Yukon College cuts enhanced language training program

Whitehorse is losing a program that has helped newcomers to the territory learn English, find jobs in their field and develop life-long connections in the community.

This is the last year Yukon College will be offering its enhanced language training program. The program, which graduated more than 160 students in its 10 years, was forEnglish-as-a-second-language studentswith significant education, training and work experience.

"People who were PhDs couldn't even get a job at the Shoppers Drug Mart, but through the program ended up integrating into the community, getting jobs in their fields and actually making a difference," saidJeffWolosewich, who worked as an instructor withthe programfor two years.

"It's a special program for sure."

Many success stories

In addition to offeringlanguage training, the programtaught studentsabout Canadian culture and providedtricks to living in the North.

About 40 former students and their families celebrated 10years of the program with past and present program instructors at the Kwanlin Dn Cultural Centre last week.

Wolosewichsaid the program helped many. Herecalled oneformer student from Colombia who had worked as an anti-money-laundering expert at the biggest bank in that country, yet whenhe landed in the Yukon as a non-English speaker, the only job hecould get was at Tim Hortons.

Wolosewich saidthat thanks to the program, this man was hired into a finance position with the Yukon government.

"He's a huge success story," he said.

Former student Viktor Zsoharis another success story.He worked as a metallurgicalengineer in Hungary, but struggledto find work in that trade when he arrivedin the Yukon. He eventually trained as a licensed practical nurse, the field he now works in.

"I love it way more better than engineering," he said. "I love nursing."

For Zsohar, the program wasabout more than just education.

"I met lots of friends, and through those friends I met lifelong lasting friends too," he said.

The students aren't theonly ones to benefit from the program. Instructor Melanie McFadyen said it enriches the community, too.

"So many of our employers have been grateful for the opportunity to be connected to our newcomers," said McFadyen.
"[They]come with lots of education and lots of skills and strong workethic and lots of motivation and really a lot to offer."

Loss of program untimely

Some people at the celebration saidthe college is cutting non-university level courses in its attempt to become a university, butMargaret Dumkee, dean of applied science and management at Yukon College, said the decision to cutthe enhanced language training program was financial.

She said funding fromCitizenship and Immigration Canada and the Yukon government didn't cover all of the program costs.

Dumkeesaid Yukon College is also not the best fit for the program, which in other jurisdictions she said isdelivered by community-based organizations.

"I think that it would be a good fit for some of the NGOs that are in our community," said Dumkee.

Wolosewich thinks the program is too valuable for it to be gone for long, even if it's not offered by the college.

"I would be shocked if [the program's absence] lasted for long.I think it's a very necessary program."

He said the program cut is untimely, with Syrian refugees about to arrive in the Yukon.

"If those are skilled workers that are coming in, this is the program that would have integrated them into job placements, gotten them language training that was directly focussed on their work and would have really helped integrate them," he said.

The college will still offer two ESL courses that prepare students for college courses.