Launched in March 2019, MRC Brome Missisquoi’s strategy to attract a new clientele of workers, millennials and immigrants has produced promising results.
A new internet portal on the MRC site emploibm.ca, Trouve ton spot (Find your spot), with its companions Fais le move (Make your move), Ta prochaine job (Your next job) and Ta vraie nature (Your true nature), have attracted, in the employment section, 30% of the visitors, of which 40% are from Montreal, a majority of whom are women between 25 and 44 years old.
They fall squarely in the age group targeted by the campaign. “We even had 400 clicks in the menu “Je postule” (I apply) which encourages viewers to fill out an employment application for one or more of the jobs offered,” happily declared Mariève Lebrun, Coordinator of the strategy to attract new people to the MRC region.
The campaign’s goal is ambitious: 1000 new workers per year over the next ten years. “That’s double the immigration goal”, she said. Right now it’s difficult to calculate the number of 18-40 year olds who have answered the call. The campaign is only in its start-up phase. But after consultation and an opinion survey they have a better sense of what draws young people or young families to move to Brome Missisquoi and what dissuades them. Factors on the plus side: located near large city centres (Montreal, Sherbrooke and Granby), at nature’s door, no traffic congestion, access to nearby services. Negative factors: scarcity of affordable rental units, high cost of housing, lack of public transport (families here often require two cars).
“Currently we are in the first phase: starting to become better known. For example, we want our region to be known in Montreal. We must also sensitize our municipalities to the needs of the young”, says Mariève, who five years ago personally took the plunge to move with her family from Montreal to Bromont. She is not yet biting her fingers. Rather, she’s a truly convincing example for all those young people who still hesitate to take the leap.
Translation: Tam Davis