Meeting Labour Market Needs for FSL Instruction > What Have We Learned?
Collage of photos of teachers and students.

What Have We Learned?

Labour Market Partnership

Three intersecting themes emerged from the work begun in the Labour Market Partnership:

  1. Research across Canada identified 5 high-yield strategies for more successful FSL teacher recruitment.

  2. French proficiency assessments play a high-stakes role in FSL teacher hiring decisions, need to be reliable and valid, and create starting points in supporting French language development. 

  3. School leaders are motivated to support FSL teachers and their work; evidence also points to a desire for opportunities to identify and discuss their specific leadership needs in order to optimize their leadership impact. 
Infographic showing the three phases of meeting labour market needs for French as a second language instruction in Ontario (2017-2021)

Accessible version

This graphic is audio-enabled in the Phase III report here.

Phase I:
Understanding Perspectives
Meeting Labour Market Needs for French as a Second Language Instruction in Ontario, Phase One cover

Understanding Perspectives Regarding the French as a Second Language Teacher Labour Market Issue

Satisfying the need for job-ready FSL teachers is a complex, dynamic process that is influenced by many factors. Addressing this need required collaborative input from all educational partners and a commitment to action planning directed at effective solutions.

Phase II:
Moving Toward Action
Meeting Labour Market Needs for French as a Second Language Instruction in Ontario, Phase Two cover

Moving Forward with Understanding Perspectives Regarding the French as a Second Language Labour Market Issue

All members of the FSL – LMPC collaborated to develop and implement an action plan for each of the Phase I recommendations. Based on their professional interest and expertise with the content of the individual recommendations, two or three members of the LMPC were identified to lead the action planning thereafter and provide regular updates to the committee.

Phase III:
Expansion and Reflection
Implementation of Evidence-Based Strategies cover

Implementation of Evidence-Based Strategies

Actions taken during Phase III involved a combination of communication, expanded implementation, research and reflection, and reinforced a number of key themes: the use of an inter-connected problem-solving approach, the exploration of high-yield recruitment strategies, attention to French proficiency assessment practices, the importance of school leadership and ongoing professional learning, and the value of collaborative partnerships.

Pan-Canadian FSL Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies

In early 2020, OPSBA was approved to lead three initiatives as part of the FSL Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy in French Immersion and French Second Language Programs, an initiative funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Province of Ontario.

Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy in French Immersion and French Second-Language Programs across Canada

The Year 1 reports for each initiative are listed below. They include pan-Canadian research and initial drafts of resource documents.

Year 1 Reports

Supporting Principals to Address Challenges in Retention and Professional Support of French as a Second Language Teachers cover

3. Supporting Principals to Address Challenges in Retention and Professional Support of French as a Second Language Teachers