A seat at the table with Québec’s ministers of finance and employment. 

Headline-grabbing research sounding the alarm about the economic plight of Québec’s 1.2 million English speakers, from Montreal to the far reaches of the Cote Nord. 

A federal cabinet minister touting PERT’s work during a high-profile event in Ottawa.

These are just a few of the accomplishments that we highlighted on September 27 when we held our 2023-2024 Annual General Meeting. The event, which took place Centre de commerce mondial de Montréal, was an opportunity to bring together members of our community and take stock of how PERT has helped focus attention on the economic conditions of Québec’s English-speakers, who make up 15% of the province’s population and account for a quarter of Quebec’s unemployed. 

We began 2023 with a clear focus on two aims: influencing policy and strengthening our engagement, both at the government and grassroots level.  In April, PERT submitted a brief on the future of the French language to the Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge. In the document, we proposed increasing the availability and accessibility of French-language training for the workforce and developing French language education programs that meet the needs of potential workers, who often have different levels of proficiency. 

Shortly after on April 26th, PERT was one of a small handful of organizations singled out by Petitpas Taylor, at the time Canada’s minister of official languages, for its efforts to foster equity for English speakers in the province. At a high-profile event in Ottawa unveiling Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028, the federal government’s five-year plan to achieve equality of English and French in Canada, Ms. Taylor mentioned PERT’s director Nicholas Salter by name and saluted him and his team for “working tirelessly to support English Quebecers’ needs within the province’s job market.”  This acknowledgment marked a pivotal moment, underlining that PERT’s voice was being heard in the nation’s Cabinet, at the highest level of government, and that English speakers’ employment needs were being considered both in Québec City and Ottawa.

Building on this momentum, in May we published our 2021 Census Update, a policy briefing document distilling employment statistics for Québec’s English-speaking population. The report, which highlighted the economic divide between English and French speakers in Québec, gained significant media traction and was highlighted in six major outlets, including Global News and La Presse. The media reports, which noted PERT’s analysis that English speakers’ high unemployment levels bucked the stereotype of the privileged Anglo, underscored growing public interest in the employment disparities buffeting the province. 

Bringing experts, policymakers and community organizations together is an important part of our work and our largest-ever event, the Unlocking Potential conference, marked another major highlight of the year. Held in the Spring at the Palais de Congres, this conference attracted more than 200 participants from employment services, government, and local community groups, who discussed and debated the labour market challenges confronting English-speaking Quebecers. The event was a powerful forum for generating ideas, sharing knowledge, and building cross-sector relationships.

Throughout the summer and into September, PERT continued its research and policy work. Our team updated regional employment profiles and published two reports on French-language training. 

Another major release covered the employment realities of Racialized, First Nations and Inuit, and Immigrant English-speaking communities in Québec. 

During this period, we also contributed to a provincial consultation on poverty, submitting a brief that later became part of a provincial government report.

Producing policy briefs is important, but that work has a much bigger impact if we have a seat at the table among decision-makers. As the year progressed, we strengthened our partnerships with senior members of the provincial government. In October, we met with Eric Girard, Québec’s minister of finance, who is responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers. We also met with Kateri Champagne Jourdain, the minister of employment. 

During the meeting, we discussed how to plug policy gaps identified by our employment profiles, including the lack of adequate French language education and on-the-job training for English speakers.  These discussions continued into early 2024 when we met with Randy Boissonnault, Canada’s minister of employment, workforce Development, and official languages, and briefed him on our research. 

Closing out the fiscal year in March 2024, we had the opportunity to participate in the Québec government’s 2024-2025 Budget lock-up, where we reviewed the budget in advance of its public release. Our quick analysis pointing out, among other things, the major funding gap for English-speakers, allowed us to publish a timely statement. We also published an opinion piece on the issue  – in French –  in La Presse, Canada’s largest French-language newspaper, further elevating our voice on both the provincial and national stages. The piece, in turn, spurred a lively debate on social media, gaining the notice of government officials and captains of industry alike.

Renewing our Board of Directors

During our AGM we also took a moment to honour and say farewell to founding board members Dave McKenzie, Aki Tchitakov, and Linton Garner, whose dedication has shaped PERT’s journey since our creation. 

In their place, we welcomed Ayanna Alleyne, Kate McGovern, and Bassam Chiblak. These new members bring exceptional expertise in finance, human resources, and education, strengthening our governance team and positioning PERT to tackle emerging employment challenges.

Looking to the Future

While we are proud of our achievements in policy and engagement over the past year, we recognize the need to have an even bigger impact on our communities. We believe strongly in our commitment to not only identify challenges but also to actively create and test solutions. Going forward, we aim to become more proactive in mobilizing people across both the public and private sectors to innovate and expand the employment opportunities of English speakers across the province. 

To reflect this new ambition, PERT’s new strategic plan introduces a third organizational pillar, Development, alongside Engagement and Research/Policy. 

Here are five key aims as we expand our scope while remaining focused on improving the economic lives of English-speaking Quebecers: 

• Expand and deepen relationships with members of the francophone community

Building relationships with francophone employers, unions, educational institutions, and civil society organisations is crucial in a predominantly francophone labour market. This shift will enable PERT to advocate more effectively for the needs of English-speaking Quebecers.

• Communicate more assertively while deploying a robust evidence-based approach.

Persistent myths about the English-speaking population help foster resistance to employment initiatives. PERT aims to dispel these misconceptions through data-driven advocacy, positioning ourselves as a critical voice in promoting the inclusion of English speakers in Québec’s labour market.

• Identify and implement a PERT-driven research agenda

By centring our research on the challenges and gaps identified by the community itself, PERT ensures that our work remains relevant and impactful. This shift highlights PERT’s commitment to grounding our work in the needs of English-speaking Quebecers, rather than being solely guided by external funding opportunities.

• Develop innovative solutions to increase employability for the English-speaking community

Drawing on our knowledge from working with different sectors across the Québec economy, PERT will seek to develop innovative policy ideas to meet the economic challenges facing English speakers in the province.  

• Expand PERT’s resources – staff, budget etc –  to be able to respond to new realities

To stay adaptable in a changing landscape, PERT will prioritise internal growth, ensuring we remain responsive and capable of addressing the evolving needs of Québec’s English-speaking workforce.

These shifts have informed 11 new strategic goals that PERT is already using to guide our actions in the upcoming fiscal year. 

To learn more about these new strategic goals and initiatives, you can read our full strategic plan here.