Blog & Updates

International Success in the Nova Scotian Labour Market: Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)

Written by: Mohja Alia & Carolyn Ferguson, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)

*Veuillez trouver la version française ci-dessous.

Photo courtesy of ISANS

Newcomers to Canada bring skills, experience, and innovation to the labour market. Unfortunately, they often face barriers and challenges to employment. In response, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) has developed programs tailored to meet immigrants’ individual needs.

ISANS is the largest settlement organization east of Montreal. We offer a combination of innovative support and training programs to support newcomers in their job searches and careers. Our employment and employer support programs provide subject matter expertise with individualized, timely and practical solutions for their hiring needs. We also recently launched a research program pilot with St. FX’s Centre for Employment Innovation called New Opportunities for Work (NOW). This program helps newcomers with multiple barriers to employment attach to the labour market.

Recently we supported a tradesperson, newly arrived in Nova Scotia and with several years of experience. As a newcomer in a regulated trade, he was an ideal candidate for our Trades Practical Assessment Program, which prepares tradespersons for Canadian workplaces. He received safety training in First Aid/CPR, WHMIS, Fire Safety and other essential training. He was matched with a local employer in his trade and participated in a paid 12-week on-the-job assessment. He received valuable Canadian work experience and an evaluation of his apprenticeship level by a trained journeyperson in his field. As a result of the Trades Practical Assessment Program, he was well prepared when the NOW program was accepting candidates.

Through the NOW program, participants receive English in the Workplace training tailored to their needs, and a range of other supports, including Workplace Culture support to help participants to work better in a team with people from other cultures. This is in addition to the NOW program’s “wrap-around” support model that helps participants and employers navigate their working relationship.

“This program has really help me a lot. The amazing thing is that I am currently leading a team on the job site. I was so happy when my supervisor told me he liked me, because now he can understand me, and I understand him as well. He said to me, all my work is neat, I do a good job, and I’m punctual all the time. Based on that, he gave me keys to the site. All this is happening because of ISANS programs.”   – M.A.

Newcomers face common barriers to employment, like language skill, credential recognition, communication style, culture, technology, and lack of Canadian work experience and references. Successful attachment to the labour market is even more challenging when employers and staff are unfamiliar with how to work with immigrants.

ISANS’ pre-arrival, online and in-person employment programs are tailored to meet the needs of newcomers and their employers. Language, skills level, and education can range from: beginner English, low-skilled, and low education – to – advanced English, highly skilled, and educated professionals.

Immigrants in regulated occupations have particular needs. They must have their credentials recognized, be successful on qualifying exams, and become licensed to work in Canada. ISANS’ offers bridging programs for physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and financial services. For job competency assessments and training, ISANS programs are unique to Nova Scotia for engineers, architects and skilled trades.

ISANS has Bridge to Work programs to prepare low language and low-skilled newcomers for employment in Canadian workplaces. The program offers language training for the labour market and safety training. Providing safety training certification to participants before they enter the workforce ­is an incentive for employers to hire newcomers with lower language levels.

ISANS also supports newcomers through tailored programs for language and communication skills. This includes occupation-specific communication and one-on-one English in the Workplace training. We provide Canadian Workplace Culture training to help clients understand Canadian workplace practices, and employers are supported to train their staff on how to better work with newcomers, improve their intercultural competence, and retain immigrant employees.

Our combination of targeted and innovative programming helps newcomers successfully attach to the labour market. Our goal is to connect immigrants to employers and to jobs, in, or related to, their fields. Last year our programs prepared and supported 1,069 newcomers to access the labour market and secure jobs.

“As a skilled person, we decide to move to other countries. It is solely our decision to accept challenges of getting settled down in a country where we are not familiar with anything. That is the reason we face many challenges. [For one person], it takes a month to achieve our goals, while it takes many months for another. There are many services to guide us and assist us to get familiar with culture and system. I hope that this program will succeed, and by bringing such innovative ideas we will create more employment opportunities, and make our province stronger economically.” –P.G.

Succès des travailleurs étrangers sur le marché du travail néo-écossais: Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia / ISANS (Association des services aux immigrants de la Nouvelle-Écosse)

Rédigé par : Mohja Alia et Carolyn Ferguson, Association des services aux immigrants de la Nouvelle-Écosse (ISANS)

Photo gracieuseté d’ISANS

Les nouveaux arrivants au Canada ont des compétences, de l’expérience et des idées novatrices à apporter au marché du travail. Malheureusement, ils se heurtent souvent à des obstacles et à des difficultés en matière d’emploi. En réponse à cela, l’Association des services aux immigrants de la Nouvelle-Écosse (ISANS) a mis au point des programmes spécialement conçus pour répondre aux besoins individuels des immigrants.

ISANS est la plus importante organisation d’établissement d’immigrants à l’est de Montréal. Nous proposons un ensemble de programmes de soutien et de formation innovateurs pour appuyer les nouveaux arrivants dans leur recherche d’emploi et leur carrière. Nos programmes de soutien à l’emploi et aux employeurs offrent une expertise spécialisée et des solutions individualisées, rapides et pratiques répondant à leurs besoins en matière d’embauche. Nous avons aussi lancé récemment, avec le Centre pour l’innovation de l’emploi de St. FX, un programme de recherche pilote, appelé New Opportunities for Work (NOW). Ce programme aide les nouveaux arrivants confrontés à de multiples obstacles à l’emploi à s’intégrer au marché du travail.

Récemment, nous avons apporté une aide à une personne de métier nouvellement arrivée en Nouvelle-Écosse et possédant plusieurs années d’expérience. En tant que nouvel arrivant dans une profession réglementée, il était un candidat idéal pour notre Trades Practical Assessment Program (programme d’évaluation pratique des métiers), qui prépare les gens de métier à l’environnement professionnel canadien. Il a reçu une formation à la sécurité dans les domaines des premiers soins, de la RCP, du SIMDUT, de la sécurité incendie et autres formations essentielles. Il a été jumelé à un employeur de la région dans sa profession et a participé à une évaluation rémunérée de 12 semaines sur le lieu de travail. Il a acquis une précieuse expérience professionnelle au Canada et a reçu une évaluation de son niveau d’expertise par un compagnon d’apprentissage qualifié dans son domaine. Grâce au programme d’évaluation pratique des métiers, il était bien préparé lorsque le programme NOW a commencé à accepter des candidats.

Dans le cadre du programme NOW, les participants reçoivent une formation appelée English in the Workplace (l’anglais en milieu de travail), adaptée à leurs besoins, ainsi que tout un éventail d’appuis, notamment un programme de soutien appelé Workplace Culture (culture organisationnelle) pour les aider à mieux travailler en équipe avec des personnes de différentes cultures. Cela s’ajoute au modèle de soutien « global » du programme NOW qui aide les participants et les employeurs à mieux gérer leurs relations de travail.

« Ce programme m’a vraiment beaucoup aidé. Le plus surprenant, c’est que je dirige actuellement une équipe sur le chantier. J’étais tellement heureux quand mon superviseur m’a dit qu’il m’appréciait beaucoup, parce qu’il peut maintenant me comprendre, et que je le comprends aussi. Il m’a dit que tout mon travail était très soigné, que je faisais du bon travail et que j’étais toujours ponctuel. À cause de cela, il m’a donné les clés du chantier. Tout cela, c’est grâce aux programmes d’ISANS. » – M.A.

Les nouveaux arrivants se heurtent à des obstacles communs en matière d’emploi, notamment les connaissances linguistiques, la reconnaissance des diplômes, le style de communication, la culture, les nouvelles technologies et le manque d’expérience professionnelle et de références d’employeurs canadiens. L’insertion réussie au sein du marché du travail est encore plus difficile lorsque les employeurs et le personnel n’ont pas l’habitude de travailler avec des immigrants.

Les programmes d’emploi d’ISANS avant l’arrivée, en ligne ou en présentiel sont spécialement conçus pour répondre aux besoins des nouveaux arrivants et de leurs employeurs. Le niveau de langue, de compétences et d’études peut être très variable : niveau d’anglais débutant, manque de qualification et d’instruction, niveau d’anglais avancé, professionnels hautement qualifiés et instruits.

Les immigrants exerçant des professions réglementées ont des besoins particuliers. Ils doivent faire reconnaître leurs titres de compétences, réussir aux examens d’aptitude professionnelle et être autorisés à travailler au Canada. ISANS propose des bridging programs (programmes de transition) destinés aux médecins, au personnel infirmier, aux dentistes, aux pharmaciens et aux financiers. En matière d’évaluation des compétences professionnelles et de formation, les programmes d’ISANS destinés aux ingénieurs, aux architectes et aux métiers spécialisés sont spécifiques à la Nouvelle-Écosse.

ISANS a mis en place le programme Bridge to Work (transition vers l’emploi) pour préparer les nouveaux arrivants peu qualifiés et ayant un faible niveau de langue à trouver un emploi dans les milieux professionnels canadiens. Ce programme offre une formation linguistique axée sur le marché du travail et une formation à la sécurité. Le fait d’offrir un certificat de formation à la sécurité aux participants avant leur entrée sur le marché du travail incite les employeurs à embaucher des nouveaux arrivants ayant un assez faible niveau de langue.

ISANS soutient également les nouveaux arrivants par le biais de programmes personnalisés axés sur les compétences linguistiques et les compétences de communication. Cela comporte la formation en communication propre à une profession donnée et la formation individuelle English in the Workplace (l’anglais en milieu de travail). Nous offrons une formation sur la culture en milieu de travail canadien pour aider les clients à comprendre les pratiques des milieux de travail canadiens. Nous aidons aussi les employeurs à former leur personnel sur la façon de mieux travailler avec les nouveaux arrivants et d’améliorer leurs compétences interculturelles en vue de conserver les employés immigrants.

Notre combinaison de programmes novateurs et ciblés aide les nouveaux arrivants à s’intégrer avec succès au marché du travail. Notre objectif est de mettre les immigrants en liaison avec des employeurs et des emplois, dans leur domaine ou dans des domaines connexes. L’année dernière, nos programmes ont préparé et aidé 1 069 nouveaux arrivants à accéder au marché du travail et à obtenir un emploi.

« Du fait que nous sommes qualifiés, nous décidons de déménager dans un autre pays. Nous prenons nous-mêmes la décision de relever le défi de nous établir dans un pays où nous ne connaissons rien. C’est la raison pour laquelle nous nous heurtons à de nombreux obstacles. Cela prend un mois à certaines personnes pour atteindre leurs objectifs, alors que d’autres ont besoin de plusieurs mois. De nombreux services sont à notre disposition pour nous guider et nous aider à nous familiariser avec la culture et le système. J’espère que ce programme sera un succès et qu’en apportant ces idées novatrices, nous créerons de meilleures perspectives d’emploi et rendrons notre province plus prospère sur le plan économique. » – P.G.

G.I.V.E. Camp

On July 3rd 2018, the StFX Extension Department’s Innovation and Enterprise Centre (IEC) kicked off their first G.I.V.E. (Girls in Venture and Entrepreneurship) Camp. G.I.V.E. is a two-day camp focused on teaching young girls about entrepreneurship and provides them with hands-on experience as entrepreneurs. The program was facilitated and led by the IEC’s Co-op Student, Kelsey Bowman, with the support of IEC Coordinator, Paula Brophy.

The first day of the camp involved learning about entrepreneurs, including a trip to the local Peace by Chocolate store. Everyone was welcomed into the store to taste some samples, hear their incredible story, and take pictures.

The remainder of the day was spent assembling and packaging products, which included candy kabobs, s’more kits, and surprise bags. The participants learned that not all of the money earned from sales, is money you get to keep – costs must be covered, a float must be removed, etc. This was an eye opener for many of them!

The second day of the camp consisted of the participants setting up as vendors at Stroll the Main, the annual street fair in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. They displayed the products created the previous day and customers were very pleased! Within the first few hours, they sold out of candy kabobs and surprise bags – this was very exciting for the participants. At the end of the camp, the participants determined their profit and chose to donate it all to a local cause.

G.I.V.E. is currently a pilot project but based on the success of the inaugural camp, the Innovation and Enterprise Centre hopes to offer it again in the future!

To learn more, please visit: http://bit.ly/2DG9FIm

Workplace Mentorship and Youth: Building Capacity and Skills

Written by: Jordan MacDonald, CEI Innovation & Engagement Intern

*Veuillez trouver la version française ci-dessous.

Jordan MacDonald, Innovation and Engagement Intern

Youth mentorship, when popularly conceived, is often framed as a form of outreach on the part of businesses and community leaders to better interact and show leadership in their local communities. However, mentorship, when undertaken and internalized in the workplace environment, can result in many exciting and beneficial outcomes for the employee mentors and mentees along with the overall workplace environment.

We Choose Now: ONE Nova Scotia Coalition Collaborative Action Plan (2014) calls for Nova Scotia to boost the employment rate of youth, including workforce participation of youth who are disproportionately unattached to the labour market or underemployed. Mentorship may play a key role in supporting youth attachment, integration, and retention in the workplace, and thus the Centre for Employment Innovation, in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Works system partners, is undertaking a youth mentorship research initiative. The purpose of this project, supported by the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, is to better understand the field of workplace mentoring of youth in Nova Scotia as it occurs now, the results of these initiatives, and the benefits and constraints that emerge as a business undertakes mentorship in the workplace.

The subjects of youth, mentorship, and youth mentorship are as diverse as the people who are represented by these terms. To better understand these terms, and the interactions between them, a review of the relevant literature was conducted. This included reviewing journal articles, books, handbooks, webpages, and online tools and resources. A great deal of information was reviewed, yet, only literature that discussed mentorship in the workplace and with young people over the age of 18 was included in this analysis. While expansive, there are several key learnings that should be shared:

Youth Are Diverse

The term “youth” is used to define, categorize, and understand a wide variety of people. Youth are diverse with respect to culture, ethnicity, religion, lived history, gender and sexual orientation, education, and relationship with the labour market. As well, the literature describes “youth” as many different age categories spanning the ages of 15-34. This includes various government agencies, government programs and services, non-profit groups, and community organizations. Such a wide span of ages includes a great deal of differing life experiences. This age span also includes many stages of life with differing levels of dependency upon others for support and guidance.

Mentorship Varies by Context

The emergence of mentorship appears to take different forms and is highly dependent on the context in which the act of mentoring takes place. Well-documented areas of mentorship include “outreach” focused youth mentoring for adolescents who gain support and guidance through their mentoring relationship. Strictly educational mentorship takes place both formally and informally within areas of learning. Much is known about the role mentorship has in transferring specific competencies for the completion of educational programming. This includes learning within institutions of higher education and the relationships built between teaching staff and students or education achieved through practice as conducted in many of the skilled trades.

Mentorship within the workplace is the primary focus of this research initiative. In this case, mentorship is best understood as a bidirectional, asymmetrical, relationship between two or more individuals for the purpose of knowledge transfer and capacity development. In a workplace, mentorship can be used as a means to help onboard staff members to the organization or new positions within the organization. There is also a role for mentorship in building the knowledge of the mentee on the soft skills, such as confidence and accountability, or the workplace culture. Likewise, mentors also benefit as a result of their participation in mentorship programs by refining their communication skills and bolstering their ability to teach and/or lead. Together, improved skillsets of employees and the increased health of the workplace environment can help to reduce employee turnover or increase rates of productivity.

Mentorship Program Evaluation is Dependent on Data and Objectives

Formal workplace mentorship programs or informal workplace cultures foster many strong interpersonal relationships. These relationships possess many potential areas of success and benefits that can be shared with the wider context. There will also be costs and areas of improvement that can be highlighted and improved upon in future iterations of the program. Thus, each mentorship program should have some form of evaluation. Such a method of evaluation should be responsive to both the quantitative results – the numbers, values, and figures – and the qualitative implications – the results that cannot necessarily be counted or given a value. An increase in production or reduction in delays may be an easily “countable” result of a mentorship program. However, an increased feeling of belonging to a team or connection to the workplace may not be as easy to express. In many cases these results are interconnected with one another.

Of course, the purpose of the evaluation process and what will be done with the results of the evaluation will be based on the initial program or relationship’s goals and objectives. These goals and objectives should be determined at the beginning of the initiative and should seek to address weaknesses, or areas of improvement, that those involved in the relationship experience and wish to mitigate.

So what?

This literature review has sought to understand youth, mentorship, and youth mentorship within the context of the workplace environment. Yet, it has done so in a way which is removed from the local Nova Scotian context. This review has captured information from a variety of sources, not all of which may reflect the nature of labour and employment in Nova Scotia. Therefore, there is a need to contextualize this research to the Nova Scotian context using first person voices and inclusion of experiences from employers, employees, and community members. Of importance is the inclusion of a diverse set of voices that represent the true nature of Nova Scotia.

Next Steps

In the coming months the Centre for Employment Innovation will be engaging with Nova Scotians about this topic to learn more about their experiences with mentorship and the contribution mentorship may play in connecting Nova Scotians aged 15-34 to meaningful employment and the labour market.

If you or someone you know has experience with mentorship or are interested in participating in this initiative, please email Jessica Popp (jpopp@stfx.ca). To learn more and keep up-to-date on this initiative and others, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Le mentorat en milieu de travail et les jeunes : renforcer la capacité et les compétences

Écrit par : Jordan MacDonald, stagiaire chargé de l’innovation et de l’engagement, Centre pour l’innovation de l’emploi

Photo de Jordan MacDonald

Le mentorat des jeunes, tel qu’on le conçoit généralement, est souvent formulé comme une forme d’assistance de la part des entreprises et des dirigeants communautaires pour interagir davantage et faire preuve de leadership dans leurs collectivités locales. Toutefois, le mentorat, lorsqu’il est entrepris et intégré dans le lieu de travail, peut se traduire par de nombreux résultats stimulants et avantageux pour les mentors et les mentorés ainsi que pour l’ensemble de l’environnement de travail.

Le plan d’action We Choose Now : ONE Nova Scotia Coalition Collaborative Action Plan (2014) appelle la Nouvelle-Écosse à stimuler le taux d’emploi des jeunes, y compris la participation au marché du travail des jeunes, qui sont disproportionnellement sans emploi ou sous-employés. Le mentorat peut jouer un rôle clé pour favoriser la participation, l’intégration et la rétention des jeunes au sein du marché du travail, et le Centre pour l’innovation de l’emploi, en collaboration avec les partenaires du système Nouvelle-Écosse au travail, entreprend une initiative de recherche sur le mentorat des jeunes. L’objectif de ce projet, soutenu par le ministère du Travail et de l’Enseignement supérieur, est de mieux comprendre le domaine du mentorat des jeunes en milieu de travail en Nouvelle-Écosse tel qu’il se présente actuellement, les résultats de ces initiatives et les avantages et les contraintes qui surgissent lorsqu’une entreprise entreprend de faire du mentorat sur le lieu de travail.

Les sujets des jeunes, du mentorat et du mentorat des jeunes sont aussi divers que les personnes représentées par ces termes. Pour mieux comprendre ces termes, et leurs interactions, nous avons mené un examen de la documentation pertinente. Cela a consisté à étudier des articles de revues, des livres, des manuels, des pages Web et des outils et ressources en ligne. Une grande quantité d’information a été examinée, mais seule la documentation concernant le mentorat des jeunes de plus de 18 ans en milieu de travail a été incluse dans cette analyse. Bien que le sujet soit très étendu, nous avons acquis plusieurs connaissances clés qui devraient être partagées :

Les jeunes révèlent une grande diversité

Le terme « jeunes » est utilisé pour définir, catégoriser et comprendre une grande variété de personnes. Les jeunes révèlent une grande diversité en ce qui concerne la culture, l’ethnicité, la religion, l’histoire vécue, le sexe et l’orientation sexuelle, l’éducation et la relation avec le marché du travail. De même, dans la documentation, le terme « jeunes » décrit de nombreuses tranches d’âge allant de 15 à 34 ans. L’information est issue de divers organismes gouvernementaux, de programmes et services gouvernementaux, de groupes sans but lucratif et d’organismes communautaires. Une fourchette d’âges aussi vaste comporte de nombreuses expériences de vie différentes. Cette fourchette d’âges couvre également de nombreuses étapes de la vie, marquées par différents niveaux de dépendance envers les autres pour le soutien et l’orientation.

Le mentorat varie selon le contexte

L’émergence du mentorat semble prendre différentes formes et dépend beaucoup du contexte dans lequel se déroule ce mentorat. Parmi les domaines de mentorat bien documentés, citons le mentorat des jeunes axé sur « l’assistance » pour les adolescents qui obtiennent du soutien et des conseils dans le cadre de leur relation de mentorat. Le mentorat purement éducatif se déroule de manière formelle et informelle au sein des domaines d’apprentissage. Il existe beaucoup d’informations sur le rôle du mentorat dans le transfert de compétences spécifiques en vue de suivre des programmes d’études. Cela comprend l’apprentissage au sein des établissements d’enseignement supérieur et les relations établies entre le personnel enseignant et les étudiants ou bien l’éducation acquise par la pratique comme c’est le cas dans de nombreux métiers spécialisés.

Le mentorat en milieu de travail est l’axe principal de cette initiative de recherche. Dans ce cas, le mentorat est compris avant tout comme une relation bidirectionnelle et asymétrique entre deux personnes ou plus aux fins du transfert des connaissances et du développement de la capacité. Dans un lieu de travail, le mentorat peut être utilisé comme un moyen de faciliter l’intégration du personnel à l’organisation ou à de nouveaux postes au sein de l’organisation. Le mentorat a également un rôle à jouer dans le renforcement des compétences générales du mentoré, comme la confiance et la responsabilité, ou de la connaissance de la culture du milieu de travail. De même, les mentors tirent profit de leur participation à des programmes de mentorat en affinant leurs compétences de communication et en renforçant leur aptitude à enseigner et à diriger. Ainsi, l’amélioration des compétences des employés et de l’ambiance de l’environnement de travail peut contribuer à réduire le roulement du personnel ou à augmenter les taux de productivité.

L’évaluation des programmes de mentorat repose sur des données et des objectifs

Les programmes formels de mentorat en milieu de travail ou les cultures informelles du lieu de travail favorisent de nombreuses relations interpersonnelles solides. Ces relations comportent de nombreuses occasions de réussite et de nombreux avantages potentiels qui peuvent s’étendre à un contexte plus large. Des coûts et des domaines à améliorer peuvent également être mis en évidence et abordés lors des itérations futures du programme. Ainsi, chaque programme de mentorat devrait faire l’objet d’une évaluation. La méthode d’évaluation devrait tenir compte à la fois des résultats quantitatifs – nombres, valeurs et chiffres – et des répercussions qualitatives – les résultats qui ne peuvent pas nécessairement être calculés ou quantifiés. Une augmentation de la production ou une réduction des retards de production peut être un résultat facilement « calculable » d’un programme de mentorat. Par contre, le sentiment accru d’appartenance à une équipe ou d’intégration au lieu de travail peut être plus difficile à exprimer. Dans de nombreux cas, ces résultats sont étroitement liés entre eux.

Bien entendu, l’objet du processus d’évaluation et l’utilisation des résultats de l’évaluation seront fonction des buts et des objectifs initiaux du programme ou de la relation. Ces buts et ces objectifs devraient être déterminés au début de l’initiative et devraient chercher à aborder les faiblesses ou les domaines à améliorer que les personnes impliquées dans la relation ont cernés et souhaitent corriger.

Alors, qu’en est-il?

Cet examen de la documentation a cherché à comprendre les jeunes, le mentorat, et le mentorat des jeunes dans le contexte de l’environnement de travail. Toutefois, il l’a fait sans tenir précisément compte du contexte néo-écossais. Cet examen a permis de saisir des informations issues de sources diverses, qui ne reflètent peut-être pas toutes la nature du travail et de l’emploi en Nouvelle-Écosse. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire de contextualiser cette recherche au sein de la Nouvelle-Écosse en utilisant des récits à la première personne et en y incluant les expériences des employeurs, des employés et des membres de la communauté. Il est important d’inclure un ensemble d’opinions diverses qui représentent la vraie nature de la Nouvelle-Écosse.

Prochaines étapes

Dans les mois à venir, le Centre pour l’innovation de l’emploi va collaborer avec les Néo-Écossais à ce sujet pour en apprendre davantage sur leurs expériences en matière de mentorat et sur le rôle que peut jouer le mentorat pour associer les Néo-Écossais âgés de 15 à 34 ans à un emploi valorisant et au marché du travail.

Si vous ou quelqu’un que vous connaissez avez de l’expérience en matière de mentorat ou si vous souhaitez participer à cette initiative, veuillez envoyer un courriel à Jessica Popp (jpopp@stfx.ca). Pour en savoir plus et vous tenir au courant de cette initiative et d’autres, communiquez avec nous sur Facebook et Twitter!

Creating Change and Learning Together with New Opportunities for Work

When the New Opportunities for Work (NOW) Program was launched in July 2017, the goal was to help at least 150 participants, from groups under-represented in our workforce, attach to meaningful employment. Now, almost a year later, we have 167 participants from across the province connected to employment with more than 100 employers.

Group photo from the recent Community of Learning in Fall River, NS.

The program has provided participants an opportunity to upgrade and learn new skills (both through occupation-based and formal education/training) – while employers are receiving cultural competency and diverse workplace training. Through NOW, we have also been able to put supports in place for participants that accommodate their own unique needs and barriers to sustainable employment.

Our collaborative partnerships, with the ten proponent organizations helping to facilitate the program within their communities, have immeasurably enriched and strengthened the program outcomes. Each organization brings with it a wealth of expertise, innovative ideas, and passion for helping others attain “full and abundant lives”.

On May 17th and 18th, the Centre for Employment Innovation hosted our second Community of Learning (COL) for the NOW proponent organizations. Joining our original ten organizations at the COL was Phoenix Youth, who in partnership with the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, will be facilitating a NOW-like program for youth.

Representatives from thirteen organizations came together at the Community of Learning.

During the two-day Community of Learning event, we hosted a storytelling session where each proponent organization shared stories of a participant’s journey with NOW and the impact it has had on their lives. It was a powerful and moving experience for all in attendance.

Recently we caught up with a few attendees of the Community of Learning, asking for their reflections on the event and the NOW program. Included below are the insights they shared.

 

How is the NOW Program impacting your community?

 

“This program offered clients stable employment with opportunities for advancement. These clients are now either off or won’t have to go on social assistance, which makes a huge difference for immigrants and refugees in particular. A number of clients are in the apprenticeship program; while working in their desired fields, they are learning their jobs in a Canadian environment and getting retraining in their fields, if necessary. By the end of the program, many of them will pass at least two apprenticeship levels.  Five are retraining for careers they previously had – one is ready to submit documentation to Engineers Nova Scotia. A number have received raises from their starting salary or had their wages voluntarily topped up by the employer during apprenticeship training. On a personal note, one has just purchased a home, another has saved to bring his family here from India, and another has almost enough money to bring his children here from Ghana. The program has had a significant and quantifiable impact on our community.” – Mohja Alia, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)

 

“The Now Program is having a broad-based impact in the 16 communities where we have engaged job seekers and employers. The broad appeal for the program continues to be its accessibility to small and medium-sized enterprises, who in this program, have been given the same status as a large business. The varying degree of skills that have been matched to this point, has highlighted the number of persons that are running into barriers too numerous or embedded to overcome. The NOW program and its flexibility may prove to be the cornerstone of real employment engagement for a dedicated number of community persons and their families.” – Robert Ffrench, Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association (VANSDA), Nova Scotia Works Centre

 

“The NOW program has impacted our community in a number of ways but most importantly, it’s bringing people back home to Cape Breton to work and thrive in a position within their field of work and study, which has had the most profound impact on our participants. A majority of our proponents were outside the province prior to the NOW program beginning and have since been able to reroute their career paths back to their homeland.  In addition, businesses have been able to expand and grow due to the level of expertise and experience participants have been able to offer to the business itself.” – Kristin MacIntyre, Island Employment, Nova Scotia Works Centre

 

What is your biggest takeaway from the recent Community of Learning?

 

“I was really impressed with how candid participants were around the very real social, psychological, physical and economic barriers their clients were facing, and the creative ways they were addressing these challenges. The stories shared touched every participant in so many ways. It made it clear that the wrap-around care model and the flexibility of supports are both necessary and effective in overcoming clients’ barriers and leading to meaningful employment. Building connections with other organizations and supporting organizations was possible and encouraged.” – Mohja Alia, Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)

 

“There is a wealth of expertise available to be tapped into for the gathering of information and evaluation of the projects’ effectiveness. The diversity of the organizations involved is a model that is more representative of the communities across Nova Scotia than most other programs supported by the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.” – Robert Ffrench, Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association (VANSDA), Nova Scotia Works Centre

 

“I loved and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Community of Learning.  I felt it was very interesting to see the innovation happening across the province with the NOW program.  For our organization, we took home with us the stories of success and hope to continue on the path of success with our own participants.” – Kristin MacIntyre, Island Employment, Nova Scotia Works Centre

 

Tips for a Successful Career Fair!

Written by: Heather MacIsaac of Career Connections – Nova Scotia Works Centre, Pictou County

Photo of Heather MacIsaac.

When I planned my first career fair in 2013, I hoped to receive at least 20 responses from employers. Fast forward to 2018 and our career fair has turned into a completely packed room of 40 employers (we have spilled into the hallways of the largest venue in Pictou County) and an employer wait list. The number of job seekers continues to increase, with more than 1000 people in attendance at our most recent event.

Our team plans this event each year while still maintaining a case load of clients and other daily duties – meaning it entails a lot of organization, time management, frustration and sticky notes. Nonetheless, it’s a very fulfilling aspect of my job that makes a real impact in my community.

You see, career fairs provide a unique opportunity for employers and job seekers to come together, share information, and connect in a highly efficient way. As an employee, it provides a face-to-face opportunity to impress a potential employer – helping them to stand out in an employer’s sea of job applicants. As an employer, it’s a quick and effective way to source out local talent that could fill current or future roles in your organization.

So, in the event you’re considering a career fair of your own, you may appreciate my list of tips and tricks to assist you in your planning. Read on to learn what has worked for me, what hasn’t, and my absolute planning musts!

  1. Know your budget
  • Outline where the job fair funds will be spent. Venue, food and marketing will likely use a large portion of your budget.
  1. Book your venue early
  • I book the venue almost immediately after hosting the current job fair – it ensures availability.
  1. Create a career fair binder
  • Organize everything into one place and write everything down. As tasks are completed, be sure to check them off in your binder. In addition, use the binder to keep track of contact names and/or business cards.
  1. List all employers you want to invite
  • Chances are you will forget some, so be sure to also ask co-workers for employer suggestions!
  1. Confirm employer responses
  • Regardless if an employer responds ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a job fair invite – follow-up with them to confirm. This will help avoid mass confusion on the day of the event. A quick phone call is often the most effective way to do this.
  1. Determine the job fair layout
  • Meet with the venue staff to determine venue setup. Think of the “flow” of job seekers – you want to make sure the table set-up is easy for everyone to navigate. Keep in mind that employers will have signs, banners, etc., so consider this in your plan. If on the day of the event an employer’s sign is too large, do not be afraid to move them to another spot.
  1. Maintain contact with venue organizer
  • Keep in contact with the event organizer at the venue throughout the planning process to ensure you remain on the same page and mitigate the potential for confusion on the day of the event. I also ask for the venue invoice early and pay in advance.
  1. Advertisements
  • Social media and radio ads were our best marketing strategies:
    • Social media – Our Facebook page is very active and the engagement with our career fair posts brought thousands of views. We also spent $20 for a sponsored ad which ran for a month. This was the best $20 spent on marketing, as many people mentioned seeing the ad.
    • Radio – We purchased three ads per day which ran for 14 days – these were also well received.
    • Press release – sent a generic press release to our local papers and then made calls to their editors inviting reporters to come to the job fair for pictures and articles.
  1. Marketing materials
  • Give yourself time to plan, print, and pick-up your supplies. I keep a tote box in my office with supplies for next year’s job fair (i.e. pens, brochures, holders, signs, etc.). BONUS: If I am asked to attend someone else’s job fair, I’m already prepared!
  1. Delegate to coworkers
  • Write up a schedule for coworkers outlining their designated tasks for the event. Some things to think about include: who is covering the registration desk, who will greet employers as they come in, who will ensure the caterers know where to go, etc. It will bring clarity to everyone’s role and helps things run more smoothly.
  1. Privacy of attendees
  • If taking photos, be sure to blur out the faces of the job seekers before posting any pics online, unless written permission is acquired. Some attendees are currently working and may not want others to know they are job searching.
  1. Other Employer Considerations
  • This year we provided employers with Nova Scotia Works branded lunch bags which contained 2 bottles of water, sticky notes, our portfolio of services, business card(s), and a pack of gum. This ensured the employers had some networking essentials on-hand while also learning more about our centre.
  • I also recommend providing lunch for the employers. We typically book a separate, private room for lunch, as this allows the employers a quiet space to relax for a few minutes away from the crowd. Also, if required, our staff help monitor employer tables while they are taking a break.
  1. What to Forget!
  • Door prizes…you don’t need them! We tried this at three separate jobs fairs – always in a different way – but it typically just creates confusion and is a lot of extra work. Almost all employers provide some kind of small gift, gadget, or food item at their table, which is more than sufficient for attendees. However, I do encourage employers to do giveaways at their own tables if desired!
  1. Comfy Shoes
  • Comfortable shoes are a must! During my first job fair, I wore shoes that looked “cute” and went well with my outfit but by the end of the day, I could barely walk.  You will be surprised by how much walking you do!
  1. After the Event
  • Keep track of attendance stats, feedback from the event, and other takeaways that will assist you in planning next year’s career fair. But, most importantly, take a moment to breathe, relax, and pat yourself on the back after a job well done!

News Coverage of our recent Career Fair in Pictou County:

Enhanced Direct Entry Carpentry Program Celebration

On May 25th, more than 40 people gathered at the Wagmatcook Learning Centre to celebrate the Enhanced Direct Entry Carpentry Program (click here for image gallery).

This initiative is led by the Mi’kmaw Economic Benefits Office with support from the Centre for Employment Innovation, Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, Nova Scotia Community College, Department of Labour and Advanced Education, Mi’kmaq Employment Training Secretariat and Cape Breton First Nation communities.

The New Opportunities for Work program, facilitated by the Centre for Employment Innovation, supports the first two work terms of the program and some of the required training and supports for the apprentices, as well as employer training for diverse and inclusive workplaces.

To learn more about the Enhanced Direct Entry Carpentry Program, check out the full news release from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education or this article from the Cape Breton Post.

Introduction to Series: Rethinking Career Development:    Written by: Jessica Popp of the CEI

This blog series will expand upon the interplay of the CEI’s pillars of work.

It feels as if we are constantly living in a state of change. Changing structures. Changing technology. Changing teams. Changing environments. Changing perspectives. Now, more than ever, we live in a world where the adage stating that ‘the only constant in life is change’ is impeccably spot-on. Given this constant state of flux, it can feel as if there is never really a good time to break from your work—we bring home our computers and our notes. We check our emails ‘just to make sure no one needs anything’. This is no longer an anomaly as it once was, but rather it is a common occurrence happening across sectors and communities. How did we get here? And what implications does it have for our quality of work? What are we missing out on by remaining constantly connected?

 

It’s probably not a surprise to hear that our inability to disconnect can negatively influence our productivity, creativity, and wellness. What’s more is that with our noses to the grindstone, we can often forget to come up for air—to stop and reflect on where we’ve come from, where we currently are, and then ensure we’re still heading in a direction that makes sense. Things can be easily missed or overlooked when we become so focused on the everyday tasks, making it difficult to identify or foresee future opportunities, possibilities and changes.

 

At the CEI, we recognize how important it is for our community to be able to effectively adapt to current and future changes. By taking some intentional time to reflect on the work that has occurred, designing our initiatives to adapt to the ever-changing landscape, and working together to achieve our goals, we can ensure we’re providing the best supports possible to our communities.

 

As our first year at the CEI comes to a close, we’ve taken some time to reflect on the wonderful work and developments that have occurred throughout our career development system. We realize how fortunate we are to work as part of a network that is so passionate about finding new ways to help Nova Scotians lead the lives they desire. We’re grateful for the incredible opportunity to learn from our growing network of partners, service providers, and community members; to hear stories of the heart-warming and life-changing experiences of individuals who have benefitted from our network’s efforts.

 

The exploratory work of CEI over the last year has helped us reimagine what is possible for our system moving forward. Through the many conversations and other forms of engagement, we have gained insight and feedback into how we can best support those around us. It has enabled us to design, reframe and restructure our strategic direction, in partnership with our stakeholders, to ensure it aligns and compliments what is happening in our larger system. As we move into this next year, we are confident that a strong foundation has been built, from which we can mobilize our assets and translate our learnings into action.

 

One of the themes that continues to surface as we reflect on this past year is the growing importance of the CEI’s interrelated pillars of work. It is through collaboration and engagement, research and innovation, leadership and governance, and capacity building and training that we will help move the needle and collectively enhance career development practices and employment services both locally and abroad.

 

Our plan is to further elaborate on this work by releasing a mini-series of blogs, “Rethinking Career Development”, that details our integrated approach to work and the impacts it can have on the larger career development field. We will expand upon the interplay of our pillars, and begin to re-imagine a future for ourselves and our province!

The Business Case for Inclusive Workplaces for Persons with Disabilities   Written by: Marcus Jamieson of TEAM Work Cooperative 

 

“We need to make every single thing accessible to every single person with a disability.”   Stevie Wonder

 

Marcus Jamieson, Client Service Coordinator and Career Practitioner at TEAM Work Cooperative.

More than ever, companies and organizations are focused on developing inclusive and diverse workforces to ensure growth. Unfortunately, persons with disabilities are often forgotten. This may be a surprise to some but according to the United Nations, there are over one billion people in the world living with a disability. Persons with a disability are also the one under-represented population within our workforce, crossing all cultures and groups, that we all can become a part of at any moment.

 

Even with these staggering facts, persons with disabilities participation in the workforce is not favorably reflected in our province’s employment statistics.  Unemployment rates in Nova Scotia for persons with disabilities are twice the number of those without disabilities – 16% vs 8.8%.  Also, the more severe the disability, the higher the unemployment rate.

 

But here’s the thing…

 

Hiring persons with disabilities is not just good for business, it’s great for business. Innovation and creativity are higher at workplaces that ensure diversity and inclusion.  Research also shows that inclusive workplaces lead to better morale, resulting in happier employees, which ultimately produces better business outcomes.

 

The cost to accommodate persons with disability is also quite minimal for employers. The Job Accommodation Network, in partnership with West Virginia University School of Social Work, conducted a US study of more than 2,300 employers between 2004 and 2017. The results of this study indicated that most employers report little to no cost for accommodating employees with disabilities. Of those accommodations that cost, employers reported the typical one-time expenditure was $500. When compared to what they would have paid for an employee without a disability in the same job position, the employers average one-time expenditure was $300.

 

Many businesses in Canada and right here in Nova Scotia can attest to the value of inclusive hiring for persons with disabilities. Businesses that have made it standard practice to hire persons with disabilities have seen firsthand the incredible benefits and the examples of this are plentiful.

 

Randy Lewis, former Walgreens executive, believed that people with disabilities could do more. He went on to pioneer a disability employment model in the Walgreens’ distribution centers that resulted in ten percent of its workforce, over 1000 in total, consisting of people with disabilities. The distribution centres that participated in this initiative quickly became the most efficient and profitable in all of the US.

 

In Canada, Mark Wafer, a Tim Hortons franchise owner who is also deaf and a vocal advocate for more inclusive employment in Canada, has hired over 90 persons with disabilities in his stores. Wafer states, “Myths and misconceptions about employing people with disabilities remain the greatest barrier to more inclusive workplaces”.

 

Walgreens and a large Tim Hortons franchisee have also claimed that hiring persons with disabilities has significantly reduced turnover. This is backed by statistics from a 2001 Statistics Canada survey (Deloitte) which shows staff retention was 72% higher among persons with disabilities.

 

For a more local example, Paul Keinick, the Manager of Cole Harbour Sobeys has made it a focus to hire persons with disabilities and because of the incredible success, other stores in Halifax are doing the same.

 

If persons with disabilities is one of the largest under-represented groups in the world, then it can be assumed they also account for a considerable chunk of businesses’ consumer population. Therefore, would it not be reasonable to expect employers’ staff to better reflect their customer base? Our population is becoming more diverse and companies’ workforces should mirror this if they want to better serve and understand their customers’ needs. This will also externally demonstrate that an organization values and embraces diversity.

 

In a study by the Canadian Employee Relocation Council (Deloitte), results indicated that more than 62% of Canadian CEOs say that a talent shortage is impacting business growth. As one of the largest untapped labour markets, persons with disabilities can play an important role in addressing Nova Scotia’s labour shortage and help businesses stay competitive.

 

So, if employers are in need of talent and persons with disabilities are eager for employment, then we must act now.  As Mark Wafer will tell you, “Enough talk, just do it!” This may seem blunt and a little simplistic but it’s true.  Now is the time to act and make a more inclusive future  today.

What’s New at the Centre for Employment Innovation?

The latest news and developments at the CEI

Since our last update, there have been quite a number of developments at the Centre for Employment Innovation (CEI).

In staffing news, we’re sad to report that Phil Davison, Director of the StFX Extension Department (the CEI’s parent organization) has decided to pursue other opportunities and will be leaving us at the end of March.

Phil Davison, Director of StFX Extension Department, in a recent article on the New Opportunities for Work (NOW) Program.

In Phil’s almost ten years working with the StFX Extension Department, he has been instrumental in the success of multiple initiatives focused on creating a “full and abundant life for all” Atlantic Canadians. Phil’s leadership, thoughtful guidance, and good humor will certainly be missed by the entire CEI team and many others within the StFX community. In the interim, June Webber, Vice President of the Coady International Institute and the StFX Extension Department, will be stepping into Phil’s role to provide support to the department during this time of transition.

First Nations Ethics Review

Paula Romanow, our Manager of Applied Research, has gradually been returning to work following a short medical leave and has recently completed the First Nations ethics review proposal for the research portion of the New Opportunities for Work (NOW) Program. Paula is in the process of gathering feedback on the proposal from the NOW proponents who have First Nations participants, prior to submitting it to Cape Breton University for the Mi’kmaw Ethics Review process.

Student Research Work

Our student research interns are coming to the end of their winter term. Eric Marchand has been diligently working on a literature review focused on best practices in labour attachment for underrepresented populations. He has done an excellent job of finding, reviewing and summarizing the literature, and populating our MAXQDA database. We are currently investigating the best way to create a shareable database and look forward to having it on the CEI website soon. Eric has also accepted one of our summer intern positions and we look forward to his continued contributions.

Over the last couple of months, our intern Catherina “Cat” MacIntyre has been working on a body of literature that looks at labour attachment for women living in poverty. Cat recently left her role at the CEI and is in Scotland with other StFX Education students to complete their final in-class student teaching session. Cat has been with the CEI since July 2017 and we are very sorry to see her go. She leaves behind a very valuable contribution to our foundational work with the environmental scan of career services programming in the Nova Scotia Works centres, as well as her various literature reviews.

Case Studies

In partnership with Nova Scotia Works centres, we are in the process of developing three case studies which will look at innovative employment programs, policies and practices happening within the network. Through the many engagements that took place during our Environmental Scan, a number of compelling findings emerged that will be used to help determine our first series of case studies. In addition to sharing the remarkable work coming from the Nova Scotia Works centres, these studies will be used to help build educational tools and a database of best practices. A summary of our Environmental Scan findings will also be compiled and released in the spring of 2018.

Post-Graduate Prep

Our engagement team has been working collaboratively with other departments on campus to understand what resources are being used to prepare students for life after university. Heather Simmons, our Student Engagement Intern, is currently compiling a report of our results which will be shared with our network upon completion. The CEI has also begun working with others pan-provincially to understand how we can expand this work across Nova Scotia.

We also continue to build capacity and interest in the StFX Extension Society – a group focused on building the skills and knowledge of university youth, in an effort to best prepare them for life after graduation. We are currently supporting a student-led executive team to grow the society through collaborative and participatory-based governance practices.

Stakeholder Engagement

There have been many meetings over the past few months with various CEI stakeholders. We’re working to compile notes from these meetings, confirming they accurately reflect our conversations and then will be translating the knowledge to share with the larger network.

Canada Career Month 2018

The CEI has been working alongside the Nova Scotia Works – Career Connections Centre in Antigonish, the StFX Career Service Centre, and the StFX Innovation and Enterprise Centre to discuss opportunities for local collaboration. One of the main opportunities identified for 2018 is Canada Career Month.  We have begun preliminary conversations to discuss what may be possible locally but we are also interested in exploring what other plans exist across the province and how we may work together. If interested in collaborating and/or combining efforts on Canada Career Month plans, please email Jessica Popp (jpopp@stfx.ca).

Video Project

We are coming to the end of our procurement process for the Nova Scotia Works centre video project. Our plan is to begin shooting in April, with approximately two videos per month being produced over the course of a year. Each video will focus on a story connected to Nova Scotia Works and will be accompanied by a report that provides more details relating to the story’s learning outcomes. Our goal is to provide a wide representation of the innovations, various programs and services, struggles and triumphs happening across the province. We want to showcase the wonderful work taking place and capture the inevitable learnings that accompany each story.

Newsletter

Upon reviewing the outcomes and analytics from our first CEI newsletter, it has been decided to remove the Media Scan from this format going forward. Next week, we will once again be issuing our Media Scan as a separate email.

Finally, we’d like to know what you’re hoping to see in future editions of our newsletter! Are there specific topics, information, or guest contributors you would like included? Let us know by emailing: cei@stfx.ca

What’s New at the Centre for Employment Innovation?

Sharing updates and our plans for the year ahead.

The year 2018 is off to a busy start for the Centre for Employment Innovation (CEI) team. In addition to preparing for and attending the Cannexus ’18 Conference in Ottawa, we hosted an all-day Strategic Priorities session with members of the Department of Labour and Advanced Education. The session allowed us to reflect on our engagements, research and learnings in 2017 (our first nine months as an organization) and to draft our strategic priorities for the year ahead.

Paula Romanow (L) and Jaime Smith (R) at Cannexus ’18.

We look back at 2017 as a period of great learning for the CEI. Our new knowledge was acquired through our research, our engagement with hundreds of individuals and employment organizations across the province (and beyond!), and admittedly, through a few hair-pulling moments that often occur in an organization’s inaugural year. As we step into 2018, our focus has now shifted to translating and sharing this newly acquired knowledge with our network.

So, what specifically do we have in store for the year ahead?

Research and Innovation:

In addition to the New Opportunities for Work (NOW) Program’s Developmental Evaluation and the continued expansion of our career development literature review, we will be working with you to deliver case studies that showcase some of the innovations currently being used by various service providers across Nova Scotia. This will allow our network to learn about unique programs, tools, and strategies being employed by other organizations within the province, and over time, across Canada and internationally. The CEI will be hiring four part-time Research Navigators in March to support this work. If this is of interest, please forward your resume to jlsmith@stfx.ca. We thank the several interested individuals who have applied to date.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Nova Scotia Works Centre Executive Directors and staff who have participated in our Environmental Scan. Your feedback has given us a deeper understanding of the strengths and innovations within your network, and we look forward to engaging you this spring in the further development of our findings.

The New Opportunities for Work (NOW) Program is fully underway, with 170 participants engaged in employment and more than 100 employers from across the province. Through the efforts of our Navigator of New Initiatives, Angela Bear, the CEI will continue to provide ongoing support to the proponent organizations and gather information for our Developmental Evaluation research. As the project progresses, we will also be capturing stories from NOW proponents, participants, and employers.

On February 26th, the Nova Scotia Government, in collaboration with the CEI, formally announced the NOW Program to the public. Simultaneous announcements took place in Kentville and Membertou, and included speeches by local MLA’s, proponent organizations, participants and employers. To read more about these events, check out the articles by the Cape Breton Post and the King’s County Register.

Collaboration and Engagement:

Our engagement work will continue throughout 2018 with a focus on regional conversations with our stakeholders and partners. The CEI team will work with our local partners to co-design and co-host these sessions, aimed at supporting a more resilient and effective workforce for Nova Scotia. Through the use of our newsletter and social media, we aim to keep our network abreast of any engagement opportunities.

The CEI website is about to undergo a long-awaited refresh that will allow it to better address our network’s needs. We’ve begun making some changes to the site and look forward to adding additional useful content in the months ahead. We are also in the midst of tackling an ambitious video project that will capture stories from service providers, their clients and employers. Our goal is to not only showcase the great work being done by these organizations but to inspire hope and broaden the narrative on employment in our province. Thank you to everyone who has shared stories with us thus far.

Capacity Building and Training:

In 2018, we celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the StFX Extension Department and the 100th Anniversary of the Antigonish Movement. Preparations are underway for commemorating these huge milestones and we look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming months.

The CEI will also be taking an active role in supporting the NSCDA’s fall conference and will continue to work with the NSCDA to facilitate learning opportunities.

Working in collaboration with our partners at StFX University and within our broader network, the CEI is also in the process of designing a leadership development program for employment services providers. Our goal is to share the program by the spring of 2018.

Leadership and Governance:

The CEI Advisory Board met in February to learn about the NOW program’s progress to date. We also plan to further collaborate with our Advisory Board on the CEI’s strategic priorities for 2018. Once all input is received, the CEI team will share the framework with our network for additional feedback. More information regarding the Advisory Board and its role will also be shared this spring.

The CEI continues to put learning, research and innovation at the forefront of its agenda. As such, the aim of 2018 is to share back the emerging learning, to listen to input, to evaluate the evidence and to work with partners to ensure access to practitioner-driven action research.

In day-to-day news, our Manager of Applied Research, Paula Romanow, has returned part-time after a short leave and will be available by email in the weeks ahead. Paula will be returning full-time in late March.

You will also notice that the format of our Media Scan has changed. We will continue to provide our Media Scan but it will now be included within a CEI bi-weekly newsletter. Our new newsletter format will allow us to share more of what’s happening with the CEI, as well as other content relating to career development and employment innovation.

Finally, we encourage you all to follow along with us on social media through the StFX Extension Facebook and Twitter pages. It’s a great place to find regular updates, share-worthy articles, and learn about upcoming events!