NLIS 4
November 26, 2002
(Executive Council)

 

Central Region joins forces to attract professionals

Attracting and keeping health and education professionals is a challenge that partners on the Central Region Steering Committee of the Strategic Social Plan are tackling through a new project called Joining Forces.

"It was apparent to partners at the table that recruitment, particularly in the health and education sectors, was becoming more difficult," says Walwin Blackmore, chair of the Central Region Steering Committee. "We really wanted to be more proactive with the issue, so that�s why we�ve launched Joining Forces."

Susanne Hobbs, a graduate in business administration, marketing and accounting at the College of the North Atlantic in Grand Falls-Windsor, is charged with heading up the project.

She�ll review recruitment and retention practices in other areas and provinces, begin interviews and surveys with recruiters, steering committee partners and survey people recruited to professional positions in the region. Material will be used to help develop a long term human resource and marketing strategy for the area. She�ll also plan and organize a human resources forum for next spring as a way to bring people from many organizations together to discuss recruitment and retention issues.

"This project is certainly worthwhile, and will complement the work happening in government with development of a provincial labour market strategy," said Gerald Smith, Minister of Health and Community Services, and lead minister for the Strategic Social Plan.

"I love Newfoundland and Labrador and have a great interest in this project," says Susanne Hobbs. "I am curious to know why people don�t choose to stay here on a long-term basis. I have many friends who have recently completed post-secondary studies and have moved away after working here for a year or so."

Ms. Hobbs will also compile and develop some generic marketing tools and packages for the area.

The Joining Forces project is funded primarily through the Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA), a federal-provincial agreement that was signed in 1997. The LMDA is co-managed by the Government of Canada and the provincial government through the departments of Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education, Human Resources and Employment, and Industry, Trade and Rural Development.

Joining Forces is sponsored mainly through the Local Labour Market Partnerships program of the LMDA.

"We are really pleased that we have federal and provincial partners joining forces to support this timely initiative," says Debbie Armstrong, director of the Baie Verte-Central-Connaigre School Board. "Developing joint strategies that attract and keep people in the region benefits everyone."

Members of the Central Region Steering Committee include regional boards of health, education and economic development, provincial, regional and municipal governments and other agency partners. They come together to discuss and address long term issues in the region from a social and economic perspective.

Media contact:

Marcia Porter, Communications, (709) 729-0175
Susanne Hobbs, (709) 292-4376

2002 11 25                                        2:10 p.m. 


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