Scotiabank commits over $1 million in Ukrainian aid to support humanitarian and resettlement efforts

Commitment includes a ScotiaRISE partnership with TalentLift to help Ukrainians arriving in Canada find meaningful employment

TORONTO, March 24, 2022 /CNW/ - Scotiabank today announced it is furthering its commitment towards supporting Ukraine humanitarian and resettlement efforts to more than $1 million. This includes a partnership with TalentLift Canada, a non-profit talent agency that helps members of refugee populations access employment relocation and provides this urgent assistance to Ukrainians displaced by the war.

"As Ukrainians displaced by conflict seek shelter and security here in Canada, we are committed to easing their transition and supporting their resettlement," said Brian Porter, President and CEO of Scotiabank. "We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, their families, and loved ones."

A portion of Scotiabank's donation ($270,000) will be used to help TalentLift engage hiring teams across the country and connect them to candidates with in-demand skills. TalentLift will also support displaced Ukrainians by helping with submitting visa applications to Canada, relocating alongside their families and settling into their new teams and communities. The Bank will also participate as a recruiter through the program.

Ukrainians who are interested in pursuing work and relocation to Canada, as well as interested hiring teams can register here.

"Many people displaced from Ukraine are seeking somewhere to rebuild and keep their families secure, and we know they have immense talent to contribute," said Dana Wagner, Co-Founder and Managing Director of TalentLift. "Job opportunities are an essential piece of relocating to rebuild, and we are grateful to Scotiabank for helping Canada and Canadians respond to this moment."

Scotiabank's commitment to TalentLift is part of ScotiaRISE, the Bank's 10-year, $500 million initiative to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups.

This donation in support of the people of Ukraine will strengthen TalentLift's ongoing work with displaced candidates from Afghanistan, Syria, and other crisis areas.

In addition to this partnership, Scotiabank has provided ongoing support to the people of Ukraine, including:

• Donated $200,000 to the Red Cross' Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal, to support relief efforts for those affected by recent events in Ukraine and surrounding countries.
• Assisted in providing affected or displaced individuals and companies that are eligible 1-year of no-fee banking, a credit card with no Canadian credit history and access to advice from Scotiabank Financial Advisors, and access to free safety deposit boxes.

Scotiabank employees have also demonstrated their commitment by directing "Applause" points from their employee recognition program to a number of charities providing humanitarian relief to the Ukraine. To-date, over $70,000 has been donated this way by Scotiabank employees.

Through this long-term commitment, Scotiabank will continue to review additional opportunities to provide support to humanitarian and resettlement efforts for the Ukrainian people.

Scotiabank has a long track record of supporting immigrant and refugee communities settle in Canada. Through the StartRight program, newcomers can learn about Canadian finances to help meet their financial goals. For more information about Scotiabank's StartRight program visit www.scotiabank.com/startright.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of approximately 90,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as at January 31, 2022), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About Talent Lift

TalentLift is a non-profit talent agency. We support Canadian employers to recruit and relocate talent from within refugee and displaced populations to fill skills shortages, enabling refugees alongside their families to lift to their potential as they advance their careers, secure their futures, and leave displacement behind.

TalentLift is a federally-incorporated non-profit and a registered Civil Society Organization with the Law Society of Ontario. To identify talent, we partner with refugee-serving organizations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Middle East, Turkey, Latin America, and East Africa, among other geographies, and we invite displaced candidates anywhere to self-register on our talent platform, built with transformational funding from the Scotiabank ScotiaRISE initiative.

SOURCE Scotiabank

Stephanie Cangelosi, Global Communications, Scotiabank, [email protected]