+ Bilingual Immigrants: an advantage for both local and global businesses

+ Agenda 1. Cultural diversity and bilingualism in Peterborough 2. Top 5 reasons for hiring immigrants 3. Benefits of hiring bilingual immigrants for your business 4. Common obstacles encountered by employers in the hiring process 5. Hiring bilingual immigrants may be the solution 6. Hiring internationally trained Francophone immigrants Destination Canada 7. The Francophone Immigration Support Network can help!

+ Cultural diversity and bilingualism in Peterborough  Cultural diversity in Peterborough has grown notably over the last 10 years  More than 7% of people living in Peterborough do not list English as their mother tongue (2011 census)  The languages spoken in Peterborough include, but are not limited to: French, German, Dutch, Polish, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Spanish, Arab  There are over 1,200 Francophones in your community  7895 people speak both official languages  Within a context of cultural change, businesses must ensure ethnocultural representation in order to offer best possible service to a variety clients  Peterborough employers have the opportunity to increase their competitiveness and embrace multiculturalism!

+ Top 5 reasons for hiring immigrants  Skilled immigrants give you insight into local ethnic markets  Skilled immigrants boost innovation by bringing new perspectives to your business  Skilled immigrants can help you access global markets and local multicultural markets  Skilled immigrants can fill difficult-to-fill positions  Having a diverse workforce enhances your business and makes you an employer of choice *

+ Benefits of hiring bilingual immigrants for your business  Newcomers who speak multiple languages can serve a wide range of clients  Bilingual immigrants strengthen the social and economic development of a business  Newcomers are flexible and capable of adapting to their work environment efficiently  Newcomers offer a global business perspective on various business issues

+ Common obstacles encountered by employers in the hiring process  Have you ever found yourself sifting through piles of resumes from unqualified applicants?  Do you wonder how to expand your business and extend services to more clients?  Have you ever had to turn away clients because your business didn’t have French capability?  Do you wish to carry out your diversity, social responsibility and bilingual mandates?

+ Hiring bilingual immigrants may be the solution  Bilingual immigrants can help increase the capability, profitability and market reach of your organisation  Recent immigrants are more than twice as likely as Canadians to have a university degree  Bilingual immigrants can work with French-speaking clients in their preferred language  Diverse team members create innovative solutions to complex problems that can occur within a business

+ Destination Canada

+ The Francophone Immigration Support Network can help! Through our collaborative work with our partners, we can:  Assist employers in accessing the local pool of international talent  Contact regional partners to help businesses widen their search for potential employees  Support employers in their search for internationally qualified professionals abroad  Help employers access programs to facilitate the hiring of newcomers that suit their specific business needs  Identify suitable programs and incentives that can be beneficial to your business  Offer resources to support employers and employees after the hiring

+ Merci – Thank you