2011 | Ali Al-Hamawandy

In 2007, Ali Al-Hamawandy arrived in Canada from Iraq; 18 years of project and construction management experience from Italy, Spain and United States and a Master’s degree in Hydraulic Engineering were still not enough for him to move ahead without . . . Canadian experience.

Ali was unable to reconcile his past experience as a senior engineer with his present experience of facing rejection after rejection from engineering companies in Canada.  And, when he first joined the Skills for Change Engineering Your Future Program, he could not see the sense of spending time learning again about a career he’d already spent a lifetime carrying out.

Once he realized, however, that what he was learning was vital to his getting a job in his field, he eagerly applied the job search techniques and strategies suggested to him.  His positive attitude, enthusiasm and determination led him to attend conferences, participate in seminars, seek job coaching, set up informational interviews, and find a mentor – and eventually landed him an engineering position at SNC-Lavalin Inc. in Toronto.

At SNC-Lavalin, Ali was aware of cross-cultural differences that could affect his ability to do well on the job and asked for help in dealing with these differences. Ali’s quick advancement into senior supervisory and management positions clearly indicates that he has established trust with and gained the respect of colleagues and management. He is currently pursuing P.Eng certification and intends to earn his PhD.  In addition to his own studies, Ali teaches municipality practicing, hydraulic application, hydrology, and mathematical courses at Seneca College. 

For six months, Ali volunteered at the YMCA Scarborough Northeast Newcomer and Employment Resource Centre, where he planned, designed and facilitated an Engineering Workshop and provided training to the staff on Excel Software.  His strong knowledge of career-related issues and awareness of resources available within the community enabled him to provide relevant one-on-one counseling to YMCA clients.  Committed to improving the lives of those he served, Ali readily took the initiative to develop and implement best practices to meet their needs.

Today, Ali Al-Hamawandy is a role model for his colleagues, a dedicated job coach for his students and a community leader lending his skills and talents in his own neighbourhood. Despite Ali’s busy schedule, he gives back to Skills for Change by attending Engineering Your Future conferences, participating on panels and mentoring newcomer engineers.