Students to gain ‘official’ language training
Simon Fraser University is one of 11 universities across Canada that will benefit from a new partnership with the Canada School of Public Service.
Through the initiative of SFU’s Department of French, the university will work together with the CSPS to provide access to the CSPS’s online second language training products for Canadian university students.
SFU’s participation will better prepare students for job opportunities requiring Canada’s two official languages, including careers in the public sector.
The announcement of the three-year pilot program was made at SFU today by Andrew Saxton, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, on behalf of the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board.
The program will “give students a better understanding of the advantages of linguistic duality” while fostering more graduates who can meet the public service official language requirement, Saxton noted.
“This partnership will benefit all SFU students who wish to acquire, maintain or develop their official languages skills as an asset for career opportunities and advancement in the public, and private, sectors,” says Réjean Canac-Marquis, chair of the French department.
“The Government of Canada and the Crown corporations are by far the largest employers in Canada, with 500,000 jobs on the line. More than 40 per cent of these jobs are designed as bilingual (in accord with the Canadian Official Language Act), and all director positions require official language bilingualism.”
Canac-Marquis points to a June 2009 House of Commons’ report which shows that the Canadian government will need to recruit 5,000 to 6,000 bilingual positions per year for the next several years, and that in 2012, one-quarter of public sector workers will be eligible for retirement.
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Comments
Comment GuidelinesWhere can we get more information on this program?
Wow, that's pretty racist "Sam Reynolds". Do you recall that originally, the official languages of this country were neither French nor English but the languages spoken by First Nations people? I don't understand why people have to be so "proud" of French. If you ask me, people should simply learn as many languages as possible for the sake of expanding their minds.
Now now Rachel, Mr. Reynolds remark was not racist, just callous.
I agree that language learning is a great way to expand one's mind and understand one's own language better, as well as providing for more fulfilling travelling experiences, erasing cultural bboundaries, and improving the possibility of gaining employment through one's degree.
I might come back to SFU for the French training part-time (having graduated in May), just so I can gain a better position in the public service as the one I have now.
Rachel,
I'm not sure that paraphrasing the Official Languages Act is racist.
Canada only became a 'country', a state, when the British and French settlers arrived and formed a system of governance. Before that the landmass known now as "Canada" was merely that -- landmass inhabited by nomadic peoples.
I think it's about what language you like. And french is amazing :)
Sam Reynolds
Excellent, sign me up! I'm glad that somebody is remembering our cultural heritage. The other official language in this country is French, not Korean or Mandarin.