Federal government invests $7.6M to help newcomers improve language skills

New Canadians are now able to get language training in both French and English to improve their language skills.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is spending $7.6 million over four years into language training at seven organizations across the country, including Collège Boréal.

Lise Béland oversees the immigration department at the college. She says the federal funding will help expand on the school's language instruction for newcomers program.

"We have a track record of helping families truly integrate, particularly more importantly in the north of late," she said.

"And inspiring and engaging employers to help someone acquire not only a Canadian education that we can do to improve people's languages, but also integrate them into the society, to have a job that is not just a job, but a real career."

Béland adds participants can take the training in-person or online depending on where they live in Ontario.

"So that we could have a better reach in smaller unorganized communities — people that are living in rural communities that are not able to come face-to-face and take language training," she said.

"We wanted to offer other services so that we could better serve in the Toronto area, the northern area and central southwest corridor."

Béland says the training can either be in French or English, depending on which language the newcomer wants to improve.

The enhanced language program for newcomers is expected to be ready for roll out at Collège Boréal by early 2020.