Backgrounder
Ontario Government Funds 24 New Bridge Training Programs For Newcomers
The Ontario government is investing almost $14 million over the next three years in 24 new bridge training programs for over 100 trades and professional careers. This will help more than 3,000 internationally trained professionals and trades people upgrade their language skills and training, prepare for exams, and work in their field faster.
The Ontario government is committed to helping newcomers succeed. Each year Ontario welcomes 125,000 newcomers. Approximately 13,000 newcomers bring the global experience to work in a regulated profession or trade in Ontario.
Today’s announcement brings the Ontario government’s total investment in bridge training programs to over $34 million since 2003 with more than 60 bridging projects that have benefited more than 6,000 newcomers.
These Ontario government funded bridge training programs benefit newcomers in the following fields:
- Accounting
Province investing $484,126 in the Halton Multicultural Council: Providing 144 newcomers, previously trained as accountants and bookkeepers, with work placements, language training, computer classes and additional academic training to become licensed, or to help them secure jobs in their field.
- Agricultural Industry
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: May 2006
Province investing $1,125,000 in the Ontario Institute of Professional Agrologists: Providing 300 newcomers, who have experience in food and/or agricultural inspector positions, with an educational program to obtain their P. Ag designation. As many as 50 newcomers are expected to be employed in their field within a year of obtaining the designation.
Location: Toronto, Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Guelph, Ottawa
Program start date: May 2006
- Architecture
Province investing $58,100 in the Ontario Association of Architects: Project creates mentoring relationships for 41 newcomers who were previously trained as architects; assists 25 newcomers to advance into the profession, conduct outreach to promote the value of internationally trained architects to 150 employers, and develop training materials to facilitate implementation of a mentoring program long-term.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: June 2006
- Carpentry
Province investing $335,700 in Carpenters’ Local Union 27 Joint Apprenticeship Training Trust Fund Inc: Providing 200 newcomers with prior construction experience with the assessment, education and skills to help them complete a General Carpentry Apprenticeship Program.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: October 2006
- Construction
Province investing $341,300 in George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology: Providing 50 newcomers with the training and support to obtain a graduate certificate in construction management which will help them qualify for management positions in the construction sector.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: October 2006
- Early Childhood Educators
Province investing $871,000 in the Association of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario;
The George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology; the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office of Toronto for Social and Multi-Cultural Development: Providing 135 newcomers with early childhood education training through language supports, Canadian work experience and job search assistance that will help address current and anticipated worker shortages.Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: September 2006
- Employment Counsellors
Province investing $328,200 in George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology: To help 50 newcomers become aware of employment opportunities as employment counsellors and how they can use their skills and education in related sectors to access this career.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: September 2006
- Engineers
Province investing $513,472 in Accessible Community Counselling and Employment Services for New Canadians: Providing support to 150 newcomers, who were trained as engineers, to find employment in their field of expertise, for example civil, chemical, mechanical and industrial engineering.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: Summer 2006
- Engineering Technology
Province investing $986,800 in Centennial College School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science and Sheridan College: Providing 464 newcomers, with the relevant education and skills in the manufacturing, information, and communication technology sectors, that will strengthen their skills and fast-track them into the colleges’ regular programs.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: Summer 2006
- Environmental Planners and Geoscientists
Province investing $402,300 in Toronto and Region Conservation Authority: Providing 40 newcomers who have previous experience as planners and environmental scientists, with training and specialized volunteer opportunities in municipal, regional, provincial and national legislation, culture procedures in professional planning and geoscience, with the goal of being certified by respective professional bodies.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: May 2006
- Health Care Positions
Province investing $1,708,158 in Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology, Faculty of Health, Public Safety and Community Services: Providing 60 newcomers with support to facilitate their transition into various allied health professions in Ontario, namely respiratory therapy, anesthesia assistant, cardiac diagnostics, and sleep clinic staff.
Location: Eastern Ontario
Program start date: Fall 2006
- Hospital Administrative Positions
Province investing $684,369 in Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology: Providing 45 professional and skilled newcomers with the mentoring and support they need to become certified, and find employment in a hospital setting.
Location: Eastern Ontario
Program start date: October 2006
- Massage Therapists
Province investing $231,593 in Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology: Providing 20 newcomers, with experience as massage therapists, to have their skills assessed, to obtain clinical experience that will enable them to register with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, and to obtain employment in their field.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: September 2006
- Midwifery
Province investing $447,600 in Ryerson University: Assisting in the development of distance learning tools to provide 25 newcomers with experience in midwifery, with prior learning assessment, training and clinical experience, career information and mentoring to facilitate their practice in Ontario.
Location: London, Hamilton, Ottawa, Thunder Bay
Program start date: September 2006
- Nursing
Province investing $789,135 in York University: Expanding an existing program, providing an additional 108 internationally trained nurses with workplace experience and mentorship opportunities to help them become licensed and find employment in Ontario.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: August 2006
- Physiotherapy
Province investing $515,600 in the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario: Providing 200 internationally trained physiotherapists with assistance to prepare for their Ontario registration exams with a program designed to help newcomers learn methods needed to successfully complete the exam elements required for registration.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: January 2007
- Teaching
Province investing $666,840 in Ontario College of Teachers: Providing 307 newcomers with support to obtain their teaching certification, and to help those already qualified find employment commensurate with their skills.
Location: Toronto, Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa
Program start date: June 2006
Province investing $465,996 in George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology: Providing 40 newcomers, who have post-secondary teaching experience in key fields, with a program that provides them with language training, orientation, and an internship leading to certification to enable them to teach in college or vocational settings.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: January 2007
Province investing $328,750 in Ontario College of Teachers (Windsor): Providing 80 newcomers with support to become certified, and find employment commensurate with their skills.
Location: Southwestern Ontario
Program start date: June 2006
- Tourism
General:Province investing $405,700 in Ontario Tourism Education Corporation: Providing 160 newcomers with training and job placement opportunities in the tourism industry.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: May 2006
- Employer Outreach
Province investing $499,000 in Career Edge Organization: To develop a marketing campaign to encourage employers to participate in the Career Bridge Internship program, and increase the total number of internships offered in the Greater Toronto Area.
Location: Toronto and Greater Toronto Area
Program start date: February 2006
- Multiple Occupations
Province investing $307,940 in St. Catharines Unemployed Help Centre, Inc: Funding to expand an existing program that will help an additional 275 newcomers with sector-specific employment preparation and job development services, mentoring and job shadowing in health care, education and finance.
Location: Central Ontario
Program start date: February 2006
- Construction Trades(i.e., electricians, plumbers, etc.)
Province investing $170,775 in La Cité Collégiale – Instituts des métiers (Ottawa): Providing 48 francophone newcomers with internship and mentoring opportunities to enable them to become certified in their trade(s) as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and others.
Location: Eastern Ontario
Program start date: May 2006
- Employer Outreach
Province investing $997,597 in United Way/Centraide Ottawa, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce: To create an employer engagement strategy that will enable 45 employers to develop internship opportunities for newcomers in the region.
Location: Eastern Ontario
Program start date: March 2006
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Danna O’Brien, Minister’s Office, (416) 325-3460
Rob Andrusevich, Communications Branch, (416) 314-7238
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