Women in Film and Television’s Toronto chapter has received a $500,000 cash grant from Canwest, earmarked for three new training initiatives, the organization announced on Thursday.

The money will be distributed over seven years and will support initiatives including the Career Transition Program — a first of its kind in Canada — designed to help mid- to senior-level professionals cope with various changes in the industry, including those of a technological and economic nature. The program is set to start in October 2009.

‘The industry is going through such a fundamental change. We need to offer programming that helps us all navigate the new media landscape, [and] the Career Transition Program speaks to a central part of our mandate,’ commented WIFT-T executive director Sadia Zaman.

‘Canwest is committed to maximizing the career potential of women at all levels of our industry,’ added Canwest Broadcasting president Kathy Dore.

Other programs that will benefit from the grant are the Diversity Initiative and the WIFT-T Executive Management Program. The money is part of the social benefits package stemming from Canwest’s purchase of Alliance Atlantis.