An overview of the Provincial Employment Roundtable’s 2023 milestones. 

Throughout 2023, we made significant strides in our research, outreach, and engagement activities to address the employment challenges faced by Québec’s English-speaking communities. 

Research Contributions

Our research team published five reports which covered themes ranging from French-language learning to poverty in Québec and proposed pragmatic solutions to better integrate English speakers into Québec’s labour market:

• 2021 Census Data Update
• Best practices in language learning in Québec
• International Approaches to Language Learning
• A Snapshot of Poverty in Quebec’s English-speaking Communities
• Mapping Employment Supports for Québec’s Racialized and Immigrant English-speaking Communities

This work positioned PERT as a leader in the conversation about the employment situation facing Québec’s English-speaking communities and the types of services needed to improve their labour market outcomes.

Outreach Initiatives

Outreach was a key focus for us in 2023. We dedicated our efforts to broadening and strengthening our network across the province. We participated in several events, engaged in meaningful conversations and laid the groundwork for new partnerships with community and government stakeholders. 

This year we had the opportunity to showcase our work during the PROCEDE conference, the Townshipper’s Employability Conference and the QUESCREN Education and Vitality Forum. 

2023 was also our most active year in terms of events we hosted. During these events, we went beyond the numbers to look at the communities that make up Québec’s English-speaking community, and worked to dismantle old myths about our community by shedding light on the economic realities for English speakers in the province :

• The Forum on the Employment of Québec’s Historically Marginalized English-speaking Communities
• The Unlocking Potential Conference, in collaboration with the Consortium of English-language CEGEPs, Colleges, and Universities of Quebec, and the Regional Development Network (RDN)
• Webinar: A Snapshot of Poverty Among Québec’s English-speaking Communities
• Webinar: A survey of national and international approaches to adult language training
• Webinar: Employment Supports for Québec’s Immigrant and Racialized English-speaking Communities

Finally, we also had the pleasure of welcoming two new members to our Board of Directors: Trina Belanger and Heather Halman. We look forward to learning from their insights and expertise. 

Policy Engagement

In 2023, we worked to ensure that policymakers, at all levels of government, were aware of the economic realities for English-speaking Quebecers.

We participated in 4 of the provincial government’s consultations:

• Québec’s Pre-Budgetary Consultation
• The public consultation on the government action plan to combat poverty and social exclusion    
• The Youth Action Plan consultation 
• Mémoire: Réflexion sur l’avenir de la langue française

We also submitted a brief in the context of the federal government’s pre-budget consultations. 

In addition to participating in public consultations, we had the opportunity to meet with Québec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard and Minister of Employment Kateri Champagne Jourdain, to provide them with the most up-to-date employment data and discuss the economic challenges facing Québec’s English-speaking communities.

Most recently, we were invited to present our work to the Federal Standing Committee on Official Languages, informing committee members about Quebec’s English-speaking population’s economic difficulties and employment challenges. We emphasized the need for coordinated efforts between the federal and provincial governments to develop employment services, skills training, and French-language learning programs tailored to our community’s diverse needs.

Looking Ahead

As we head into 2024, we do so on a wave of momentum that we have built over a year of hard work. We are excited to see what fruits our work will bear and the opportunities that the next year will bring. What is certain is that 2024 will bring the publication of a whole suite of new PERT research.

Here’s what you can expect from PERT in the coming year:

• 2021 Regional Employment Profiles
• Supporting the Economic and Community Integration of Mature English Speakers in Québec
• User-journeys of French language learners in Québec’s French-language training ecosystem
• Understanding learning timelines for working adults in second language training 

We extend our heartfelt holiday wishes to you and your loved ones. We look forward to continuing our journey together in 2024!