Citizenship and Immigration committee  Not having the established training available in the community for English as a second language is certainly an issue. When we welcome or try to integrate immigrants into our community, it's not readily available. There is no funding for English as a second language in any of the

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Correct.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  There's, of course, education that needs to happen within the community when you're welcoming new people to your community. They look different. They have different cultural desires and expectations. It does change the dynamics of the community. It's making sure that we have the

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The boards of education, so far, in Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties are not particularly involved. There are some pockets where ESL, English as a second language, happens, but it's not across the board.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Absolutely, and thank you for the opportunity. The main things that we look at in the rural communities are around transportation and housing. Those are the two pieces that are key priorities for us as we look at workforce development. In our region, we have thousands of jobs t

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Okay. In conclusion, I recognize that providing services in rural communities will cost more per person than it will in urban areas; however, investments in economic growth and the vitality of employment sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and utilities have enormous retu

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Good afternoon. I'm Gemma Mendez-Smith and I'm the executive director with the Four County Labour Market Planning Board. We are part of a network of 26 workforce planning boards across Ontario. These boards conduct localized research and actively engage organizations and communi