Referrals from Community Immigration Settlement Organizations

Approximately 50 percent of respondent colleges and institutes confirmed that they receive referrals from community immigration settlement organizations. They also refer immigrant students back to these organizations for counseling and settlement support, as required.

2.7 Partnerships

Colleges and institutes are responding to the needs of immigrants within their communities by becoming involved in different informal and formal partnerships at the community, provincial and even pan-Canadian levels. Responding colleges and institutes have identified 9 different types of partnerships in which they have been involved for the delivery of programs and services for immigrants within their communities. Examples of these types of partnerships are described below.

Community-based Immigrant Settlement Organizations

In addition to receiving referrals from immigrant settlement organizations, colleges and institutes have informal partnerships with these organizations. Some institutions also have more formal partnerships whereby the settlement organization contracts with the college or institute to provide specific training, usually based on project funding from federal or provincial government departments. Some examples of partnerships with these organizations include:

• Red River College has adopted an interesting approach to fostering its partnerships with immigrant settlement organizations both through its Student and Community Advisor, (Diversity and Inclusiveness Initiatives Office) who has a direct mandate to liaise and maintain relationships with these organizations, and through the establishment of the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee that includes representatives from immigrant settlement organizations. Red River College also organized an immigrant forum last spring to assess what more the college could do to serve immigrants and identify relevant institutional strategies.
• Cégep du Vieux-Montréal has been involved in partnerships with CAMO Immigrant a provincial organization and ‘Hirondelle’ which provides settlement and integration services for immigrants to the Montreal area. CAMO Immigrant and Hirondelle have contracted the cégep to develop and deliver training for foreign-trained nurses. Hirondelle undertakes the initial selection of candidates and puts together groups that have similar needs i.e. foreign trained nurses. Support for lodging and child care is also provided to the students. The cégep also refers its immigrant students to Hirondelle when these students require additional psycho-social support and follow-up. CIMOI – Centre d’intégration de la main d’oeuvre immigrante also partners with the cégep to provide training for groups of immigrant students.

Municipal Governments and Committees

Colleges and institutes are involved in discussions at the municipal level to develop and deliver initiatives that facilitate immigrants’ socio-economic integration into their communities. For example, five metro Toronto colleges and institutes are part of the Toronto City Summit Alliance which has created an immigrant settlement group known as the Toronto Regional Immigrant Advisory Council (TRIAC). Centennial College is also a member of the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance which largely focuses on attracting new immigrant businesses to Toronto.