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Ottawa Catholic School Board launches registration for online ESL and LINC classes

A laptop is seen on a white surface, with a phone placed to its left and an apple placed to its right.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board has launched registration for online continued education. Photo by Karsten Madsen.
Meara Belanger - CHUO - Ottawa • ON | 04-02-2022
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The Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) has opened registration for this year’s Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) courses.

The OCSB offers a variety of English as a Second Language (ESL) and LINC courses annually, including citizenship test preparation classes and targeted employment training. 

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, newcomers accounted for over 80 per cent of Canada’s overall population growth in 2019. During the first quarter of 2021, Ontario welcomed 49.6 per cent of all newcomers to Canada. Ottawa Public Health stated that immigrants and children of immigrants make up approximately 44 per cent of Ottawa’s population, according to data from the Labor Market Ottawa Survey.

Some of the classes offered by OCSB are designed to give newcomers basic English-language training in reading, writing and grammar, speaking and listening, pronunciation, computer skills and practical applications for language at work and school.

Specialized classes offer newcomers a chance to elevate their English-language skills to get a higher-paying job, start a business, pursue post-secondary education, and more.

The OCSB offers ESL courses specifically for those who wish to obtain certification to work in childcare roles. 

A 2019 report from Statistics Canada indicates that early childcare workers make up about 1.6 per cent of Canada’s overall workforce. The second-largest number of early childcare workers is employed in Ontario. Over 26 per cent of all childcare workers in Canada are newcomers.

The OCSB Childcare Worker Certificate Program offers participants the chance to earn certifications in CPR and first aid, safe food handling, and COVID-19 safety protocols, in addition to basic ESL skills.

The classes offered by OCSB are both online and in-person, and run in both evenings and during the day. The OCSB has waived material fees for adult learners during the 2021-2022 school year.

Registration for ESL and LINC courses is open now. To register, or for more information about ESL and LINC courses, visit the OCSB webpage here.

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