Canada investing in immigrant integration and skills enhancement in the Atlantic Provinces

Besides encourging the immigration in all four Atlantic provinces through the renewal of immigration agreements, federal governemnt of Canada, in partnership with settlement providers, is also providing necessary funding to support the settlement and integration needs of newcomers to these provinces.

During the last few weeks, a settlement funding of over $95 million has been announced for several partner agencies in the province of Nova Scotia. A most recent of these fundings is an investment of over $10.3 million for next three years, which is being provided to several Halifax-area partner organizations and help an estimated 3,000 immigrants in accessing basic settlement services such as language training, counseling and help finding a job. The funding to YMCA Community Outreach and Family Services, Halifax Immigrant Learning Center, Halifax Regional School Board, Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association and la Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse will be provided under the Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) prominent services including Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP), Language Instruction for newcomers to Canada and the Host Programs.

Through a new Labour Market Agreement (LMA), federal government will inject approximately $85 million over the next six years into the Nova Scotia labour market for provincial programs to help Nova Scotians upgrade their skills in a variety of sectors, such as information technology, health care and construction. The funding will be used to help individuals often excluded from the labour force, including Aboriginal people, immigrants, and persons with disabilities, to gain access to the training they need to find good quality jobs.

Under the Workplace Skills Initiative of Advantage Canada plan, government is investing over $560,000 in the Work in Nova Scotia (WINS) project. Nova Scotia designed WINS not only to help integrate newcomers into the workplace but also to address skills gaps and labor shortages in small- and medium-sized businesses. It is estimated that approximately 350 individuals and 250 small- and medium-sized enterprises will benefit from this project. WINS is managed by the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) and was launched as a bridging program to help newcomers in Nova Scotia achieve their employment goals. The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration will also contribute $36,275 to support the project.

As part of $1.4 billion ‘additional settlement funding package’ to provinces and territories other than Quebec, the Multicultural Association of Fredericton in New Brunswick will receive about $2.7 million to deliver services that will help newcomers become established in Fredericton and surrounding areas. These services include language training, translation and interpretation, and referrals to community resources. The Association will also provide youth settlement workers who will work with newcomer youth in the community.

Under the same federal package, the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA) in New Brunswick will also receive $1.3 million funding to help newcomers access orientation and other services, including referrals to community resources and assistance, language training in both French and English, and help establishing contacts in their field of work.

For 2008-09, New Brunswick will be receiving more than $2.7 million in basic settlement funding, an increase of more than $900,000 over the previous year.

Another funding, totalling more than $2.6 million over a three-year period, will go to the PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada, Carrefour d’immigration rurale Évangéline, Holland College and Study Abroad Canada in Prince Edward Island. The funding will help deliver settlement services such as language training, translation and interpretation, job search support and resettlement assistance for refugees including temporary accommodations, food and incidentals, orientation sessions and counselling and referral services. It will also go toward culture-bridging activities and anti-racism programs as well as connecting newcomers with volunteers who will help them access services, establish contacts in their field of work and participate in the community.

For 2008–2009, Prince Edward Island is receiving almost $1.4 million in settlement funding, an increase of more than $239,475 over the previous year.