By Cheryl Jahn

Loss of English language classes “Challenging”

Mar 3, 2025 | 3:48 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It was just another day of classes at the College of New Caledonia, but for some, it was not such a great day. That’s because the Board of Governors voted to cut the English language program last week, citing declining enrolment.

The healthy majority of the students in that right now are newcomers from Ukraine.

“If you want to start your life and do something that’s just one skill that you need and to study for something to get to the life, your better education you have to have the basic level,” says Diana Korobka, an ELNA Student at the College. “But when you don’t have the language, you don’t have anything.”

Korobka joins more than 300 Ukrainian refugees who came to Prince George since the war broke; some 275 have stayed, many of who are professionals like her. But there’s a hitch to her becoming an engineer, which is what she’s educated to do.

“I’ll have to pass the English exam and then pass a knowledge test as an engineer. And in this case, I can improve on my Master’s degree from back home and start my engineering career here.”

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And that applies to any profession. And some argue – and they did to the College Board – that this is the exact opposite of what this community’s economy needs.

“If we’re going to develop the future, we can have the population is going to have to grow and that population growing increasingly is going to have to come from outside of Canada,” says Charles Scott of UNBC’s School of Business, a member of PG for Ukraine. He also spoke against cancelling the program at the College’s Board meeting. “Keep in mind that in 2023, 97.6 per cent of Canada’s population growth was due to immigration. So if we don’t have language training, then the people with the skills needed to build the opportunities we all want who are here are going to be working like that and the rest that we need in order for it to happen are going to be coming from outside.”

The College says there are options for those needing to get the required English proficiency for employment, such as the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society.

by Cheryl Jahn

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Loss of English language classes “Challenging”

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