Spring brought renewed momentum to PERT, marked by a busy season of meetings, consultations, and collaborative initiatives across Québec. Working alongside partners from across sectors, we advanced research-driven insights, examined complex workforce challenges, and explored solutions to support the long-term employment success and vitality of Québec’s English-speaking communities. 

Research Mobilization at the QUESCREN Symposium

A key highlight of the season was PERT’s participation in the QUESCREN Researcher-Member Symposium at Concordia University. The event brought together researchers, community organizations, and institutional partners to exchange new research on the vitality of Québec’s English-speaking communities and to highlight the legacy and diversity of these communities.

PERT Executive Director, Nicholas Salter, joined the panel, “Governing Community Vitality: English-Speaking Quebec, Civil Society, and the State.” The discussion examined the relationship between community organizations, public institutions, and the long-term sustainability of Québec’s English-speaking communities. He highlighted how systemic funding delays and administrative barriers hinder essential employment services and could place community groups in precarious operational situations. His observations resonated deeply with the audience, as many attendees and community representatives acknowledged these challenges as a shared reality.

Later the same day, PERT Policy Researcher Sarahí Nava Marquina contributed to a research showcase featuring work from BCRC, ELAN, LEARN, QAHN, TALQ, and Y4Y. Her presentation focused on PERT’s research into the employment trajectories of English-speaking women in Montréal, as well as the retention challenges faced by graduates entering Quebec’s healthcare and social services sectors. The findings underscored persistent underrepresentation of English speakers in healthcare and showed that they accounted for 65.6% of healthcare and social assistance workforce who migrated from Québec to other provinces.

Advancing Vocational Education at the QACVE Conference

PERT also delivered a keynote address at the Québec Association of Career and Vocational Education (QACVE) conference, “Teaching Today for a Career Tomorrow,” in L’Estérel. Nicholas Salter and Sta Kuzviwanza, joined by Abbey McGugan from the CCQEA, presented research on vocational training and skilled trades as critical pathways to employment for English-speaking Quebecers, while also addressing workforce needs across the province. This milestone allowed PERT to further validate its vocational training research with educators in the field. Audience reflections underscored the human dimensions of challenges facing the sector and reinforced the urgency of strengthening routes into skilled employment.

Collaborative Solutions for Employability

PERT convened its cross-sector working groups throughout April and May, bringing together partners from the education sector, employment service providers, employers, and regional organizations, in collaboration with group chairs.

These discussions provide a structured space to identify shared challenges, exchange promising practices, and explore collaborative solutions to strengthen employment outcomes across Québec. Insights from these conversations continue to inform PERT’s research, engagement, and policy work while reinforcing the broader employability ecosystem for English-speaking Quebecers.

Scaling Workforce Integration Through Circonflexe

Following the success of its first cohort, which brought together 180 participants across 15 regions, Circonflexe launched its second cohort, and now supports more than 500 participants across Québec.

To reach this major milestone, the team conducted more than 250 mentor interviews—averaging five per day—to ensure appropriate matching based on language proficiency and professional background.

Celebrating Our Team’s Professional Growth

This spring also marked an important professional achievement for PERT Policy Researcher Sarahí Nava Marquina, who was selected as one of only 20 participants from more than 100 applicants across Canada and the United States to take part in McGill University’s 2026 Evaluation Capacity Case Challenge (EC³). The initiative brings together emerging leaders in public policy, social impact, and education to tackle real-world organizational challenges and strengthen evaluation practices across sectors. Sarahí’s participation reflects her commitment to advancing evaluation expertise and deepening evidence-based practice. We congratulate her on this milestone and the knowledge and perspectives it brings to our collective work.

What’s next?

As we move into summer, our team remains focused on advancing employment opportunities for Québec’s English-speaking communities through research, collaboration, advocacy, and workforce development. 

In the coming months, we will release two major research projects. In partnership with Y4Y Québec, PERT will publish new findings on the employment experiences of English-speaking youth across Québec, exploring barriers and opportunities shaping labour market participation among young people aged 15 to 34. We will also release a study with YWCA Montréal examining the employment and employability needs of the English-Speaking women in Montréal, with a focus on women who are unemployed or far removed from the labour market. 

Together, these projects will inform future programming, policy development, and advocacy efforts aimed at building a stronger, more inclusive labour market for Québec’s English-speaking communities. 

There is much more to come as we continue this work alongside partners, members, and stakeholders across the province.

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