The Immigrant Welcome Centre (IWC) and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) are collaborating to offer a Workplace Language and Culture Hub for Campbell River.
This innovative partnership between a not-for-profit and a local business is a direct response to data derived from the Needs Assessment Survey conducted by IWC in 2020. The survey identified the newcomers’ need for English training geared toward a workplace language learning approach as the number 1 priority. When newcomers attain good English proficiency, including workplace language and soft skills, they have better chances of finding meaningful employment and contributing to the community.
RBC’s and IWC’s contributions will support the creation of the Workplace Language and Culture Hub, a program that will provide newcomers with training for higher-level workplace language skills, soft skills and knowledge acquisition for the Canadian workplace. RBC’s and IWC’s significant contributions will benefit both businesses and individuals as there will not be any costs associated with enrolment in this program. In other words, the cost of this program will be FREE for businesses and individuals.
The program will begin in September 2022 and will be open to newcomer youth and adults who have been living in Canada for two years or less, and who live in Campbell River.
Through RBC Future Launch, the goal for both IWC and RBC is to help newcomer youth and adults access meaningful employment through work experience, skills development, and networking. Canada’s job market is changing and there is a need to enhance newcomers’ ability to be prepared to effectively support business growth.
Local businesses will benefit greatly from this partnership program by being able to refer current employees to the program to support their growth as well as recruit and retain employment-ready newcomers in roles that are relevant to both the business and the individual’s skills and experience.
IWC is looking to receive referrals directly from businesses that need support in this regard.
Individuals or employers who are interested in the program can either email info@immigrantwelcome.ca or call 250.830.0171 for eligibility requirements and language assessment appointments to be scheduled in September. Be sure to contact us as early as September, as the spots will fill up quickly.
IWC and RBC are working to establish a longer-term relationship to ensure the capacity and sustainability of the program, which aims to support both local businesses and the community.
In the picture: Matthijs Bruining, Branch Manager at RBC and Jim Brennan, Executive Director of IWC
