CEC work experience,will be able to count it ?

Hello i came in canada on SOWP , i stared working as a full time cook in Jan 2025 and also at the same time got my self enrolled in a french language course with MIFI, Its a govt funded integration program. It was a 1 year program full time. For this i was not required to have a study permit and it's not a DLI registered program. it did not lead to any diploma or degree. It's just self improvement and learning a new language free of cost .

Can i claim those full time working hrs ?
or do i fall Under Paragraph 87.1(3)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), any period of employment gained while you are engaged in full-time study is strictly excluded from CEC eligibility.

Anyone on the same boat ?