GOVERNMENT
OF CANADA ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO SHERIDAN COLLEGE TO PROVIDE LANGUAGE
TRAINING TO NEWCOMERS
Oakville,
May 16, 2008
– The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration,
today announced funding for the Sheridan College Institute of Technology
and Advanced Learning to deliver settlement services to an estimated 800
immigrants at its campuses in Oakville and Brampton.
The funding
of over $5.5 million will go toward a number of services to help newcomers
prepare to enter the Canadian labour market, including language training,
mentorship and career development programs for internationally trained
individuals.
Participants
will also enjoy the same privileges as other Sheridan students, such as
access to the library, career centres and computer labs.
“Finding a
job is one of the most significant challenges facing new immigrants to
Canada,” said Minister Finley. “We want newcomers to succeed, and we
want to help them find good jobs. Through this funding and the efforts of
Sheridan College, newcomers will have the opportunity to develop the
skills to find work in their fields. Their success is our success.”
“With
support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), we can creatively
respond to the unique needs of newcomers through new programming designed
specifically for internationally trained professionals,” said Joyce
Wayne, Director of the Sheridan Centre for Internationally Trained
Individuals. “We are very excited to work with CIC to build English
language training and post-secondary opportunities for newcomers at
Sheridan College. These programs will not only enhance the language
capabilities of our immigrants, but will also offer our internationally
trained students diplomas and certificates from a recognized college in
Canada.”
Settlement
services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration
program. Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), the
Government of Canada has increased settlement funding for Ontario by a
total of $920 million over five years. Under the COIA, CIC works with the
province and immigrant-serving agencies to make a real difference in the
lives of immigrants. In total, since 2006, the Government of Canada has
begun investing an additional $1.4 billion over five years in settlement
funding in provinces and territories outside Quebec.
Budget
2008 also proposes changes to modernize the immigration system and to
shorten the time it takes to bring newcomers and their families to Canada.
Under this proposed system, instructions would be issued to immigration
officers related to the processing of applications, including in relation
to the jobs available in Canada, so that people with those skills and
experience can be brought to Canada more quickly. With these changes,
newcomers could have more opportunities to find work sooner, to provide a
better life for themselves and their families and to benefit more from
life in Canada.
Newcomers
to Canada can also turn to the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO),
which helps internationally trained individuals find the information they
need to get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly.
Established in 2007, the FCRO provides information, path-finding and
referral services to help internationally trained individuals use their
skills in Canada. There are now 320 Service Canada centres across the
country offering in-person foreign credential referral services to
newcomers.
CIC funds a
number of programs that help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into
Canadian society. These programs are delivered in partnership with
provinces, territories and service-providing organizations and include the
Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program, which provides orientation,
referrals to community resources, advice and guidance; Language
Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, which provides basic language
training for adults; and the Host Program, which helps newcomers connect
with volunteers who help them access services, establish contacts in their
field of work and participate in the community.
