Recruiting and Retaining Bilingual Health and Social Service Professionals in the Gaspésie Iles-de-Madeleine

Vision Gaspé-Percé Now (Vision) will build upon initiatives implemented in the 2018-2023 period to continue the retention and recruitment of bilingual health professionals. We will continue activities aimed at influencing educational trajectories such as career exploration workshops, updating information on the McGill section of our website, promoting available jobs on our social media, and by working with our partners to determine new strategies for promoting careers in the health and social service sector. We will also work with the CISSS, health organizations and the local high school to develop a job shadowing program for Secondary 4 and 5 students who are contemplating entering the health and social service field. Vision will also continue supporting students who are studying in the health and social service fields and the promotion and administration of the bursary program. If necessary, existing tools used for retention and recruitment will be adapted.

Vision will also provide support to interns from outside the region. This will be done in a number of ways such as: assisting with finding placements, assistance with finding accommodations, providing a welcome package with information about the area, and by establishing and maintaining direct communication with the interns.

Vision will work with partners in the development of a database of English-speaking students from the region interested in or who are pursuing studies in the health and social services fields. This tracking-system will contribute to an analysis of why English-speaking students change or abort their course of study, barriers that they face, and why they choose to return or not to return to the region following their studies

This past year, Vision has been working closely with our local CISSS to provide informal group language conversation courses for interested health professionals. The group greatly appreciated the sessions and would like them to continue. Lessons were learned during these initial sessions, and the following sessions have been adapted in order to ensure that all interested health professionals are able to participate.

In order to accomplish all of these objectives, Vision will continue working in collaboration with our existing partners, and creating new partnerships, to ensure that programs or services are not duplicated, and to ensure the success of the programs.