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Windmill Microlending and Imperial – Partners in empowering your career dreams
Windmill Microlending is a Canadian non-profit offering low-interest career loans to help newcomers pay for the education they need to succeed in Canada. Since 2005, Windmill has supported over 12,500 immigrants and refugees to overcome underemployment and succeed in their careers.
We partner with institutions to help their members cover costs of tuition, accreditation, relocation and living costs. Our affordable loans are designed to meet the unique needs of immigrant clients, who often cannot access mainline credit, by providing a fixed interest rate that is lower than other financing options.
As a company that has been around almost as long as Canada has been a country, we know that diversity strengthens us – as a company and as a country. At Imperial, we do not see diversity as a stand-alone activity; it is embedded in our core values and approach to developing talent and our culture. We are proud to invest in Windmill – a program that builds up local communities removes barriers to employment, and provides better access to training for newcomers in Canada.
Our loans offer two years of interest-only payments and up to three years of
principal + interest payments depending on the length of your career plan.
As a Windmill client, you benefit from a range of services, including:
One-on-one coaching to support you on your career path
Career and educational resource supports
Financial planning and budgeting tools
The Windmill Mentorship Program
Exclusive access to our Community Success Hub
Growth in income
Newcomers take on low-income jobs to survive. Windmill helps our clients return to their trained profession to boost their income by over 3 times.
Historical repayment rate
Our affordable loans and repayment structure support clients like you. The impressive rate of repayment showcases our client's determination and the impact of their success.
Decrease in unemployment
As our borrowers take their next steps, employment opportunities soar upon loan repayment, marking the start of a remarkable journey and booming economy.
Arriving in Canada from Mexico City in 2015, Victor was feeling uncertainty and stress about the direction of his career and life. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he began re-evaluating his career goals but the costs of re-training were holding him back from making a change. When Victor first heard about affordable loans through Windmill Microlending, he says it sounded too good to be true – but in this case – it was true. Victor now has what he calls a “dream job,” in cybersecurity. “When I landed this job, I felt like my life was back on track,” he says.
Victor
Cibersecurity Specialist
