Calgary newcomers offered help with language skills

On Friday, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced federal support for all newcomers to Calgary, Alberta, to help them acquire language skills, find work and integrate into the community.

Made In Canada“By giving immigrants the tools they need to succeed, we are helping to build a stronger community and a stronger economy,” said Minister Alexander. “Study after study confirms that being able to speak English or French is key to ensuring newcomers to Canada can contribute more fully and provide for their families more quickly.”

The investment will help Bow Valley College’s Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, offer full and part-time training to almost 1,200 overseas students.

A 2005 Statistics Canada study found that employment rates of immigrants increased with their ability to speak English and that language proficiency had the biggest impact on their ability to find employment in a high-skilled job or in their intended field. What’s more, in a Compass Research survey on strategies for integrating internationally educated professionals into the Canadian work force, 87 per cent of employers cited inadequate language skills as the top barrier preventing the foreign-educated from finding suitable employment.

Currently more than 60,000 newcomers to Canada benefit from the LINC programme every year.

Article published 21st October 2013

Calgary in Night Time

Calgary in Night Time