WHAT WE
OFFER

Welcome Centre Immigrant Services

At the Welcome Centre Immigrant Services, newcomers and immigrants can find all the services in one place. We are here to help you get the right information; and to find what other help is available in York Region and Durham Region.

Services are provided at no cost. Les services sont disponibles aussi en français.

There are 7 Welcome Centres in York Region and Durham Region. To learn more visit welcomecentre.ca

Settlement Services

Settlement Counsellors provide detailed information about government and community services in the areas of health care, housing, education and training, employment, childcare, child tax benefits, personal finance, social assistance, immigration and citizenship, legal supports, etc. They also provide direct referrals to other Welcome Centre services, such as: English language training, employment supports, professional accreditation, and more.

Language Services

• LINC E-learning classes offer courses that cover a range of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels, from Literacy to CLB 6. LINC classes are ideal for Newcomers who want to improve their English language proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
• English Language Classes (ELT) help Newcomers to Canada learn the English language skills well enough for daily life. This allows them to make friends; find a job and get used to living in a new country with people from different backgrounds.
• As an internationally trained professional, Enhanced Language Training (ELT) programs provide English language training related to occupation. There are also unpaid work placement opportunities to find a job in a field of expertise or related occupations and gain Canadian experience. The program also includes workshops for looking for a job.
• An English Language Assessment is a requirement for a client wanting to register for English classes. Clients are assessed according to Canadian Language Benchmarks and tested in four skill areas: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

Employment Services

A wide range of supports to assist Newcomers in developing the skills needed to find work are offered, including:

• resume and cover letter preparation
• use of research tools (Internet)
• how to prepare for an interview
• how to talk about your past work experience
• information about Canadian employers and the labour market
• connections to employers
• networking opportunities
• enhanced referrals to specialized employment programs (i.e. Bridging Programs, Employment Ontario, Mentoring)
• Employment Settlement Specialists are available to provide one-to-one assistance on job search training and advice, referrals to other services, and more.
• In the Resource Area clients have access to computers with Internet, WIFI, fax machine, photocopiers, scanners, telephones and webcams/headphones. Staff is on-site to help. A Job Board displays both job postings and local labour market information.

Women, Youth and Seniors Services

Women, youth and seniors often face specific difficulties to settle and live in Canada. Specialized services include:

• support groups
• recreational and educational opportunities
• activities to help build friendships

All services are aimed to support and assist women, youth and seniors to deal with the issues they face when trying to participate in all aspects of life in Canada.

Contact

Mobile Services

The Mobile Unit of the Newmarket Welcome Centre brings services to newcomers in traditionally under-served communities in upper York Region and Simcoe County, and links with other existing agencies. We bring added value to our clients by complementing existing services and bridging any gaps, with the goal of helping newcomers integrate more seamlessly into Canadian society.

The goal of mobile service delivery is not to duplicate services currently existing in communities but to add value by partnering with community organizations in order to fill identified gaps. The Mobile Unit also arranges for complementary services to accompany the Mobile Team, and thereby increase the ability to offer clients the most service – as an example, facilitating a language assessor to provide language assessment onsite in a remote community.

The Mobile Unit is comprised of two full-time staff who each bring to the Team an extensive background in services to Newcomers and one part-time Accreditation and Qualification Information Services Specialist. This staff provides settlement and integration services under the Welcome Centre “One Trusted Person” case management approach. This means core partners with Welcome Centre Immigrant Services and Mobile Unit have access to client records allowing for crucial information to be available effortlessly while clients receive settlement support.

Mobile Unit is funded both federally (IRCC) and provincially (MCCSS), and is therefore broadly supported to assist clients 18 years of age and above who are refugee claimants, protected persons and permanent resident applicants, temporary workers or students, permanent residents, certain caregiver applicants, and naturalized citizens with services such as:

• Client needs assessment and case management;
• Virtual meeting space in addition to in-person support;
• One-on-one settlement and orientation assistance with community and government services, healthcare, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) immigration support, Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), refugee claimant information and referral, and victim services or other emergency services referrals;
• Interpretation and translation of documents, or help to arrange these services;
• Help filling out forms and applications;
• English language development through our English Conversational Circle groups.
• Workshops – Ongoing presentations of general interest to newcomers.
• Accreditation and Qualification Information Services.

For more information or to book appointments, please email: mobileunit@nullwelcomecentre.ca, or call: 1-289-841-3045

Accreditation & Qualifications Information Services

Getting a job is most important for most Newcomers. The Accreditation and Qualification Information Services (AQIS) program supports newcomers in the process of having their international education, skills, and professional experiences recognized by Canadian employers. AQIS is an information and career pathway planning service that advises Internationally Trained Professionals and Trades People on professional certification/ license requirements and application procedures, alternative career options, training and skills upgrading programs, credential assessment, local work experiences, and etc.

Newcomers can request individual meetings with an expert to learn the processes for how to have their credentials recognized. If accreditation is not needed for a job, he/she will be guided on pathways to related alternative occupations and skills upgrading.

A customized career action plan with detailed information, resources, and steps will be created and sent to clients after each one-on-one meeting. Sector-specific events and portfolio workshops are held and delivered by the AQIS team throughout the year. For more information or to book appointments, please email: accreditation@nullwelcomecentre.ca, or call: 1-289-841-3085