WelcomeBC Day
The Government of British Columbia has officially proclaimed October 6th as WelcomeBC Day in recognition of the many contributions that immigrants make to British Columbia.
(Above: Chris Friesen (Immigrant Services Society of BC) and Jeanne Fike (Burnaby Family Life) accept the WelcomeBC Day award on behalf of the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table.)
WelcomeBC Day Proclamation
WelcomeBC Day Award
Provincial, federal and municipal government representatives joined members of B.C.’s immigrant community and service providing agencies in Vancouver to celebrate British Columbia’s first WelcomeBC Day on October 6, 2010. At the celebration, a WelcomeBC Award was given to the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table (BIPT), for their exemplary efforts in connecting newcomers to the labour market and their communities. This is just one example of the many innovative partnerships at work under WelcomeBC.
Since 2007, BIPT has demonstrated an outstanding capacity to build and sustain effective partnerships with a wide range of organizations, including the Burnaby Board of Trade, Burnaby Family Life, the Immigrant Services Society, South Burnaby Neighbourhood House and the Burnaby School District. BIPT has engaged these partners and others to develop and implement innovative solutions to help newcomers settle and feel welcomed in Burnaby.
BIPT is showcasing the very best of WelcomeBC.
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About WelcomeBC
WelcomeBC is a broad strategic framework led by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. It has been designed to unite settlement, immigration and labour market services under a single umbrella. Since its inception in 2007, WelcomeBC has expanded settlement services across B.C. to serve more than 85,000 newcomers per year, creating settlement services in 21 school districts representing 850 schools, and serving an additional 41,000 immigrant youth and their families. WelcomeBC also increased access to adult English language training from 29 to 48 communities and now serves more than 18,000 clients.
WelcomeBC also helps B.C. meet a critical labour market need by bringing immigrants and employers together. WelcomeBC works with employer associations and regulatory bodies to streamline the qualification assessment and recognition practices; and with employer associations to make them aware of the barriers immigrants can face. WelcomeBC provides employers with tools and resources to help them attract, hire and keep immigrants; and works with immigrants to help them overcome these barriers.
WelcomeBC is built on the belief that settlement is a two-way process that involves commitment on the part of immigrants to adapt to life in B.C., and on the part of B.C. to welcome and adapt to new peoples and cultures.
More information on WelcomeBC.
