Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
March 7, 2017

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour:

Minister Celebrates Establishment of Workforce Innovation Centre

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a far-reaching advancement that our government believes will have a positive impact on post-secondary education and the economy in this province.

At the end of February, I was pleased to join the Premier at College of the North Atlantic’s Corner Brook campus to announce the establishment of a new Workforce Innovation Centre. This is an extraordinary development, made possible by $1.8 million in funding from the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement.

The Workforce Innovation Centre will fund a variety of initiatives to help create sustainable employment and serve as an incubator for new ideas and projects that will help our province prosper. Eligible organizations, such as municipalities, indigenous organizations, and post-secondary institutions, will apply for funding following a public call for proposals later this spring.

In The Way Forward, we commit to have College of the North Atlantic and its 17 campuses serve as local and regional economic generators and community hubs. This centre represents a giant leap in that direction. By harnessing the renowned creativity of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we can, as the Premier said, set our province on a new path of discovery.

2017 03 07                              2:00 p.m.