New funding for the YMCA will help develop and expand their language programs for newcomers.
The Greater Saint John YMCA has received new federal funding for its newcomer language programs.
The $1.2 million will help deliver its Sector-Specific Employment Language Training program (SSERT), which aims to teach newcomers language relating to potential careers.
Angelique Simpson, vice president of newcomer and community connections at the YMCA says the funding will allow them to offer more classes in more industries.
“Before maybe they learn the word for watermelon or grocery store, if they are interested in a career in nursing or homemaking or health care, let’s give them that language first,” she said during the funding announcement.
The funding will also help with studying the program and tracking data and results to see if it can be scaled up and rolled out across the settlement sector more widely.
Simpson says the program started with some help from the provincial government in 2015, just prior to the Syrian response, and has since grown both in numbers and in success.
Simpson says teaching newcomers words related to careers helps integrate them better into the community.
“What we don’t want is people joining the labour force in a job that maybe they’re overqualified for simply because their language isn’t there yet, so this is hopefully a way to balance their language ability with what they can actually do in the labour force,” he said.
There are 49 students in the program, and 12 modules including hospitality, business, finance and healthcare.
Students in the SSERT program take tailored language classes in the morning, and do work placements in the afternoon, where local businesses welcome them into their spaces to practice their skills and to give them experience.
It also teaches them other workplace readiness skills, such as how to dress for an interview, expectations around time management, and what a pension is.
Simpson says they’ve seen a number of success stories from their language programs, with a high number of clients now in full time jobs in the sector that they studied.
“One of our biggest success stories is working in the hospitality industry now and is working her way up to a managers position. Seeing them integrate in the community and rely on us less is truly I think the best feedback we get,” she said, as it means the Y has done their job well.
She says investment in permanent residents should be a priority for government, but it can be tricky since most can’t vote, and therefore not taken seriously as constituents.
“If we’re going to grow our community and grow the Atlantic, we need to be taking these individuals seriously as the people of influence,” she said.
“A big part of this funding that I’m excited about is that it demonstrates investment in that group of people and what they’re capable of.”
