(AlbertaIndex, March 10, Monday) --- The Federal government has announced it will provide $1,460,142 for the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association to provide settlement services including language training, counseling, and help finding work for its members.

    The funding is expected to help an estimated 1,000 immigrant women, said Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. 

 

Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration program. Since 2006, the Federal government has begun investing an additional $1.4 billion over five years in settlement funding to provinces and territories.

For 2008–2009, Alberta will be receiving more than $47 million in basic settlement funding.

Newcomers can also look to the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), which helps internationally trained individuals find the information they need to get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly.

The office was established in 2007 to provide information, path-finding and referral services to help internationally trained individuals use their skills in Canada. There are now 320 Service Canada Centres across the country offering in-person services to newcomers.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada funds a number of programs that help newcomers settle, adapt to and integrate into Canadian society. These programs are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories and service-providing organizations and include the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program, which provides orientation, referral and counseling services; Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, which provides basic language training for adults; and the Host Program, which enables newcomers to connect with volunteers who help them access services, establish contacts in their field of work and participate in the community.

She said: “The government of Canada is committed to helping all newcomers succeed in Canada. Calgary has a growing immigrant community. This funding will be used to provide newcomer women with one-on-one counseling services to help them as they transition to their new lives. Their successful integration will contribute to strengthening our country as a whole.”

The association’s executive director, Beba Svigir, said: “Thank you Citizenship and Immigration Canada for providing support for programs addressing the needs of immigrant women. This new funding allows us to offer enhanced services to women who play an important role in the diversity of our city and in the quality of our society. Immigrant women face specific challenges, and one-on-one counseling sessions will allow us to provide customized, culturally sensitive support in their process of settlement and integration in Canada.”

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