Advanced Education and Skills
February 2, 2012
New Program Provides Public Service Opportunities for Recent Graduates
Recent post-secondary graduates can benefit from a new recruitment program aimed at attracting qualified individuals to employment opportunities with the provincial public service in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Graduate Opportunities (GO) Program will offer valuable work experience to recent graduates and complement existing recruitment and retention activities in the public service.
Announced today by the Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister of Finance, President of Treasury Board and Minister Responsible for the Public Service Secretariat, the new program has two components - internships and targeted recruitment for identified entry level positions.
“Many recent post-secondary graduates face the dilemma of not being able to find employment in their field because of a lack of work experience,” said Minister Marshall. “This new program seeks to level the playing field by making a number of public service positions available to recent graduates, to allow them to obtain meaningful employment experience in their field. It also allows the public service to recruit recent graduates into its ranks to help meet current and future organizational needs.”
Under the new program, 10 two-year internships will be funded under the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Agreement. In addition, up to five targeted graduate recruitment positions per year will be made available. Targeted graduate recruitment positions can be permanent, temporary or contractual and will be funded from existing salary budgets of participating departments.
“This new program builds upon existing Provincial Government supports and initiatives designed to assist post-secondary students and recent graduates,” said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills. “Graduates will be eligible for employment opportunities that are making Newfoundland and Labrador the province of choice for people to live and work.”
To qualify for the GO Program, an applicant must be a recent graduate from a recognized post-secondary program and meet the requirements of the posted GO position. Recent graduation is considered to be within the past two years. Positions will be available across various government departments with the aim of preparing successful applicants for a rewarding career in the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Service.
“A goal of this program is to open our doors to recent graduates and show them what a career in the public service has to offer,” said Minister Marshall. “Once they see how dynamic and important public service work is, our hope is that they will decide the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is a place where they can obtain growth and satisfaction in their professional lives.”
Information on graduate opportunities can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website at www.hiring.gov.nl.ca/Jobs.aspx/GOProgram.
The first job advertisements will be posted online today and in upcoming editions of various provincial newspapers with others to follow over the coming months.
To learn more about the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Service visit www.gov.nl.ca/WeAre.
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Media contacts:
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Roger Scaplen Director of Communications Public Service Secretariat 709-729-4839, 697-5267 rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca |
John Tompkins Director of Communications Department of Advanced Education and Skills 709-729-0753, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
2012 02 02 2:15 p.m.