Thanks so much.

My name is Kathy Slotsve, and I'm the director of communications at Youth Employment Services Foundation, also known as YES Employment and Entrepreneurship.

YES is a charity organization based in Montreal that provides English-language employment and entrepreneurship services across Quebec. Our offices are located in Tiohtià:ke, the traditional territory of the Kanienkehaka people.

Our organization has been active since 1995, supporting more than 60,000 job seekers, entrepreneurs and artists in finding sustainable economic success within Quebec. We do this primarily through one-on-one coaching, mentorship, skills-building workshops and networking events, in addition to niche programming developed to support populations experiencing multiple barriers to success. Our services, which are funded through a variety of streams, including by the Government of Canada, are free or low-cost and are offered in person or online.

The full participation of diverse groups in Canadian society is a core value from both an economic and a social cohesion perspective.

The English-speaking community of Quebec is the largest linguistic minority in Canada and represents almost 16% of Quebec's labour force. However, the 2021 census confirmed that the community continues to lag behind their French counterparts economically, with both a higher unemployment rate and a lower median income, and these gaps are growing.

It's important to note that the English-speaking community in Quebec is also incredibly diverse, and that's represented in our clients. Last year, this included 67% who self-identified as women and 3% as non-binary. In addition, 34% of our clients self-identified as a member of a visible minority. The diversity of our community dictates that we must view economic outcomes with an intersectional lens, as many members of our community experience multiple barriers to success.

The lasting impacts of the pandemic have had a disproportionately negative impact on women-led businesses. The impact of the gender equity gap was further emphasized for women entrepreneurs who identify with other minority groups. Further, scaling and growing a business is more challenging for women entrepreneurs. While improvements have been made regarding seed funding, women continue to comprise only 15% of overall financing.

To better support women's economic success within Quebec, and with the support of government funding, we began offering niche programming tailored to women in 2012. Some highlights include several programs to support the retention and advancement of women in STEM through supports like networking, mentorship, and the development and recommendation of inclusive corporate solutions. That program ran from 2012 to 2020.

In 2019, we introduced the ELLEvate women entrepreneurs program with the support of the women entrepreneurship strategy's ecosystem fund. This program created systemic supports to enable gender equity and entrepreneurship in Quebec. The women's employment readiness Quebec pilot program, funded by ESDC, ran from 2022 to 2023, focusing on creating systemic change for gender inclusivity in employment.

Our employment program is popular and successful, averaging an 80% success rate; however, further support is needed to continue to integrate more women into the economy, with an additional focus on those facing multiple barriers to employment. Funding to support the development and execution of long-term niche programming is needed. While pilot programs have been overwhelmingly successful, financing has not been sustainable to build and to grow these programs long-term.

Finally, wraparound program supports, such as wardrobe allowances and technology allocations, go a long way toward ensuring inclusion and access.

I'd now like to introduce my colleague, Meltem Kilicaslan, who led our ELLEvate women entrepreneurs program for three years and who will speak to some of the additional opportunities for support.

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