Robertson College partners with Mosaic to provide language training and a pathway to a career in early childhood education

November 15, 2022 (Winnipeg, MB): Robertson College has announced a partnership with Winnipeg-based Mosaic Newcomer Family Resource Network to provide English language training to its clients. Mosaic is a rights-based organization that provides language and social programming to newcomer parents and caregivers to help them thrive within their new communities. 

The 19-week course is aimed at helping students develop their skills and competency in the English language in order to be able to communicate effectively within an academic and professional setting as well as provide them with an understanding of the Early Childhood sector in Manitoba.  Students who successfully complete the course will meet the provincial educational requirement to become Child Care Assistants in Manitoba and for consideration into the Early Childhood Educator diploma at Robertson in Manitoba. Robertson’s ECE program is approved by The Child Care Qualifications and Training Committee (CCQTC) in Manitoba.

“The demand for skilled Early Childhood Educators, including CCAs, ECE IIs and ECE IIIs are at an all time high in Manitoba right now. With our customized curriculum, we wanted to achieve three objectives 1) reduce the barriers to entry into the ECE programs and courses by training interested students who may not meet the language requirement, 2) create opportunities for Mosaic’s clients who are newcomers to Manitoba to improve their English language proficiency for academic and professional purposes and 3) to help address the labour shortage within the ECE field,” says Terena Caryk, VP of Product and Operations at Robertson College. “Our partnership with Mosaic allowed us to leverage existing courses within our offering to create a customized curriculum that aligns with the needs of Mosaic’s clients.”

The course will be delivered online to provide learners with the flexibility needed to determine their own study schedules since many of Mosaic’s clients are parents or primary caregivers. However, students will be able to attend live virtual sessions with their instructors and peers on a weekly basis to supplement their learning. 

“Mosaic is very excited to partner with Robertson College to provide this opportunity for newcomers who work in childcare, or who want to work in childcare,” says Valerie Cavers, Executive Director of Mosaic. “Our priority is to reduce barriers to accessing employment for newcomers so that they can fully participate in their new community. Higher levels of English required to enter the college ECE program was one of the existing barriers. Childcare is an ideal career for many newcomers and this opportunity helps bridge the gap that exists for people to pursue their career goals.”

Funding from a Canada-Manitoba Job Grant is making this unique opportunity possible for 40 newcomers. The first intake will run from November 2022 to March 2023.