Ontario to stop funding program that helps immigrants improve skills at U of T’s Rotman school

Students and faculty of a long-time provincial program at the University of Toronto designed to help immigrants upgrade their job skills and become more visible to Canadian employers are lamenting its sudden closure.

 

In a short post on LinkedIn Tuesday, the Intercultural Skills Lab at U of T’s Rotman School of Management announced that its four Ontario Bridge Training Programs were ceasing as of Sept. 30 due to a withdrawal of funding by the province’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

 

“To put it in very simple terms, we are losing very educated and motivated people who’ve chosen to bring their talent and experience to Canada,” said Ann Armstrong, who teaches courses on change management, oral presentation skills and unwritten workplace rules for the bridge training program, known under the banners of “Business Edge” and “Career Shift” at Rotman.

 

“Business Edge has had a significant, powerful impact on some 850 grads and we will lose the power of shared experience to motivate others to work hard in these kinds of courses and to contribute to the Ontario economy,” Armstrong said in an interview.

Bridge training courses are subsidized by the province (participants must also pay a fee) and offered by educational institutions and professional regulatory bodies to help immigrants “bridge” their international education, training and work experience with skills needed to continue working in their field in Ontario, according to the provincial government. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have both international post-secondary education and international work experience, and be proficient in English. They must also be either a permanent resident, naturalized Canadian citizen or a refugee claimant with a valid work permit.

 

Rotman spokesperson Ken McGuffin confirmed the withdrawal of provincial funding and told the Star that if the government reconsiders this decision, “we’d be eager to continue the program as it’s so important for delivering important skills and training to newcomers.”

 

Zoë Knowles Simakova, director of communications for David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, blamed the federal government for the closure, saying it cut over $200 million from the province’s employment and settlement services programs, and as a result “the University of Toronto’s Bridge Training program is not being extended once their current agreement ends.”

 

The bridge training program at the Intercultural Skills Lab at Rotman has offered courses for more than a decade in such fields as finance, change management, supply chain management and tech sales. It also offers job interview and emotional intelligence coaching, as well as oral presentation training.

 

“We’re there to provide practical tips and tricks so that people who come with loads of talent and extraordinary degrees of motivation can navigate their careers and succeed,” Armstrong explained.

Reaction to the closure announcement from program instructors and former students alike on LinkedIn this week was universally tinged with disappointment.

 

Sarah Neville, a 10-year Business Edge instructor who teaches a course about giving and receiving feedback in tense situations, told the Star the closure of the program means skilled immigrants are losing the opportunity to develop intercultural skills needed to navigate the Canadian workplace.

 

“It has been well documented how successful the program has been and how people have found more meaningful and relevant employment,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything else like it and it really has made a difference in people’s lives.”

 

Neville, who posted similar sentiments on LinkedIn, added that completing the program requires dedication, as courses take place in the evenings and on weekends, and most participants already work full time and often have families to look after.

 

“I’ve always found that the level of commitment, openness and eagerness to learn is really inspiring,” she said.

 

Iryna Koliuda, an account manager at LOT Polish Airlines, wrote that the closure was “sad to hear indeed” and that it helped her to switch fields and get back to a management position in Canada, according to her LinkedIn profile.

 

 

 

 

This article was firs reported by Star