, Pierre immediately thought of moving to Quebec to take advantage of the relatively lower cost of living than in the United States and to be able to return to his native language: French.
Arriving in Quebec in 2016, Pierre headed to Chicoutimi where he began his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi. Following his studies, a long-time acquaintance recommended Englobe as an employer and Pierre decided to follow up on that recommendation. Pierre started working for the company and was delighted to find a familiar face at work. He started his first job in Quebec and moved to the Sept-Îles office.
I could really count on Englobe to help me through this transition. The company even helped me find a place to live in my new area, which made it a lot easier!
Pierre Odessi, Project Manager, Materials Engineering
Pierre immediately fell in love with Englobe. From his first interview, while talking to his future supervisor and manager, Pierre quickly understood that he would be doing a lot of technical work, which greatly motivated him since he would finally be able to put into practice what he had learned during his previous studies. Pierre first worked as a technician at Englobe and now works in project management where he specializes in concrete, asphalt and materials.
As a project manager, I get to work both in the office and in the field, which is great because I get to see what's going on out there.
Pierre says he felt very welcome at Englobe:
The people here are very open-minded; they are curious and ask a lot of questions. They are all open to learn about my culture and to teach me about theirs. In Chicoutimi and Sept-Îles, I have been able to meet wonderful people. I would say that Englobe is like a family to me.
He also debunks the prejudice that some people have against living in more remote areas.
People assume that individuals in these regions are closed-minded. I've heard that from a lot of international students. I want to say that is completely wrong. In this area, people are especially open-minded and since they are smaller towns, it's easier to create close ties with others.
In his words, Pierre explains that cultural diversity is very important to him. According to him, cultural diversity means being able to accept each other collectively and being open to learning about new cultures. This is what makes Englobe and Canada beautiful for him.