Support for French-speaking immigrants
in the London, Ontario region

Paradoxically, the French-speaking members of the ethnocultural communities in London have mostly completed postsecondary education and have significant work experience in the following sectors: linguistics (33%), teaching (28%), public service (17%), IT, telecommunications/web (17%), human resources (17%), social and human sciences (17%), secretarial work (17%), and social and community activities (17%). This indicates a clear mismatch between the needs of employers (primarily for manual labor) and the available skills. However, the fields of education and skills reported by the respondents to these studies are generally aligned with the needs of employers. Specifically, the sales/marketing and management sector (17%), business, finance, and administration (17%).

​

CHFESDI will undertake the following concrete actions to assist the federal, provincial, and municipal governments in facilitating the effective integration of these immigrants into the labor market in London and its surroundings:

​

• Provide employment support services; build a skills database for French-speaking members of the ethnocultural communities in London and match the available jobs with the skills identified in  Regroupement multiculturel francophone de London (RMFL) clients.

​

• Develop relationships and partnerships with employers in the region, local recruitment firms, and French-speaking organizations involved in the labor market and the integration of newcomers, in order to support the employment integration of French speakers in the ethnocultural communities of London.

​

• Offer a series of workshops to French-speaking members of the ethnocultural communities in London covering the realities (cultural, administrative, legislative) of the labor market in Canada, Ontario, and the London region. These workshops may be provided by CHFESDI's internal resources or through partnerships with specialized organizations in this field.

​

• Offer "exploratory visits" that allow French-speaking members of the ethnocultural communities in London to visit local businesses and meet with employers, economic development organizations, and recruitment firms. The goal is to help them develop their professional networks and connect with job and business opportunities.

​​

Secondly, it is evident that French-speaking members of the ethnocultural communities in London, on average, take 15 months to find a job. The main obstacles they face are their lack of proficiency in English, their lack of work experience on Canadian soil, and the disconnect between their skills and the needs of the job market.

On the employers' side, they complain of difficulties in recruiting employees, either because candidates do not meet the required skills, or because they do not meet the qualifications (education level) and lack the required work experience.

In order to support the three levels of government in addressing these gaps, CHFESDI is considering several action pathways, including:

​

• Establishing a partnership with organizations specializing in immigrant recruitment to ensure that potential candidates are informed about available job, career, and entrepreneurship opportunities in London, to better align the region's needs with available skills, and to inform them about the importance of mastering English to access the job market.

​

• Proactively distributing labor market data (career opportunities) to French-speaking members of ethnocultural communities in London, both within and outside the region. Since these individuals have demonstrated a high level of adaptability and openness among their transferable skills, they may be open to pursuing new training to match the skills most sought after by employers in the region.

​

• Providing support to French-speaking members of ethnocultural communities in London in their job search or in their decision to acquire new skills to secure local employment.

​

• Raising awareness among employers in the region about the value of French and the strength of bilingualism in business.

​

• Identifying jobs where bilingualism (French and English) is required or considered an asset, and communicating these opportunities to the French-speaking members of ethnocultural communities in London.

​

• Establishing collaborations with educational institutions specializing in literacy and skill development to refer French-speaking members of ethnocultural communities in London who wish to acquire new skills (e.g., advanced English).

​

​