Good morning, honourable members. My name is Noureddine Bouissoukrane. I am the manager of employment services at the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society.
Today I am very pleased to talk about the employment skills training, EST, program. Since April 2010 our organization has offered the EST program, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This successful program assists unemployed newcomers with the skills to secure employment in Canada. The curriculum includes training in computers, business communication, and job search techniques. It's three months in-class training plus one month practical.
The EST program consists of four components. The first part is computer training skills. We teach our students Microsoft Office 2007, computer hardware and software, Internet knowledge, and online job search.
The second part is Canadian business communication. We teach our citizens business terminology, how to build confidence, report and business writing, verbal presentations, and public speaking.
The third section is job search skills, by itself. It covers resumé and cover letter preparation, job interview skills, career planning, job search strategies, and job fairs.
The fourth and most important component is seminars. We invite guest speakers from the industry and from the corporate sector.