MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT INVESTS $600,000 IN OCCUPATION-SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TRAINING EXPANSION
School Boards to Expand Specialized Language Courses to Break Down Barriers for Newcomers
TORONTO - More adult newcomers will receive the language training they need to land jobs that match their skills and experience thanks to a $600,000 investment, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Mike Colle announced today.
"Strong language skills are the imperative for newcomer success in the job market," Colle said at the Continuing Education School Board Administrators (CESBA) conference. "We're breaking down barriers for newcomers. This investment will enable school boards to re-focus language training on the workplace, to help newcomers land jobs that reflect their qualifications."
More than half of newcomers to Ontario last year have postsecondary education, but 25 per cent of those do not speak English or French. The new program will enable school boards to offer specialized language training courses that focus on sectors such as:
·
information technology;
· hospitality; and,
· business communication.
Colle's announcement brings the McGuinty government's commitment to adult, non-credit English and French as a Second Language programs to more than $50 million this year. This funding is in addition to the $2 million announced yesterday by Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne to make it easier for learners to navigate the adult education system and upgrade their knowledge and skills.
Breaking Down Barriers for Newcomers
This $600,000 investment in occupation-specific language training is part of the McGuinty government's comprehensive plan. This includes:
· Negotiated the first-ever Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, which quadruples federal spending on language training and settlement services and brings an additional $920 million to assist Ontario newcomers over five years;
· Introduced Bill 124, the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act which, if passed, would help break down barriers facing newcomers seeking to work in their fields by mandating fair registration practices in regulated professions;
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· Developed 'About Ontario,' a new citizenship curriculum resource to be added to language and citizenship classes in early 2007 to help newcomers learn about Ontario's history, geography, their roles and responsibilities, and to promote civic participation - from voting to volunteering;
· Invested over $34 million in more than 60 Bridge Training Programs, helping thousands of newcomers work in over 100 trades and professions;
· Launched immigration web portal, www.OntarioImmigration.ca, which is designed to support newcomers both in Ontario and abroad, prior to arrival;
· Established the first Provincial Internship for the Internationally Trained. Administered by Career Bridge, newcomers with a minimum of three years international work experience will be placed for six-month paid assignments within the Ontario Public Service and Crown Agencies;
· Created a Foreign Trained Professionals Loans program of up to $5,000 per person to cover assessment, training and exam costs, in partnership with the Maytree Foundation; and,
· Total annual investment of $130 million, more than any other province in Canada, on programs to help newcomers upgrade their language skills, settle and find work.
"Newcomers have global education and experience that can help keep Ontario's economy growing," Colle said.
