Skills development, including upskilling and reskilling, is of the utmost importance in today’s rapidly changing economy. It plays a vital role in helping learners and workers stay relevant and successful. Over the past year, we launched Career Launcher Apprenticeships, a program providing financial incentives to small and medium-sized employers in the construction and manufacturing sectors to help them hire first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal trades. Over two years, 5,360 apprentices will benefit from Career Launcher Apprenticeships, including more than 1,300 from equity-deserving groups. (SDG 8 & SDG 10)
CICan’s Career Launcher Internship program experiences continued successes.
In 2023, Montreal’s Dawson college won the sustainability institution of the year award for its living campus composed of a vegetable garden, monarch nursery, beehives and so much more. Narcisse Hassan, an intern from CICan’s Career Launcher Internship Program played an integral part of the wellbeing and sustainability efforts at Dawson College.
On Canada’s west coast, Sayo Yazumi, arrived in Canada from Japan and found it difficult to find work. Following the Career Launcher’s Supportive Care Assistant (SCA) program and with the $5,000 stipend from CICan, she attends Vancouver Community College’s personal care provider program. She says, “I’m looking forward to building a career as a health care assistant and open to jobs in long-term care, group homes, or home care.” She adds, “If anyone is considering taking the SCA program, my advice is to go for it!”
We also launched Skills Enhancement for Newcomers, which helps newcomers to Canada develop the skills, knowledge, and practices unique to Canadian workplaces, enhancing their employment profiles. Over two years, 1,000 newcomers will benefit from these targeted microcredentials designed to enhance their professional and employability skills and ease their entry into the Canadian labour market (SDG 4 & SDG 8).