It’s a wrap! George Brown College’s first cohort of the ReNEW Career Readiness program has just graduated.
The ReNEW program, funded by Scotiabank’s “ScotiaRISE” social impact initiative, supports internationally trained professionals studying at the School of English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Centre for Preparatory and Liberal Studies. Of the $500,000 gifted to the college through ScotiaRISE, $380,000 has been earmarked for the ReNEW Career Readiness program, and $120,000 has been designated for scholarships for Afghan women to study at GBC.
Josh Mosher-Mandel, Manager, Business Development & Partnership Engagement, said GBC welcomed lifelong learners from all over the globe.
“Participants were from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East,” said Mosher-Mandel. “And they all came from different fields — such as digital marketing, healthcare, IT, supply chain & logistics, and teaching. We integrated expertise from community partners as well as internal colleagues at GBC to provide relevant workshops and advising sessions in flexible, personalized ways.”
Helping newcomers find meaningful employment
The goal of the ReNEW program is to help Canadian newcomers overcome common barriers so they can fully and meaningfully participate in the Canadian workforce and improve their economic resiliency.
“Newcomers face many challenges in finding meaningful employment,” said Mosher-Mandel. “We’re thankful to ScotiaRISE for supporting the ReNEW program — and we’re already seeing the early positive impacts. Some of the graduates are currently working, many will be building on the learning that’s taken place over the past weeks by continuing to network and apply for jobs, and others are considering pursing further education or training to achieve their professional goals.”
What’s next for ReNEW?
Mosher-Mandel explained that exciting programming innovations — including the potential development of a new micro-credential — are underway.
“We plan to continue expanding awareness from learners in the community seeking to bridge educational and professional pathways,” he said. “We also hope to build on the relationships developed so far and deepen our connections with industry and community partners to provide an even greater impact.”
To learn more about the ReNEW program, please visit georgebrown.ca/renew-career-re-integration-for-newcomers.
We warmly welcome the graduates of our ReNEW program to our School of ESL and GBC alumni community and look forward to continuing to share their stories with our community.
