Breaking down barriers: college helps immigrant professionals upgrade English skills.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: NORTH BAY

Foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople have a new avenue to advance their careers by improving their language skills.

North Bay's Canadore College is offering a new English as a Second Language bridge training program geared to newcomers to Canada working in mining-related fields.

The trades and professions covered under the program are civil engineers, civil engineering technicians, welders/fitters, electricians, machinists, plumbers, and heavy truck mechanics.

"We're always trying to fill new needs," said Laurie Siviter, the college's project leader of quality learning, teaching and innovation. "There are a number of English as a Second Language programs available at our (college) and elsewhere, but occasionally a need for occupational-specific language training comes up."

Bridge training programs are designed to help internationally trained individuals move quickly into the labour market through assessment of their individual skills and competencies, and providing the required training for the workplace.

To Siviter's knowledge, Canadore is the only Canadian college that offers such training for mining professionals and trades.

"There are terms used in mining that are specific to that industry. If an employee is looking for advancement and they get occupational-specific language training then they can really fast-track."

To be eligible for the program. enrollees must hold a post-secondary degree or trade certificate from outside Canada. Participants need at least two years of work experience and must speak a fair bit of English, categorized as Canadian Language Bench-mark 7.

"They have to come into this program by already being workplace ready, but it's just the language skills that are probably holding them back," said Siviter.

Canadore's program provides 12 courses to increase proficiency in oral skills, occupational-specific vocabulary, the ability to understand safety instructions, and to increase comfort and confidence in everyday situations.

The students basically learn at their own pace by taking classes on campus or by studying online.

"We do a needs assessment to find out what courses would best benefit them and we tailor the curriculum specific to the student," said Siviter. "Every student is following their own plan to get them where they need to be to be successful."

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The instruction is offered by faculty with input from local industry to ensure the content follows national occupational standards...