Enterprise Carleton Region Business Growth Forum

Dianna BartonManager, Business Support

Enterprise Carleton Region Business Growth Forum

Major Issues:

- Absenteeism

- Competitive Wages

- Finding qualified people with low unemployment rate

- HR Planning

- Turnover

- Training

- Finding seasonal workers for the agriculture and forestry sector

Our Mission Notre MissionAvantage Saint John Advantage is dedicated to promoting and supporting the financial and cultural advantages of bilingualism in Saint John.

Our objective is to serve as a model of linguistic and economic cooperation.

Avantage Saint John Advantage se consacre à promouvoir et à appuyer les avantages financiers et culturels du bilinguisme à Saint-Jean.

Notre objectif est d’offrir un modèle de coopération sur les plans linguistique et économique.

Who We Are

A partnership between:– Association Régionale de la

Communauté francophone de Saint-Jean (ARCf)

– Enterprise Saint John– Saint John Board of Trade

Our Team• Aliant• Aquila• ARCf de Saint-Jean• Atlantic Health Sciences

Corporation• Canada Revenue Agency• Canadian Parents for

French• City of Saint John• Department of Training &

Employment Development• Dialogue New Brunswick• Enterprise Saint John

•Hospitality Saint John•Irving Oil Limited•Moosehead Breweries Ltd.•NBCC – Saint John•Royal Bank •Saint John Board of Trade•School District 6•School District 8•Scotiabank•UNBSJ Saint John College•Xerox

• Attract and retain People, Ideas and Investment (Saint John’s Course of Action)

• How can ASJA help? • By increasing our bilingual workforce:• To attract new companies with bilingual needs• To offer bilingual products and services to our

bilingual population• By building bridges between the francophone

and anglophone communities (Seadogs game)

How Can We Grow?

Growth of Saint John

Foster & sustain a bilingual business environment

Growth through new business & people relocating

Growth through education of our children in French

Vibrant Bilingual Community

Avantage Saint John Advantage

Our Bilingual Population

• 17, 045 bilingual people: 14% of total population

• 12% growth in past five years

• 6000 Francophones• 6% growth in past five years

• Much faster growth than total population(Statistics Canada, 2001

Census)

Our Francophone Community

• Joie de vivre!

• ARCf de Saint-Jean:– La Série RIDO– Le Saint-Jeannois – Brise de la Baie– Festival de la Baie Française– Célébrations 1604-2004

• École Samuel-de-Champlain

Demand for Bilingual Services• 6,000 area children are in French immersion

(Districts 6 & 8)

• Approximately 20% of tourists are Québécois (Fundy Coastal Drive Consumer Profile, NB Tourism & Parks)

• Our survey of local businesses shows:

– 84% of respondents have bilingual employees

– 69% require bilingual employees to use their skills at work sometimes, often or always

– 66% anticipate a need for additional bilingual employees in the next two years.

(Employer Bilingualism Survey, ASJA)

How ASJA Can Help

• Support the training, recruitment & retention of our growing bilingual workforce

• Retain our new comers by welcoming them and introducing them to our vibrant community

• Improve availability of bilingual services• Support the City of Saint John in its

transition to a bilingual organization• Communicate bilingualism’s benefits for all citizens – building bridges to bridge

the gaps

Our Successes

• Promotion of Saint John– Le Journal– Points de Vue– Commissioner of Official

Languages for NB

• Bilingualism Workshops– Best Practices Exchange– Business Etiquette

Workshop

Source: Le Journal des Chambres de commerce de l’Atlantique

More Successes

• Connections program• Parfum de francophonie• Luncher en français

More Successes

Directory of bilingual services available in the Greater Saint John Area

Heritage Canada now has the complete documented model of ASJA to offer to other Canadian cities.

Aidez moi à vous aider, new business education tool that makes implementing bilingual services much easier

8 new sustainability strategies:• Annual recognition Gala to reward

organisations and individuals who promote bilingualism

• Annual educational and promotional insert

• Launch of new business education tool• ASJA website to regroup translating,

interpretation and speakers bureau• Partnership with immigration board

8 sustainability strategies…• E-learning modules to learn or

perfect French language skills• Workshops and seminars tailor

made to business needs covering all aspects of bilingual services

• Connections program – cd rom version and launch across Canada

ASJA Needs Your Help Now

Past & Current Funding:• 2002-06: TED Staff Funding• 2003-05: Canadian Heritage Project Funding• 2003-2004: Intergovernmental affairs• 2004-2005: ACOA for LeBottin.org• Private donations

Future Funding:• For long-term impact, we need sustainable

fundingto implement our 8 long term strategies

Ask how you can support AJSA!

For more information, please contact us:

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez contacter:

info@asja.caMichèle C. Brideau or Patrick Sohy

506-648-4605