September 2024 News Bulletin

NLWIC Updates

This spring and summer, the NLWIC team was busy attending and presenting at events in person and virtually.

NLWIC team members, Sharon McLennon, Director, Sarah Taker, Job Transition Pathways Project Officer, and Lana Roestenberg, Public Relations Specialist attended the release of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Vital Signs 2024 report by The Harris Centre and the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. The launch event was held on May 23rd at the Emera Innovation Exchange, Memorial University, Signal Hill Campus.

Director Sharon McLennon went to the 2024 Energy NL Conference & Exhibition event from June 4-6th at the St. John’s Convention Centre. She participated in many great sessions and networking. A key theme from the event was the significant message surrounding the importance of transitioning to a green, sustainable energy future for the province.

Susanne, Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator, attended the Stephenville Synergy Luncheon on June 19th. The event hosted by the Town of Stephenville was designed to foster stronger communication and collaboration between the Town of Stephenville, industry partners, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Business Improvement Association. She also attended a special Luncheon event featuring HR Project Partners on June 25th hosted by the Bay St. George Chamber of Commerce!

NLWIC’s Faculty Researcher Aleksandra Stefanovic-Chafe, with the Job Transition Pathways Research Project in collaboration with theDais at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), had participated as a panelist for the Future Skills Centre’s Leveraging Newcomer Talent to Empower Canada's Workforce webinar on Thursday, August 22, 2024.

Along with other panel experts the session addressed key topics such as optimizing newcomer skills, overcoming employment barriers, integrating international credentials, and strategies for effective workforce integration.

Aleksandra spoke about the “Newcomer Employment Resilience Network” project which was funded by FSC and successfully completed by the Association for New Canadians (ANC) in 2023. She highlighted the experience of developing sector-specific, professional knowledge networks to support and enhance the capacity of newcomer job seekers and local employers to navigate and adjust to the impacts of economic disruption. It was a great opportunity to revisit the project and reaffirm the value of strong, professional networks, such as:

The key focus of professional networks is to exchange knowledge and build relationships, not necessarily to hire. This puts a lot less pressure on employers to actively engage and connect.
Professional knowledge networks are particularly beneficial to newcomers from non-regulated occupations. They may need additional supports and insights into desired jobs and industries as they experience challenges to determine clear equivalency of their skills and competencies. Equally, employers may gain clearer understanding of how specific international titles and competencies align with Canadian counterparts.
Sector-specific, professional networks can provide a connection to the industry in the time of crisis or disruption for those remaining active in the job market, so that those valuable skills and knowledge related to their occupation are not lost.

Currently, Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator Susanne Dawe is attending the Expo Labrador Conference and Trade Show from September 10-12th. Susanne Dawe is also excited to be part of a Workforce Retention & Advancement of Indigenous Skills panel session. The session will explore retention strategies for Indigenous workers, how to lessen barriers for those in the trades, and dig into Labrador regional data to better understand employment trends and growth sector predictions.

This is only the #TipoftheIceberg of what NLWIC staff have been attending over the last few months.

Upcoming Events

How to Hire Foreign Talent - NL Tour Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Government of NL Department of Immigration, Population, Growth, & Skills, September 10-October 24, 2024, In-person, Various locations.

Employers can join Immigration, Refugees and Citizens Canada (IRCC) for FREE in-person information sessions throughout the province alongside Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Immigration, Population, Growth, & Skills to learn how to leverage the immigration system to address labour needs.

Empowering Canada's Workforce for a Sustainable Future Future Skills Centre, September 12, 12:30-2 p.m.(2-3:30 NL Time), Virtual

Join Future Skills Centre for an engaging bilingual webinar as they dive into the latest findings from their diverse projects. From Climate monitoring in the Northwest Territories to zero-emission vehicles in Ontario, learn how key industries are driving change.

Empowering Youth for the Jobs of Today and Tomorrow CERIC, September 23, October 28, November 24, 2024, 12-1 p.m. ET (1:30-2:30 NL Time), Virtual

Join CERIC for this FREE 3-part webinar series from RBC Future Launch to hear from a researcher, a youth-serving organization and a social enterprise as they discuss resources focused on supporting Canadian youth with skill development, practical work experiences, networking and mentorship supports.

MUN & CNA Career & Graduate School Fair 2024 Memorial University & College of the North Atlantic, September 25, 2024, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., In-person

Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic are hosting a 25th Career & Graduate School Fair. Employers can join the event as exhibitors to network and recruit talented MUN and CNA students and alumni to join your team during the event.

Learn More

Innovation Week 2024, techNL, October 1-3, 2024, Various times, St. John's Convention Centre, St. John's, NL

Join techNL for their annual tech conference during Innovation Week 2024. The conference will be filled with expert keynotes, facilitated breakouts, networking events, and celebrations. At this year's event they are building off of ten years of success and helping their members scale with practical uses for next-gen AI.

Innovation in Action

techNL Launch of Co. Innovation Centre

College of the North Atlantic representatives visited the official launch of techNL's Co. Innovation Centre which was held on June 7, 2024.

According to techNL the Newfoundland and Labrador Ecosystem needed an innovation centre to drive technology innovation, especially with the number of growing companies within the province. The new innovation hub will foster collaboration and technology growth to accelerate the development of the innovation-driven economy in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Photo (left-right): Glenda Applin, Clara McCue, Jackie Reid, Vasantha Adluri and Sharon McLennon

Learn More

On Our Radar

The State of Youth Employment in Canada Labour Market Information Council

Skills and Productivity: Which Skills Shortages Are Impacting Canadian Productivity?Conference Board of Canada

The Next Frontier in Canada's Agri-Food Sector: Technology-Driven Labour and Skills Transitions, Future Skills Centre

Skills for Inclusive Workplaces and the Advancement of Indigenous Peoples

Canadian Council for Indigenous Business

Teaching Green Skills: What Actions are Post-secondary Institutions Taking? Conference Board of Canada

Starting a New Business in Canada: A Report From the Survey on Employment and Skills Diversity Institute

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Like the iconic iceberg, there’s more beneath the surface to see and understand when it comes to NL Workforce Innovation Centre (NLWIC) and the workforce innovators in Newfoundland and Labrador who engage in research projects.

Established in 2017 by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and administered by College of the North Atlantic, NL Workforce Innovation Centre (NLWIC) has a provincial mandate to provide a coordinated, central point of access to engage all labour market stakeholders about challenges, opportunities and best practices in workforce development.

NLWIC’s goal is to promote the research, testing and sharing of ideas and models of innovation in workforce development that will positively impact employability, employment and entrepreneurship within the province’s labour force and particularly underrepresented groups. Funding for NLWIC is provided by the Department of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills (IPGS) under the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement.