What happens to immigrants who arrive in Canada and go straight to work instead of into English classes?

On the positive side, they get a paycheque. Unfortunately however, the immediate paycheque might also mean diminished opportunities for the future. Without at least a working command of English, many new immigrants remain in entry level positions where their skills and experience are under-utilized.

If newcomers can afford the time it takes to go to full-time English classes before going to work, they receive 25 to 30 hours a week of instruction. If they can manage to stay in class for a full year, that adds up to about 1,200 hours of training. In that time, depending on the background of the learner, they can reasonably expect to advance two CLB levels. Some even advance three or four levels.

What hope is there for the newcomers who go straight to work putting in 40 hours a week or more to earn a subsistence paycheque?

That's where the English at Work program has a role. English at Work has operated in Manitoba since 1985 with two major objectives:

• to provide access to English language training for working immigrants
• to deliver language training that is focused and relevant to jobs.

English at Work can't offer 1,200 hours of training; 100 hours in a year is more likely. But without those 100 hours that newcomer will quite likely never take any English classes at all.