Evidence of meeting #22 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was economy.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michel Robillard  Vice-President, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
Justin Morrow  President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French
John Galbraith  Professor of Economics, McGill University, As an Individual
Normand Lévesque  Director General, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences
Christie Dennison  Vice-President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

9:10 a.m.

Vice-President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

9:10 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

The government is publicly saying that, in order to advance economic development, our country needs educated people, employable and trained individuals. Today, you are telling us that the money is not there.

Yet the roadmap has been there since 2002, not since yesterday. Initially, it was the dear old Dion plan, which subsequently became the roadmap. The name was changed to a roadmap. It seems to me that a roadmap should show the way across the country, in New Brunswick, Quebec, and wherever minorities are. However, you have not even received the money yet.

9:15 a.m.

Vice-President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Christie Dennison

I know that ACOA, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, has received a portion of the roadmap money and is getting ready to hand out the money. ACOA is in the process of receiving project proposals from eligible organizations.

9:15 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

ACOA is in the process of receiving project proposals, but haven't you been submitting project proposals since last year? I believe Mr. Robillard said that proposals have been submitted since last year, but nothing has happened yet.

Have you been submitting proposals since last year without receiving any funding yet?

9:15 a.m.

Vice-President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

9:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Michael Chong

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

9:15 a.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Could she just finish her answer?

9:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Michael Chong

Okay.

Go ahead, Ms. Dennison.

9:15 a.m.

Vice-President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Christie Dennison

We have received no money yet. The proposals have not been approved yet.

9:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Michael Chong

Okay, thank you.

Mr. Gourde, go ahead.

9:15 a.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My thanks to the witnesses for coming to our meeting.

As my mother would say, it may have not happened yet, but it has not been refused yet either. Things can't be rushed if we want them done properly.

My first question is for Justin Morrow.

You know that official language minority communities are facing considerable challenges. Are there advantages and disadvantages to that? What can we do to help them improve their economic situation?

9:15 a.m.

President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Justin Morrow

To help improve the economic situation of minority communities, we work closely with the FCFA and the Société franco-manitobaine or the Franco-Manitoban community. These two organizations are open to the idea of expanding the francophone space precisely to advance the economy of minority francophones. They are starting to turn to us because we are the gateway to Canadian anglophones who speak French and who want to be part of the Canadian francophonie. As a result, they open up to us. We are working closely with the province of Manitoba, which is a provincial model, to design tools to help Canadian anglophone youth access the economy of francophone minority communities.

9:15 a.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

In your presentation, you said that things were going well for young people and that they were encouraged to learn French. However, once they enter the labour market, things become challenging. After three, four or five years, they actually seem to have forgotten their second language.

What can we do to prevent those types of situations?

9:15 a.m.

President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Justin Morrow

Right now, young people receive support in elementary and secondary school and through some other programs. However, there is no support when they graduate from high school.

When they leave high school and get into the workforce...there's a period of about three to five years when they're either going to college or university or they're travelling. In those three to five years, without any support in their second official language, they are losing that bilingual capacity. They're losing that capacity to be able to go into the job market and into their careers with the bilingual capacity that they worked so hard to obtain in their younger years.

9:15 a.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

Are Canadian companies making sufficient effort to offer interprovincial internships? For instance, engineers from out west could be asked to come work in Quebec for two years and vice versa. The same thing could be done with any other occupation.

Is that an initiative that could be promoted, or is it already in place? Perhaps some companies are already doing that. Have you seen anything like that?

9:15 a.m.

President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Justin Morrow

We have not seen that, but it is a good idea if opportunity knocks. The problem is that companies in English Canada don't have a central voice to say what they want from the francophone side. Those types of exchanges need to take place between organizations and companies.

At Canadian Youth for French, we are in the process of developing an organization department from among our members. The idea is for the organization to engage companies that seek to have bilingual employees, so that we can help them find francophone companies and give them the tools to develop bilingualism within their company.

That is a good idea and there is a will in that direction. We just simply have to bring those people together so that they can receive support, especially young Canadian anglophones doing post-secondary studies or something along those lines. They need support and a common voice to move things forward.

9:20 a.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

You are talking about young Canadians. They are probably young people between 18 and 25 years old. Instead of getting foreign workers, would it not be possible to send these young people for three months in the summer to work in a restaurant in Alberta? Instead of setting up programs, we could promote bilingualism indirectly. That might work.

If a number of students from Quebec were guaranteed a job for three months in an anglophone province, I am sure that they would try it out. Perhaps the reverse would also be true.

9:20 a.m.

President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Justin Morrow

In fact, I worked with an engineering student from the University of Manitoba, who was an immersion student. I asked her if she thought about going to Quebec to do a summer internship. She said no and that she would not know where to start.

Anglophones do not receive help to find available opportunities. Given the market in Manitoba, Quebec companies would like people from Manitoba to come and hone their French skills and increase bilingualism at the Quebec headquarters. Then, those people would go back to their home province. Young people and companies do not get enough help for that. There is a great disconnect between the economy and our clients, our young Canadian anglophones who wish to contribute to the francophone economy.

9:20 a.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

I have one last question, more general in nature.

From a language point of view, how could your organizations help any Canadians who are looking for jobs outside their regions, which would enable them to gain work experience?

Mr. Morrow, my question is for you. Mr. Robillard can answer afterwards.

May 6th, 2014 / 9:20 a.m.

President of the Board, Canadian Youth for French

Justin Morrow

Ideally, Canadian Youth for French works through the Discover Zone, which you are very familiar with. This tool connects companies that offer jobs and those looking for jobs.

9:20 a.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

What do you think, Mr. Robillard?

9:20 a.m.

Vice-President, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences

Michel Robillard

The question of economic development in minority communities is very complex. It is important to realize that economic development also means social and community development. In addition, strong economic development in language communities increases their appeal: people are drawn to jobs in stronger communities.

RESDAC promotes literacy and basic training. We know that several million Canadians are weak in literacy and basic skills and that they have a hard time finding jobs, among other things.

RESDAC is trying to accomplish something. The provinces and territories are working with us. So we are a group of territorial and provincial partners. We are working on designing innovative models that develop relationships in official language minority communities. We conduct research and provide information.

Interestingly enough, we are now working with provincial coalitions in four provinces, where we are setting up what we call the integrated model. This model makes it possible to train people with low literacy skills not only in technical matters, but also in terms of essential skills, such as reading, counting or working with computers.

Usually, those programs last about 14 weeks and then we can quickly help those people find work. Not only do we help them find jobs, but we also strengthen our small language communities.

To have access to training and education, you often have to go to big cities. However, in the small communities where we operate, we are able to help those people find jobs.

We noticed another interesting thing. When we train people in small communities in resource regions and then we help them find jobs with companies that have trouble recruiting employees, the outcome is beneficial for the companies, the communities and the employees alike, not to mention that the employees regain their pride.

RESDAC's role is to work with provincial and territorial coalitions and to help those people find jobs, in addition to providing local companies with skilled workers.

9:25 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Michael Chong

Thank you, Mr. Robillard.

Ms. St-Denis, go ahead.

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC

I would first like to go back to my colleague's question about funding.

You say that you have some nice projects in mind, but that it's a whole different ball game if you don't receive the money for them.

Do you have any suggestions? You are sort of in a difficult position: you are waiting for money from the government, but the money is not coming. It is difficult to have a word with the government or to make any suggestions. Do you have any solutions or ideas of what to do to get the money a bit faster?

9:25 a.m.

Vice-President, Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences

Michel Robillard

It is a question—