After cutting funding for a corporate francization program, Quebec is doing an about-face: employees of the Montreal manufacturer Peerless will be able to continue to receive French lessons in their workplace.
Immigration Minister Jean Boulet made the announcement on Twitter on Tuesday morning, after The duty revealed that the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) had withdrawn the subsidy from the program considered a model, which benefited from a historical subsidy essentially covering the salary of teachers. This is the second time that Peerless Clothing, a manufacturer of 1,000 employees who has been giving French lessons within his company for more than 20 years, has had a subsidy withdrawn. Instead of support, the manufacturer was invited to go to the website of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity (MTESS) to find out if he wanted to continue francization.
Human resources director Danny Sorrentino lamented the situation, claiming he was let down and forced to “start over”. “Honestly, we’re not just disappointed, we’re frustrated. […] I have worked in several companies in the past, and not many of them take the time to set up such programs. We have been doing it for 20 years and it is being taken away from us! said Mr. Sorrentino.
After the publication of the article of To have to Tuesday, Minister Boulet announced that he would maintain the francization program within Peerless. “The integration of immigrants depends on French and employment. So I asked [au MIFI] to continue the corporate francization program with Apparel Peerless, a model of success for 20 years, until the establishment of Francisation Québec in June 2023,” he said on Twitter.
The integration of immigrants goes through French and employment. So I asked @MIFI_QC to continue the program of #francization in business with Peerless Clothing, a model of success for 20 years, until the establishment of Francization Québec in June 2023.
— Jean Boulet (@JeanBoulet10) September 13, 2022
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