Thank you.
Good morning. Thank you for your invitation. We come from Quebec, therefore we will be presenting in French. Is that okay?
Our organization provides support for the integration of refugees and immigrants and advocates for their rights, in the context of social development. I myself lived in Japan for 25 years and I thought I would live there my whole life. I loved that country and I had integrated into another culture. I am from Montreal. When I came back to Quebec I observed that it was a cultural mosaic. I thought to myself that the whole world was in my backyard and that together we should be building a society. Our organization is 20 years old. Last year, 8,000 individuals used one of our services and participated in one or more of our activities. Our centre provides services in 16 languages by very devoted, qualified and professional individuals. We are very passionate and we want to build a society with people from everywhere.
Immigrants experience the difficulties that come with arriving in a new country. Language isn't always a barrier but it can be for some. However, isolation affects all of them. Poverty, and difficulty in finding a job in one's field are also very common problems. Over the years we have developed a holistic approach. I think that is what makes us unique. In order for people to be able to settle, help has to be provided to the father, the mother, and the children. Everyone has to be taken care of in Quebec.
In Quebec, we have classes for newcomers. They're not perfect but they can help children and students learn another language. They can take courses. It's not easy but it's very useful. We also have front-line services. These individuals have to be informed about public institutions and how these things function here. They also have to learn how our social systems work. They have to learn French, of course, and the history of Canada or Quebec, if they settle in Quebec. They also have to become familiar with the manners and customs of their new society. Several require translation, accompaniment and all the other services that have already been referred to. Ultimately, these people cannot become integrated if they can't find a job in their professional area. This situation is truly not easy.
We are very involved at all those levels. Our program is called an integrated program. There are three sectors. The integration sector includes an accompaniment program for newcomers. A file is opened for the individual and we determine what their needs are. We then direct them towards the resources they require, whether it be within our own organization or elsewhere. For this to work, we work with many other people. We need to work with partners because our services are complementary. We always find an answer to a need.
We also provide group activities, various sources of information, and information sessions. Some of these support integration and settlement, and others target adapting to the workplace. I brought you an activity report. I also have documents that I can leave with the clerk. You can read them if you're interested.
We need to offer more than a welcome and settlement program because these individuals face many other problems. That is why we offer a family support program, which is delivered by one paid employee and volunteers who speak many languages. We delve deeper into the problems these people face. First of all, we provide moral support. All those who work in the area of integration know that this is extremely important. Everyone offers this type of support but this sector focuses on it even more so. We go to the heart of the problems. We may go into these people's homes, to help the grandfathers, the grandmothers, the children, everyone.
We feel that volunteering is truly a way of becoming integrated into a society. On average we have about 300 volunteers and half of them are newcomers. Volunteering helps direct them to jobs. Of course, it does not pay the rent, as a previous speaker pointed out, but it does give access to a network. It can be one's first work experience. In Quebec, a volunteer can get letters of reference which can be useful when the time comes to meet an employer.
We strongly encourage volunteering for newcomers. We provide many kinds of information and socio-cultural activities to support integration. People need to learn how to have fun and to go out as a family or alone. This is what the integration sector does. We also do group cooking and other activities that support integration.
The employment and regionalization sector provides employment support. The purpose is to provide immigrants with job search support, whether they be from a visible minority or not, whether they have credentials from here or from abroad, from a college or university, and regardless of how long they have been here.
This sector also provides support for helping individuals deal with the problems they have in finding a job that corresponds to their own goals and to the labour market's needs, and helps them learn the basics and keep their jobs.
Our counsellors frequently contact businesses in order to help them understand the value in hiring immigrant labour, who make up a significant pool of potential employees. These are qualified and highly motivated people. I can assure you that it works. We manage to find jobs for 100 people each year and the retention rate is 85%. We need skilled staff to do this. We are fortunate to have a certain amount of stability in this area which is enormously helpful.
In order to succeed in all our endeavours, we need to have a common vision. Our staff has to share a common vision and respect the values that are important. These values are: independence, empowerment, respect for differences, empathy, equality, inclusion, openness, mutual assistance and solidarity. We encourage independence from the very outset.
Within our integration sector we also have a regionalization program for secondary migration, involving people who have already settled in Montreal or are about to.
I will now give the floor to my colleague, Moussa, because he is the one responsible for that sector. I will then speak after him.