Pride News Canada's Leader In African Canadian & Caribbean News, Views & Lifestyle
NEW BRUNSWICK, Canada August 13, 2019 (CMC) – Canada’s immigration agency says it has launched over 800 projects, across the country, to boost settlement and integration of Caribbean and other new immigrants.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced it has selected 824 projects, one of which is with the Boys and Girls Club of Moncton, New Brunswick, that will “deliver high quality services to newcomers, across the country, for up to five years”.
It explained that the new service provider organization will work with youth, aged 13 to 18, in the Moncton area, “bringing newcomers and locally-born youth together, to form trusting relationships, through a variety of activities, mentorship, career development, community, political and civic engagement, advocacy, volunteerism, shared entrepreneurial goals and leadership development”.
IRCC said the project will promote intercultural understanding, foster enduring links, and help youth – “regardless of where they were born, to develop new skills that set them up for success”.
It added other partners involved in this project include all levels of government, Atlantic Superstore, and local business leaders and corporate partners, who will provide mentorship opportunities, such as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Midland, Irving and Medavie Blue Cross.
Through IRCC’s Settlement Program, eligible newcomers receive information about life in Canada and the community in which they will settle, language training, help finding a job, and connections with established immigrants and Canadians.
“These supports and services help newcomers integrate and build a successful life in Canada, while also helping employers, schools and other organizations build welcoming communities,” IRCC noted.
“The Resettlement Assistance Program provides supports and services to address the immediate and essential needs of government-assisted refugees and other eligible clients being resettled to Canada from overseas,” it added.
IRCC said projects selected through the National Call for Proposals include language training and workplace-based language instruction that will help newcomers settle and gain relevant skills; employment services that will foster the entrepreneurial spirit of newcomers and engage private sector employers; and projects that enhance local integration and social inclusion in small-center, rural and northern areas.
The newly-chosen projects complement those selected through the Service Delivery Improvement Programme, Pre-Arrival Services Programme and Visible Minority Newcomer Women Program, IRCC said.
“Canada is a recognized international leader in settlement and integration. We firmly believe that when we invest in helping newcomers learn the language, find employment, and build a successful life, all of Canada benefits,” said Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
“The Boys and Girls Club of Moncton project is an example of innovative programming that helps newcomers make the most of their talents to fully integrate and contribute to the Canadian economy and to their communities,” he added.
On February 18, IRCC said it began accepting proposals from eligible individuals and organizations to provide direct services to newcomers.
On March 27, IRCC said it began accepting proposals for indirect settlement services, such as
