Vitalii Vitkovskyi, a student in the Centre for Newcomer Integration, supported by BMO (CNI), has embraced a new chapter in Canada. Originally a PHP developer and telecommunications professional in Ukraine, he is now working to enhance his language skills and regain footing in the tech field through a work placement at Powerland. 

Vitalii chose Winnipeg for two main reasons. “I chose this province because there are a lot of Ukrainians – I think about 15 per cent of the population is Ukrainian – and I like colder weather,” he explained. He recalled that in Ukraine, winters used to bring up to one metre of snow, whereas now there are only two or three weeks of snow each year. These factors helped him feel more at home in Canada. 

In Ukraine, Vitalii worked as a PHP developer and gained nearly five years of experience at a telecommunications company handling ADSL equipment. However, he admitted, “My English is not good enough, so I’m taking classes and doing work placement to use my previous knowledge.” Now, while he works at Powerland, he is determined to build on his technical background and improve his communication skills. 

During his volunteer placement at Powerland, arranged by CNI, Vitalii contributed to front-end development tasks and assisted with managing Excel files. “I was helping with some visual changes on the web store and tweaking customer data between systems,” he said. Dorian, the ecommerce manager at Powerland, added: 

“He helped us with some visual tweaks on our website and managed our customer data exports and imports. It was great to have someone with his technical background, even if it meant jogging his memory on HTML and CSS.” 

Dorian continued, praising Vitalii’s performance, “We’re really appreciative to have had him as part of the program. It was a great experience on both sides, and we’d definitely love to work with him again.” 

Vitalii has also found value in CNI’s supportive learning environment. Although his primary goal is to improve his English, he has come to appreciate the classroom discussions and practical training that help bridge cultural and professional gaps. “The English classes let us discuss different topics, which helps me develop both speaking and writing skills,” he noted. 

While this volunteer placement is his first step in a Canadian office setting, Vitalii hopes to eventually secure a role more closely aligned with his previous experience. His journey reflects the challenges and rewards of adapting to a new work culture while building on existing technical skills. 

Vitalii’s experience highlights the power of practical learning and the supportive environment provided by CNI, offering newcomers a pathway to reconnect with their professional expertise in Canada.