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.
For more information on CIC's programs, consult our website at www.cic.gc.ca.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Madona Mokbel
Communications
Ontario Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
416-954-7868
