Innovating to Match English and Bilingual Job Seekers with Quebec City Employers

The Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre, the Eastern Quebec Learning Centre, Ver-Mac, and Québec International have agreed to form a Collaborative Economic Development Venture to place regional job seekers in jobs requiring high level English language or bilingualism skills. This Venture is a result of the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation’s (CEDEC) Collaborative Economic Development work which helps communities find innovative ways to take full advantage of their assets and advantages.

Geneviève Godin, Employment and Education Coordinator at the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre and Venture Chair, says, “English-speaking and bilingual job seekers in the Québec City region often miss out on employment opportunities, because employers – unaware of this local untapped resource – frequently recruit from outside the province when English language skills are an important job requirement. Our Venture prioritizes matching English and bilingual job seekers with employers who have jobs which require those skills.”

CEDEC’s President and CEO, John Buck, says, “This public-private-civil society (PPCS) Venture is an example of how PPCS members in communities can work together to find innovative ways to leverage community assets and advantages. Matching job seekers with jobs requiring high level English language or bilingualism skills not only helps members of the English-speaking community, but also helps the broader community constructively address a shortage of labour in the region.”

Elisa Suhett Rinco, an advisor at Venture partner Québec International, an organization that recruits talent for business growth in Québec and abroad, says “In today’s globalized economy, fluency in English, in addition to knowledge of the French language, is not an impediment but an asset for job seekers in our communities. Businesses in Québec City could optimize workforce growth with a solution that meets both the specific needs of employers and provides opportunities for qualified English-speaking and bilingual talent”.

Marc-Antoine Moisson, Vice-President Operations at Ver-Mac, a Québec City traffic control solutions manufacturer, and another Venture partner, says that the company successfully matched talent with two open positions during the pilot phase of the Venture. “We were unknowingly missing out on a qualified pool of English language and bilingual local talent. However, through this Venture we filled important positions in our firm. We will continue to leverage this recruitment channel.”

A beneficiary of the Venture, Steven McCoubrey of the Central Quebec School Board, says, “By using the services of this Venture, we were able to optimize our recruitment process and fill eight positions throughout the school board. The Venture’s innovative approach to talent placement means fewer and less lengthy service gaps in our recruitment process.”

Collaborative Economic Development brings together public, private, and civil society members in communities to find innovative ways to generate economic benefits that improve the lives of individuals, businesses, social enterprises, and communities. 

To learn how you can contribute to Building Better Economies for Better Lives, or for more information about this Venture, contact CEDEC at communications@cedec.ca.