2 June 2018

PRESS RELEASE– A Sherbrooke delegation, including representatives from the Merkur company and Sherbrooke Innopole, as well as Sherbrooke Mayor Steve Lussier, took part in the 18^th edition of Journées Québec, which took place in Paris on May 26 and 27, 2018. Organized by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion du Québec, Journées Québec provides employers from the province with an opportunity to meet and recruit European workers who are specialized in fields in which there is a labour force shortage in Québec.

The Sherbrooke consulting engineering firm Merkur was on its 4^th international recruitment mission in the context of Journées Québec. The company’s two representatives conducted at least 90 interviews with the candidates at the event. “The process is continuing with a good number of the candidates whom we met; we are planning to hire a number of them in the coming months, with help for their integration provided by various organizations,” explained Stéphanie Castang, Director of Human Resources at Merkur.

Over the course of its participation in three prior Journées Québec, Merkur recruited 12 qualified workers to support its growth – most of whom are still on the job. “Integrating labour from abroad, notably from France, with training in engineering and employees who have been working in companies very different from ours adds multidisciplinarity and complementarity to our teams,” emphasized Ms. Castang.

Claude Harvey (Merkur) and Stéphanie Castang (Merkur)

This edition of Journées Québec was a definite success among the European candidates, with more than 15 150 registered. The 102 Québec employers participating held almost 3200 interviews – as well as numerous spontaneous meetings – to fill the nearly 2000 positions open.

Sherbooke Mayor Steve Lussier stated: “On May 26 and 27, I participated in the Journées Québec in Paris for the first time. I was there as an observer, accompanied by my economic right hand, Sherbrooke Innopole. To me, it was vital that our city be part of these important meetings, because we have to double our efforts to attract and recruit qualified people to fill the positions in our companies faced with a shortage of labour. This occasion gave me the opportunity to promote the city of Sherbrooke and to demonstrate the extent to which it is an ideal place to live and to work. ”

Since 2012, Sherbrooke Innopole has accompanied 12 Sherbrooke companies to various Journées Québec events – of which 5 have taken part in more than one mission. On site, the economic development organization also promotes the Sherbrooke region to encourage candidates to choose a position here. Meetings were also held with six employability organizations – from Morocco, Italy, Tunisia, Belgium, and France – to discuss services that could be provided to companies from here.

To Myriam Gagnon-Couture, Advisor, Talent Attraction, and Suzanne Fournier, Business Mentoring Coordinator, who represented Sherbrooke Innopole: “The Journées Québec facilitate quality international recruitment; they are an effective platform for helping key-sector companies recruit the specialized labour they need to pursue their growth. Certain specialized positions in Sherbrooke and its neighbouring regions are difficult to fill, with local recruitment being an arduous, if not impossible, task.  Opting for foreign recruitment has become a necessity for many, and France, with its Francophone candidates who easily integrate here, remains the primary location.”

Myriam Gagnon-Couture (Sherbrooke Innopole) and Suzanne Fournier (Sherbrooke Innopole)

To enable more and more Sherbrooke SMEs to take advantage of the Journées Québec, Sherbrooke Innopole will enhance its service offer as of the next edition of this event in November 2018. In addition to the turnkey formula already offered, the organization shall offer key-sector companies that cannot travel overseas, a new type of representation package, including help drafting job offers and complete handling of appointments with potential candidates. The final selection will be made by the company after returning from the event. An information session explaining the two options will be held this coming August; subscribe to the newsletter Flash INNOV for details: http://bit.ly/FlashINNOV.

Salon de l’immigration et de l’intégration au Québec

With a desire to enhance its efforts to support Sherbrooke companies in their quest for competent labour, Sherbrooke Innopole will be attending the 7^th edition of the Salon de l’immigration et de l’intégration au Québec, which is taking place today and tomorrow at the Palais des congrès in Montréal. Targeting new arrivals to Québec, the event is an excellent occasion to highlight job and educational opportunities in Sherbrooke and to promote the city’s quality of life and its stimulating work and business environment.

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