“I am still learning.”- Michelangelo

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The famous Italian painter summed it up aptly. Life is all about learning and learning leads to better opportunities and personal growth. Canada is one of the most wonderful places to be a lifelong learner. In fact, the government actually offers a plethora of courses and resources to help upgrade skills and enhance qualifications so that job seekers can put their best foot forward.

Let’s look at some of the options generously provided by the government for personal and career growth

1. Enhanced language training and occupation specific language training

This is a free career oriented English language based training program. It is completely free and the main aim is to equip the participants in searching for, preparing for and entering the Canadian workforce.

Both the courses provide a certificate of completion and the successful graduate acquires interviewing skills, resume preparations and critiques as well as opportunity for mentoring

The difference lies in the fact that ELT program usually offers a two-month voluntary Canadian internship experience in the candidate’s chosen field.

For more information on OSLT please visit  http://co-oslt.org/en/ and for information on ELT please visit http://www.tdsb.on.ca/AdultLearners/LearnEnglish/EnhancedLanguageTraining.aspx.

2. YWCA Toronto Pre- Apprenticeship Programs.

This program is offered by YWCA and has a low-income criteria. The best part is that the successful candidates receive a Certification which greatly enhances employability. The program also provides job readiness training, access to live projects and assistance obtaining a job placement. A complete win win!

Applicants can receive a Level 1 certification in the following programs.

• Horticultural Technician
• Android Mobile Application Developer
• Painter-Decorator
• Residential Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic

For more information please visit https://www.ywcatoronto.org/page.asp?l1=55&l2=105&pid=343

3. Resources at the local library

The Library is one of the most wondrous places on Earth. It is chock full of treasures like books, movies, games and often overlooked government funded resources which can help enhance personal and career related skills. The library offers free membership to

Lynda

This is a continuous education online portal which offers access to courses in finance, IT, science and education. It also offers many self-help courses in time management and productivity. The courses are self-paced, offer certificates which can be linked to the LinkedIn profiles and above all these courses are free if the applicant has a library membership. To review access please contact your local library

Mango

Canada is bilingual and it is a huge advantage to be bilingual in the workforce. Mango is a free language learning module offered online by the library. Members can access modules in French, Spanish, and Portuguese etc. Being multilingual can give a great boost to your employability and helps differentiate an applicant from others. This is generously funded by the government.  To access mango please contact your local library

The library also hosts various one on one computer literacy sessions throughout the year. Members can update their MS office skills and become social media savvy through these classes.

These are just some of the government funded courses and resources available to all Canadians. The best way to get further information is to Contact your local Welcome centre. Don’t wait, a wonderful world of learning is waiting for you, All you have to do is reach for it!