Career and technical programs targeted at immigrants tend to combine technical training with occupation specific language training, and include bridging programs delivered by colleges and institutes with funding from provincial governments. The provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are the most active in funding bridging programs for foreign-trained professionals. In Manitoba, Red River College has adopted an approach that integrates immigrants into regular career and technical programs and offers extensive support mechanisms to facilitate immigrants’ entry into and completion of these programs.
Workplace training is also an area in which colleges and institutes are becoming increasingly involved. This type of training includes work placements for immigrant students during their ESL or career programs, career- focused programs in a workplace setting in collaboration with a private company, or contract training for businesses or industry to upgrade immigrant employees’ skills in a specific area involving technical or language skills.
Community-based training is offered through learning centres and in collaboration with municipal public libraries and community centres. For example, Vancouver Community College offers community programs in collaboration with public libraries and community centres as well as a Homefront English Program targeting mothers with young children and older immigrants.
Advising and Counseling Services are available to prospective and enrolled immigrant students to assist with program entry and completion, and to facilitate job entry. Although these are standard services provided by institutions, not specifically designed for immigrants, participants in the diagnostic survey confirmed that if colleges and institutes are to effectively deliver these services within their communities they must take into account immigrant issues. These services are being enhanced for the specific needs of immigrants by including peer helper or mentor and language partner programs that offer more one on one support for immigrant students.
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. Colleges and institutes responding to the diagnostic survey identified 9 different types of partnerships: