July 6, 2011
Funding Announced to Help Newcomers to Province Settle and Integrate Successfully
The effective integration and settlement of immigrants to Newfoundland and Labrador is essential to the overall success of the province. The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Minister Responsible for the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism, announced an investment of approximately $533,000 for 22 projects and initiatives today through the Newfoundland and Labrador Settlement and Integration Program.
"It is a great honour to join many of our community partners today at the Association for New Canadians to highlight over $533,000 in funding for 22 extremely important initiatives throughout our province,” said Minister King. "In order to maintain our growing prosperity, especially in rural parts of the province, it is necessary to attract and retain people of diverse backgrounds, skills and talents to ensure that we have the human resources needed to take advantage of every possible opportunity the future will present. The grants being announced today support organizations in ensuring that newcomers settle in their new home province as smoothly and quickly as possible.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Settlement and Integration Program is designed to help newcomers fully engage in the social, economic, and cultural aspects of Newfoundland and Labrador. To achieve this goal, the program focuses on improving the quality, availability, and access to services that enhance the social and economic situation of immigrants. Successful projects are selected from an annual call for proposals.
One example of the cooperation between the Provincial Government and a community-based organization is the work being undertaken by the Association for New Canadians. Through projects like Career Connections, Diversity Training and English as a Second Language, newcomers are receiving the support they require to make Newfoundland and Labrador their permanent home.
“We are very appreciative to have the opportunity to partner with the Provincial Government once again this year to support the work of our organization,” said Bridget Foster, Executive Director of the Association for New Canadians. “This funding in particular will support the continuation and expansion of programs delivered by the Association for New Canadians. We can all agree that community involvement is vital to the successful settlement and integration of newcomers. This cooperation is clearly a major priority for the Provincial Government and has indeed been demonstrated by this great announcement today.”
Since the introduction of the province’s immigration strategy, Diversity ~ Opportunity and Growth in 2007, the Provincial Government has invested in excess of $2 million annually to support immigration and multiculturalism. In Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately $705,000 has been allocated for grants to support immigration and multiculturalism initiatives, which is an increase of $50,000 over last year.
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Media contacts:
| Bradley Power Director of Communications Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment 709-729-0753, 699-5707 bradleypower@gov.nl.ca |
Bridget Foster Executive Director The Association for New Canadians 709-722-9680 bfoster@nfld.net |
BACKGROUNDER
Newfoundland and Labrador Settlement and Integration Program
2011-12 Investments
| Project Description | Proponent | Funding Amount |
| Provision of information on settlement and community services available to newcomers who reside in rural and urban areas of the province | Association for New Canadians | $46,650 |
| Continued support for the Diversity Training initiative | Association for New Canadians | $45,000 |
| Continued support for the Career Connections Program at the AXIS Training Centre | Association for New Canadians | $89,518 |
| Continued support for the coordinating committee for newcomer integration | Association for New Canadians | $14,785 |
| English as a Second Language training to individuals outside the St. John's area and/or for those that cannot attend regular language classes | Association for New Canadians | $27,153 |
| Hiring of a web developer to maintain, update, and input information to an existing interactive database for skills matching | Association for New Canadians | $38,916 |
| Expansion of a website | Association for New Canadians | $10,297 |
| Promotion of policies and practices designed to facilitate newcomer health and wellness | Association for New Canadians | $2,500 |
| Production of a Newcomers Guide to Central Labrador | Central Labrador Economic Development Board | $7,153 |
| Redesign of a Newcomers Guide to the City of Corner Brook | City of Corner Brook | $11,865 |
| Enrollment of new Canadian children in the REAL Program, extra-curricular activities in St. John's | City of St. John's | $25,000 |
| Promotion of diverse cultures in the local community through social activities and celebrations on a monthly basis | Exploits Valley Community Coalition | $2,450 |
| Increase attraction of Francophones | Federation des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador | $23,358 |
| Expansion of settlement services | International Student Advising Office | $30,000 |
| Delivery of English as a Second Language program in Western Newfoundland | Memorial University | $8,280 |
| Continuation of the International Food and Craft Fair in St. John’s, Central and Western Newfoundland | Multicultural Women's Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador | $48,000 |
| Support for the development of a cooperative for translation services in Newfoundland and Labrador | Multicultural Women's Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador | $1,938 |
| Development of a welcoming communities project in the Baccalieu Trail area | Mariner Resource Opportunities Network | $29,877 |
| Weekly meetings and workshops with newcomer school youth and support for the Sharing Our Cultures Event at The Rooms | Sharing Our Cultures | $10,000 |
| Creation of a welcoming communities initiative for the Southern Avalon region. | Southern Avalon Development Association | $2,500 |
| Continuation of a welcoming communities project | Northeast Avalon Regional Economic Development Board | $30,000 |
| Career development and professional opportunities for international graduate students | School of Graduate Studies | $27,795 |
2011 07 06 1:55 p.m.