Newcomers to Abbotsford will receive enhanced immigrant settlement services – to help them adjust to their new lives and gain employment – through $896,341 in funding for the Abbotsford Community Services Society.
This funding is part of a $20.3-million annual budget for the Settlement and Integration Program under WelcomeBC.
The funding goes towards orientation classes and workshops on a wide variety of topics such as how to find a job, find a place to live, navigate the local transit system and learn banking basics.
A press release from the provincial government noted B.C. continues to be one of Canada’s most popular destinations for new immigrants, welcoming more than 40,000 newcomers each year.
“I’m very pleased to see additional funding go towards welcoming newcomers to Abbotsford,” said Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen. “The services this money supports are vital to helping new immigrants integrate into our community.”
By 2019, it’s expected that there will be over a million job openings in the province, and the provincial government anticipates skilled immigrants will play a vital role in filling many of those positions.
For more information, see the website abbotsfordcommunityservices.com or call 604-859-7681.