Private institutes that Frenchize immigrants in business must comply since 1er June to the Act respecting contracts by public bodies. Thus forced to go through calls for tenders to continue their work, some fear having to close their doors.
Sylvie Lévesque has been teaching French to newcomers since 2011 for Quebec companies. More than a hundred students are learning the basics of the local language thanks to her and her team. However, since the arrival of Francisation Québec (FQ) last year, she has been worried.
“ [Les entreprises avec qui je fais affaire] tell me: “We can no longer sign with you. We are going to lose our subsidies.” […] For my part, I risk losing my livelihood while [le gouvernement] is not able to offer services to companies that need to Frenchify their employees. »
Since the beginning of June this year, exactly one year after the launch of Francisation Québec, around forty private partners have now had to deal with new rules. While they once dealt with Service Québec to obtain government assistance for francization, they must now turn to Francisation Québec for contract management. All agreements worth more than $120,000 per year between the government and these “private partners” must therefore go through a call for tenders. Over-the-counter subsidies only concern amounts below this threshold established by law or training of less than 80 hours.
Sylvie Lévesque only sees “crumbs” which are pushing her institute, called “On the tip of the tongue”, towards closure.
“I am seriously considering [de fermer mes portes] and I am in the process of opening my business in another country,” she assures the Duty. “Quebec lacks manpower and professional people, but at no time have I felt supported, helped in my mission to Frenchize, to help our newcomers. »
Quebec responds
The meteoric growth in immigration to Quebec has forced this update of the regulations, we respond from Francisation Quebec. Requests are close to 100,000 individual files, only for the last year. Nearly a thousand businesses were also supported. FQ does not want to lose private partners, but must deal with pressure that did not exist a few years ago, we respond in writing.
Thus, the public body communicates “with private partners identified by companies who wish to set up French learning services in the workplace in their request for services […] in order to conclude a private contract, in compliance with the provisions of the Act respecting contracts by public bodies,” responds the communications department of the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration. “Francization Québec will continue to do business with private francization partners in the workplace who have provided services under the funded agreements [par Québec] […]. »
It’s not just private teachers who say they are upset by the arrival of Francisation Québec. “Several service providers perceive the agreements as having been imposed,” noted the French Language Commissioner on May 29 when submitting his annual report. “This is particularly the case in the school network where the agreements were generally signed by the first managers of the organization without the operational actors being aware of them. »
Sylvie Lévesque thinks that many of her students, discouraged by an inability to learn French, will head to other Canadian provinces to start a new life there.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.
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