The Canadian government has allocated $150 million dollars in funding over the next five years to improve pre-arrival services for newcomers who have not yet landed in Canada.
These services are intended to help them make informed decisions about their new life, maximizing their chances of success and making integration into Canadian society easier. Five service providers have recently been announced as the recipients of funding to expand their programming.
Three organizations have been chosen to provide general employment services to pre-arrival clients: the YMCA of Greater Toronto, the Jewish Vocational Service of Metropolitan Toronto (JVS), and the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS).
The YMCA of Greater Toronto has been offered $5.6 million in funding, and in addition to employment services, they have also been selected by IRCC to help coordinate the new pre-arrival services on a national level, focusing on issues such as alignment and best practices across service providers.
The JVS has been offered $4 million in funding and will provide online employment services in English and French, mentoring, and other general employment services.
ISANS has been offered $13.1 million in funding and will include employment services specific to youth and refugee clients, as well as Atlantic Immigration Pilot clients.
Some funding will also focus on innovation and research to improve services. In Surrey, Options Community Services Society has been offered $798,806 and will partner with the social design and research firm InWithForward to offer services specific to senior and disabled newcomers.
Finally, $98,288 in funding will be offered to Family Dynamics in Winnipeg, which will collaborate with Manitoba’s Neighbourhood Immigrant Settlement Workers to research the effectiveness of their model for helping newcomers integrate, with a focus on newcomer youth.
There are currently 100 projects across the country that are receiving funding from IRCC to help improve integration services.
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