Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder announces changes to employment programs in Saint John on Nov. 25, 2019. (Photo: Brad Perry)
As New Brunswick faces a labour shortage, the province is changing the way it offers employment programs.
Current wage subsidy programs and their budgets are being replaced with a new Workplace Connections fund.
Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder made the announcement Monday in Saint John.
“We have a number of programs that are criteria-based, and quite frankly, we waste a lot of time at the staff level trying to fit people and communities and employers into those programs,” said Holder.
“This new Workplace Connections fund will be more nimble to meet the needs of the communities.”
Holder said the current employment programs are based on a time when there were more people than there were jobs in New Brunswick.
But with 120,000 jobs expected to become available over the next decade, Holder said the government needed to change the way it does business.
Holder said the $120 million government spends on the existing programs will be rolled over into the new fund.
Jeremy Robinson, an employee at Catapult, says this is super exciting. About a year ago, he was trying to access these programs. “I was one of the lucky ones,” he says. pic.twitter.com/Mtoo3sov8C
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) November 25, 2019
The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) is also rebranding its 19 regional employment development offices. They will now be known as WorkingNB offices.
“We have heard consistently from people over the years that they don’t know what happens at the PETL office. They don’t, sometimes, even know where the PETL offices,” said Holder.
“People don’t know whether we’re talking about a flower shop or a bicycle shop. Quite frankly, that has to change.”
Leatha Howe, director of human resources at Moosehead Breweries, said she thinks the changes will be more flexible for businesses.
“Rather than offering specific programs that are criteria-based, they’ll be customized to the needs somewhat of job seekers and employers right from the start,” said Howe.
Jeremy Robinson manages the furniture shop at Catapult Training and Employment in Saint John.
The 27-year-old tried to access the programs about a year ago and said he was “one of the lucky ones.”
“There’s been numerous people come through the doors that I would have loved to see join the team, but because of certain barriers, we haven’t been able to do that,” said Robinson.
“With the new programs that are coming out, it’s exciting to see that those no’s could be yes’s in the future.”
Job seekers and those looking for training and career opportunities will continue to work with employment counsellors. Employers will work directly with workforce consultants who will help determine their labour force and human resources needs, including recruitment, retention and training.
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