Memphremagog looks to immigrants for labour shortage solution

Companies struggling to recruit employees have been invited to a conference on a possible solution to the labour shortage on October 2nd.

Currently, nearly 6,000 asylum seekers, holding work permits and speaking French, are available in Quebec according to the organizers. The meeting will reveal how to access this workforce. It is also an opportunity to learn about these potential employees and the implications of hiring them.

Patricia Gardner, Memphremagog MRC Officer for Immigration and Development, explained that the pool of employees is explained by the arrival of refugees last year via the Canada-us border. "The majority are in danger of having to leave the country in the next two or three years, but they could quickly fill business needs as their situation becomes clearer in the country," she said.

Gardner is aware that not all of these asylum seekers want to work in the regions. "Salary is a deterrent, because Estrie does not offer the best hourly rates,” she said. “Many will be tempted to work on the South Shore for a few dollars more per hour, but we can woo them by demontrating that the cost of living is lower here."

The information sessions will be held at the MRC Memphremagog, Oct. 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Gardner pointed out that immigrants who have been granted permission to stay in Canada are another way to counter the labor shortage. So far, this has been met by agricultural companies, which are hiring more and more foreign workers.

Gadner’s role at the MRC is to transform the environment (schools, industries, etc.) to improve the reception of immigrants. The means adopted are as diverse as offering adequate transportation, francization courses, or eliminating prejudices. "To date, the reception is satisfactory, even if language puts a brake on integration. It is sometimes more difficult in a workplace where the teams in place are not prepared or aware of the arrival of a foreigner in their ranks, "she said. "We must welcome them to keep them," she added.