(Montreal) A new pilot project should allow around 1,500 asylum seekers to obtain employment in the health field within three years.
Quebec Minister of Employment Kateri Champagne Jourdain is expected to make the announcement Monday morning, during her speech at the Job Fair for Asylum Seekers and the Social Integration of People Seeking Asylum.
The elected official hopes to facilitate the hiring of qualified personnel while the health sector is struggling with a significant labor shortage.
“Many asylum seekers hold a work permit and wish to contribute to Quebec society by having a job. With the current labor shortage, among others in the health sector, it is important to put tools in place to facilitate their hiring in certain jobs in high demand,” declared the minister in a press release.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Quebec Minister of Employment Kateri Champagne Jourdain
To be eligible, candidates must hold a valid work permit and an intermediate level of French.
They will be able to benefit from employment assistance services and registration support on the Recrutement santé Québec platform, where they can submit their application for jobs as beneficiary attendants, food service attendants, maintenance attendants. housekeeping, administrative agents, health and social service auxiliaries as well as service assistants.
In addition to being currently in high demand, these positions require few qualifications and quickly promote candidates’ entry into the job market.
For the moment, the project should be deployed in the regions of Montreal, Chaudière-Appalaches and Quebec, the minister’s office is told.
Two employability organizations were targeted by the pilot project to support asylum seekers in their procedures, namely the Montréal Centre-Ville Employability Resource Center, in Montreal, and Libre-Emploi, in Quebec.
Tourism project arouses interest
In the last budget, an envelope of 10.5 million was reserved for this type of initiative.
Minister Champagne Jourdain had also announced a similar pilot project for the tourism industry in May. Under it, 3,000 asylum seekers are expected to find work within three years.
The announcement of the measure, described as “unprecedented” by the Minister of Tourism, earned Mme Champagne Jourdain a round of applause. The minister promised concrete results from this initiative this summer.
On Friday, the minister’s office confirmed that 1,098 asylum seekers and 120 businesses had expressed interest in the pilot project.
“The networking has started and others are still in progress,” it was confirmed, adding that the project was extended to all regions of Quebec last June.