December 15, 2011
Newcomers to Prince George to Receive Settlement Services
PRINCE GEORGE – Newcomers to Prince George are receiving immigrant settlement services including $423,356.80 in new funding for the Immigrant & Multicultural Services Society of Prince George. This additional funding is part of $20.3 million for the Settlement and Integration Program, which is part of WelcomeBC.
Why this matters:
Funding goes towards orientation classes and workshops on a wide variety of topics such as: how to find a job, find a place to live, navigate the local transit system and learn banking basics.
- B.C. continues to be one of Canada’s most popular destinations for new immigrants, welcoming more than 40,000 newcomers each year.
Services through WelcomeBC are provided to more than 100,000 newcomers in 66 communities across the province, by more than 100 service providers.
Quotes:
“I have worked closely with Immigrant and Multicultural Services on a number of projects and know that this will allow them to continue the great work they do in assisting immigrant families transition to life in Northern British Columbia. IMSS has a strong team led by Baljit Sethi and they work tirelessly to provide the essential support that is critical in helping families adjust and become strong, contributing members of our community.”
-Prince George –Valemount MLA Shirley Bond
“Prince George is a culturally diverse community and we have organizations like this to thank for that. The contributions people who have immigrated here have made our city the vibrant one it is today.”
-Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell
Quick Facts:
WelcomeBC’s award-winning website helps approximately 600,000 clients each year from B.C. and around the world, offers information accessible in several languages and makes it easier for immigrants to access vital information.
- By 2019, it’s expected that there will be over a million job openings in the province, and skilled immigrants will play a vital role in filling many of those positions.
- This Program is made possible through funding from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.
Learn More:
- Users can mix and match the language the host speaks in with the subtitle; for example viewers can watch the videos in Punjabi with English subtitles.
- Once the host’s language is selected, all the information on the screen will convert automatically.
- Clients can download the video scripts in any of the eleven languages to keep the instructions/lessons close at hand.
- The technical sophistication of these web videos/mobile offering is a first for any jurisdiction in Canada.
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