Winnipeg language course defunded, leaving newcomers in the lurch, director says

A specialized English language program in Winnipeg will be shutting its doors in four months, after learning it’s losing federal funding.

The Enhanced English Language Skills for Employment program, which has been running for four years out of the Canadian Mennonite University, is geared toward new Canadians who want to refine their English skills, with the goal of getting high-earning jobs in their fields.

The program’s executive director, Louise Giesbrecht, told 680 CJOB that the program is tailored to the individual students’ needs.

“Our language develops differently. You might be able to speak well, but you might not be able to write very well. You might not be able to read very well,” she said.

“So we take each of those skills individually, focus on the type of employment people want — on the types of jobs that they’re doing. We give them the skills to work through that.”

Giesbrecht said it’s a big setback for the 140 students in the current class, who are heartbroken by the news.

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“The need right now is for what is referred to as the most vulnerable — those individuals who have very low-level English or no English at all, and can’t even work at McDonald’s or a job like that.

“They need special care, but it’s going to take them two or three years of intensive English to get to a place, because they’re at the lowest levels.”

Journalist Oleksandra Borys and her family escaped the war in Ukraine. She graduated the language program earlier this year and said the intensive learning experience made a big difference.

“I had difficulties with understanding fluent English and different accents. First I decided to take the listening skills course, and it was really, really intense.”

“It was helpful — by the end of the course I noticed great improvement in my understanding.”

The federal government didn’t provide an official comment by deadline.

However, a spokesperson for the the Manitoba government says it is aware of the funding cut and will continue to advocate for the federal government to adequately fund settlement services for newcomers.

2:35 More language resources needed for Canadian newcomers: experts

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