Educational Counselling

Ange-Lilian loved being an HVAC College Instructor in his home country, Cameroon. He finished his Master’s Degree in Technical Training there with a focus on Engineering and Pedagogy. After his graduation, Ange-Lilian taught at various high schools. He later designed the HVAC program for the National Training School in Cameroon and worked as their Head of Pedagogy.  

Ange-Lilian and his family immigrated to Canada in 2022. Like many newcomers to Canada, Ange-Lilian was excited to re-enter his career field but struggled to find a job without any Canadian work experience. He worked a survival job for several months to support his family but remained determined to pursue his career goals. That’s when he turned to the Language Assessment, Referral, and Counselling Centre (LARCC) for assistance.  

After taking an English test at LARCC, Ange-Lilian requested an educational counselling session to learn more about the resources and supports available to him. Ange-Lilian's Educational Counsellor referred him to an HVAC apprenticeship program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). In just a few months, Ange-Lilian was accepted into the apprenticeship program at NAIT and had secured a full-time position as an HVAC Technician.  

Ange-Lilian urges newcomers to Edmonton to access services available for them like the educational counselling service at LARCC. Ange-Lilian encourages fellow newcomers to improve their language skills, establish clear goals, and follow their dreams. 

Nina was born and raised in Russia. After she married her husband, who is Ukrainian, the two moved to Ukraine to build a future together. Fearing for their safety and well-being following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Nina and her family knew they had to leave behind everything they had ever known to start a new life in Canada. They moved to Edmonton in August 2022.

One of Nina’s top priorities when she arrived in Edmonton was to find a job so that she could support her family. Nina already had a master's degree in marketing and advertising, and an outstanding career in leadership. She knew that the key to her success in Canada would be to first improve her English language skills and then get back into her field.

With that in mind, Nina booked a language assessment and educational counselling at LARCC. During her appointment, Nina’s educational counsellor shared information and resources that would allow her to continue her career and education in Canada. One of the programs her educational counsellor recommended was Connections to Employment at Solomon College.

Nina followed through on her counsellor’s referral and recently graduated from the Connections to Employment program, which helped her find full-time work as a sales associate at Fastenal Canada. Nina is excited that she gets to practice her English, gain Canadian work experience, and build a network for herself in Edmonton.

Nina’s piece of advice for any newcomer to Canada is to learn English every minute of every day so they thrive, not just survive, in their new life in Canada!

Lea came to Canada from Syria in late 2016. At the time Lea already spoke basic English, but she knew she would need to improve her English if she wanted to pursue further education in Canada. Lea’s uncle, who had already been living in Canada for some time, suggested she take an English test at LARCC. After her English test, Lea was referred to the LINC program where she studied English for free over the next few years. Lea greatly improved her English and learnt more about life in Canada, Canadian citizenship, and available settlement supports.  

Once Lea felt more confident with her English, she was ready to begin exploring other educational opportunities. As a high school graduate, Lea knew she had many options available for her but she did not know where to start. As such, Leah decided to attend an information session presented by LARCC. 

Lea enjoyed that information session and to further explore her educational options, booked a 1-on-1 appointment with LARCC’s Educational Counsellor. During her appointment, Lea and her Educational Counsellor discussed many different fields of interest to Lea including her passion for animals, architecture/design, and computers. Her Educational Counsellor provided needed guidance and referrals to a variety of short-term and long-term training programs in different fields. 

After considering all the options presented by her Educational Counsellor, Lea decided to enroll in a short-term training program at NPower Canada to explore her interest in the I.T. sector. In January 2022, Lea graduated from this program with industry-recognized I.T. certifications. She is now enrolled in another semester of training with NPower Canada, and continuing to explore educational opportunities in the fields of cybersecurity, forensics, and intelligence.  

Lea is grateful for the information, referrals, and on-going support she received from her Educational Counsellor at LARCC. The program her Counsellor recommended was the perfect way for Lea to narrow down her interests and begin building a strong career in Canada. It has been a long journey, but Lea is definitely on the path to success! 

Yuko moved to Edmonton in 2019, and received permanent residency in July 2021. Her new status opened even more opportunities for Yuko to pursue the career of her dreams. 

A teacher by trade, it was important for Yuko to learn more about how she could re-establish her teaching profession. Yuko did some research and learned about the steps required to have her teaching certificate from Japan recognized in Alberta. But Yuko also wanted to meet with an educational or career counsellor to provide her with further guidance and support. 

Yuko learned about the Language Assessment, Referral, and Counselling Centre (LARCC) of Catholic Social Services online. Yuko decided to come to LARCC to first take a test to learn her English level and then to meet with LARCC’s educational counsellor to discuss her career prospects in Canada. 

After the English test, Yuko was pleased to know that she had achieved a high level of English which in turn offered her a number of career options to consider. Yuko’s educational counsellor was able to provide more information about teacher certification in Alberta and also helped Yuko explore some alternate career paths, such as early childhood educator or educational assistant. Meeting with LARCC’s educational counsellor instilled more confidence and hope in Yuko. Yuko received the information and referrals she needed to start establishing herself professionally in Canada. 

Yuko started the teacher certification process and is currently waiting for her application to be processed by Alberta Education. Yuko was also able to secure a job as a career coach at the Bredin Centre for Career Advancement. In this role, Yuko will be offering help and guidance (similar to that she received at LARCC) to other internationally-educated professionals looking to find employment in their field of expertise. 

Yuko appreciates the help she received from LARCC, and is grateful that her educational counsellor was able to give her the confidence to continue her professional journey in Canada.