International students in New Brunswick’s English-language elementary, middle and secondary schools are eligible for an innovative program to provide them with career experience in entrepreneurship and preventative mental health skills through two new centres of excellence.
“The centres of excellence allow students to gain insight into key industries,” said Education Minister Dominic Cardy. “They are given a chance to interact with and learn from experts in their fields, regardless of their location in the province.”
A provincial government official confirmed Tuesday that access to the centres of excellence is available to any international students in any K-12 schools in New Brunswick’s anglophone school district. New Brunswick also operates a francophone school district. Those students do not yet have access to these centres of excellence.
New Brunswick Immigration Rebounded To Near Pre-Pandemic Levels Last Year
Last year, the Atlantic Canadian province welcomed 5,315 new permanent residents, almost twice as many as the 2,895 that arrived in 2020 during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic and only 11.4 per cent less than the 6,000 new permanent residents in 2019, the last full year before the arrival of the coronavirus in Canada.
In 2021, the province welcomed among those new permanent residents 40 children who came to New Brunswick under sponsorship immigration programs. That’s four times as many children as became new permanent residents under those sponsorship programs in 2020.
Through the centres of excellence, all anglophone students across the province can get access to panel discussions, site visits, webinars, speaker series, mentorship, coaching, career fairs, industry training, and co-op placements, either virtually or in person.
New Brunswick sees immigration as a way of resolving labour shortages and jumpstarting its economy. These centres of excellence, too, are seen by Fredericton as a way to prepare students for the working world.
“Our province continues to experience labour force challenges, which is why these centres of excellence are essential to preparing students for the many opportunities available to them,” said Trevor Holder, the province’s minister of post-secondary education, training and labour. “Experiential learning is becoming increasingly important and these centres play a crucial role in the development and engagement of our future workers.”
Centre Of Excellence Teaches Financial Literacy, Leadership, Problem-Solving
There are two centres of excellence, one to promote entrepreneurship and the other for mental health. The centre of excellence for entrepreneurship is geared to strengthening the financial literacy and awareness of students along with their business skills. Through that centre, students may get direct coaching on their entrepreneurial ideas.
That’s music to the ears of Arlene Dunn, the province’s minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick. “Whether it is problem-solving, leadership, or financial literacy, participants will develop skills through this centre that they can undoubtedly use for the rest of their lives,” said Dunn.
The centre of excellence for health provides students with hands-on, interactive learning, including classroom activities for students and lesson plans for teachers covering topics such as mindfulness practices, emotion regulation, self-esteem, healthy relationships, anxiety and stress.
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