At the beginning of 2026, the first 13 projects to receive support from the Community Opportunity Fund (COF) were moving from approval into implementation, with organizations laying the groundwork to deliver employment services for English-speaking job seekers across Quebec.
Just over six months later, this emerging network has supported 29 projects, with further agreements expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Collectively, these projects include completed, ongoing, and forthcoming activities delivered in person across 12 of the province’s 17 administrative regions, with remote services available province-wide. By midyear, thousands of participants had already benefitted from COF-supported programming.
Community insight in practice
The COF is an initiative of YES Employment + Entrepreneurship, funded by the Government of Canada’s Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs). Through its granting program, the COF provides organizations throughout Quebec with resources to develop and deliver employment service projects that reflect the realities of the English-speaking communities they serve.
COF-supported organizations draw on established community relationships to inform the design and delivery of their projects. These relationships help them understand who may be underserved, where stronger partnerships and referral networks are needed, and how services can respond to local employment conditions. As a result, the projects strengthen workforce participation among members of OLMCs in Quebec and contribute to the economic vitality of the province as a whole.
A jury grounded in community experience
The COF’s community-led approach extends to how projects are selected. An independent jury contributes to the evaluation process, drawing on members’ experience across nonprofit, employment, business, and policy settings in Quebec, including work serving English-speaking communities.
Breadth and depth: addressing the needs of a diverse community
Across the network, COF-supported projects deliver a variety of essential employment services that provide job seekers with guidance, skills, connections, and practical support, including:
| Individual employment counselling and career exploration | CV support and interview preparation | Employability and workplace skills development |
| Mentorship and peer support | Employer connections and career events | Workplace and sector exposure |
| Self-employment and entrepreneurship guidance | Job-retention and career-advancement support | Referrals and service coordination |
The breadth of this work extends beyond the range of services offered. These community organizations serve people whose backgrounds and circumstances reflect the diversity within Quebec’s English-speaking communities, including:
| Racialized communities | Immigrants and newcomers |
| Indigenous peoples | Youth and young adults, including marginalized youth |
| Women | Young parents |
| 2SLGBTQIA+ people | Mature and older workers |
| Persons with disabilities and neurodivergent people | Justice-involved people |
This diversity is also reflected in the projects’ design, with services and activities tailored to meet the challenges faced by particular groups and respond to regional conditions. Examples include:
| Culturally responsive counselling, mentorship, and employer connections for English-speaking Black communities | Localized counselling and outreach to English-speaking residents of rural communities |
| Workplace communication, conflict-resolution, and self-advocacy training for neurodivergent participants | Employment support tailored to regional trades and industries, including essential-skills upgrading, job shadowing, and employer connections |
| Trauma-informed employment support for young mothers and families facing housing instability, literacy challenges, or other barriers to employment | Career fairs connecting job seekers with employers in specialized sectors, such as community media and the solidarity economy |
| Neighbourhood-based employment workshops and career fairs for out-of-school youth | Arts and music career support, including career workshops, mentorship, and professional networking |
Learning across a growing network
Through a Community of Practice facilitated by YES, COF-supported organizations discuss what they’re learning from project delivery: how to reach participants, build referral relationships, deliver effective employment services, and use project data to understand what’s working and where adjustments may be needed. They compare approaches, work through practical issues, and draw on guidance from experienced practitioners. This exchange allows lessons from individual projects to inform work across organizations and contribute to meaningful improvements over time.
Much has already been accomplished. OLMCs across Quebec can now count on a growing network of organizations delivering responsive and adaptive English-language employment services. Future funding calls will bring more projects and perspectives, helping even more English-speaking Quebecers add their considerable value to the province’s labour market.
