Québec’s labour shortage is estimated to be costing its economy $11 billion dollars a year. In Canada, skills vacancies represent $25 billion in unrealized economic value.

As the labour shortage persists, and skills gaps continue to widen, economic growth will be impacted by the ability of governments and employers to effectively develop their workforce and provide opportunity to everyone.

Unfortunately, Québec’s English speakers continue to face higher unemployment rates than French speakers. They also earn less than French speakers despite comparative levels of education. And both these gaps are growing.

Building strong pathways to employment and increasing the employability of Québec’s English-speakers will take a collective effort.

Unlocking Potential was a 2 day conference which took place from May 31 – June 1, 2023 and tackled the employment challenges faced by Québec’s English-speaking community and explored the following questions:

• How can the economic potential of Québec’s English-speaking community be unlocked?
• What kind of employment services need to be developed and offered?
• How does the skills training ecosystem need to evolve to improve the English-speaking community’s employability?

Our experts and speakers shared their insights during panel discussions and sessions including:

• The latest 2021 census data on employment for English speakers

• Best practices in employment service delivery and accessibility for English speakers

See the full list of conference topics and speakers on the conference website here.