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NLIS 2
March 23, 2006
(Education)
 

Government partners with industry to address demand for skilled labour

To meet the demand for skilled labour and to position our province to fully participate in emerging opportunities, business, labour, education and other key stakeholders will begin work immediately to aggressively develop the province�s workforce. Joan Burke, Minister of Education, said today a Skills Task Force has been established as part of government�s overall direction regarding education and innovation for Budget 2006.

"Employers from across many industries, including those in the traditional resource-based industries, are telling us they are facing increasing demands for skilled workers to keep pace with new technologies and to remain competitive," said Minister Burke. "Yet, they are having difficulty finding and keeping the skilled workers they need. This is an issue that many other jurisdictions are facing, both nationally and globally, making it even more critical that we have a clearly defined action plan to protect the interests of Newfoundland and Labrador."

There is also potential for large scale developments such as the Lower Churchill and further projects in relation to Voisey�s Bay. Therefore, a Skills Task Force has been established, with $100,000 in funding to be allocated in Budget 2006, to identify and develop strategies to ensure responsive training, education and supports to meet industry demands. Some areas for consideration include post-secondary programs, the apprenticeship system, and partnership opportunities, including research and development.

"Newfoundland and Labrador must be diligent about building a qualified and skilled workforce that meets industry requirements, especially those associated with large-scale development projects," said Minister Burke. "To increase our global competitiveness and attractiveness as a place to do business, we must be able to say confidently that we can and are ready to provide the skilled people to do the job."

Government has a well-established practice of working in partnership with key stakeholders in the labour and business sectors. Much work has been done over the past several years in the area of labour market research and development, led by the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and the Labour Market Sub-committee of the Strategic Partnership Initiative. The work to date and information gathered from across the province clearly indicates a need for action by all stakeholders to address the trends and challenges that have been identified.

The Skills Task Force will be chaired by Bob Ridgley, MHA for St. John�s North. "The task force will build on the work that has been done to date by government and employer and labour groups," said MHA Ridgley. "We are gathering the expertise and insight of people from across labour, business, education and other key sectors to provide strategic solutions to build a skilled work force second to none in the country."

The working group will present an interim report in the summer and a more comprehensive report in the winter to the Minister of Education. Their efforts will complement the recent White Paper on Public Post-Secondary Education, as well as other initiatives currently underway such as the development of an Innovation Strategy, an Immigration Strategy and an Energy Plan. In addition, their work will be supported by an interdepartmental committee to coordinate information from the departments of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Natural Resources, Finance, Human Resources, Labour and Employment, and Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

Media contact: Jacquelyn Howard, Communications, (709) 729-0048, 689-2624

 

Members of the Task Force

Bob Ridgley MHA, St. John�s North (Chair)
Rachelle Cochrane Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Education
(Vice-chair)

Employer/Labour Representatives
Gerald McDonald Vice-president, Human Resources, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro
Margaret Allan Manager, Public Affairs, Husky Energy
Bob Marshall Manager, Voisey�s Bay Nickel
Marilyn Tucker President, Newfoundland and Labrador Employers� Council
Steve McLean Executive Director, Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists
Heather Bruce-Veitch Manager, Iron Ore Company of Canada
Rick Dalton Business Manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Greg Pretty Director, Industrial/Retail sector, FFAW/CAW

Post-Secondary Representatives
Rob Shea Director, Career Development and Experiential Learning, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Corinne Dunne Vice-president, Development and College Advancement, College of the North Atlantic

Others

Michelle Brazil Industry Outreach Coordinator, Women in Resource Development Committee (Women)
Marjorie Flowers Manager, Joint Voisey�s Bay Training Authority (JETA) (Aboriginals)
Deborah Armstrong Regional Council of Rural Secretariat for Grand Falls-Windsor/Springdale/Harbour Breton

Other Government Representatives
Peter Noel Principal Assistant to Premier, Office of the Premier
Wayne Penney Deputy Minister, Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment (Acting)
Mark Duff Director of Programs, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (federal government)

2006 03 23                               12:20 p.m.


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