The African Training and Employment Centre (ATEC) is a multi-service community agency which has been serving newcomers to Canada for the past 15 years. It serves communities with one of the highest proportion of recent immigrants and people with low income in Toronto. The agency currently provides services to newcomers from Africa, but also South Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Over 60% of ATEC's service and program users are female. ATEC has extensive experience in providing newcomers with ESL and LINC (language) training, Life Skills Education, Career and Vocational Counselling/Training, culturally specific Job Search training as well as assistance pertaining to settlement and cultural adaptation. In addition, the agency engages in ongoing research and development in order to assess and respond to the needs of its clientele. Therefore, ATEC is in the unique position to continue providing employment counselling and placement services as part of its ongoing commitment in assisting disadvantaged newcomers of African heritage and people of other ethnic backgrounds make lasting contributions to the economic, social, cultural and political growth of Canada.