The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, today announced more than $1 million for three research projects. The projects were approved through the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre and will help strengthen the province’s workforce.

The announcement was made at College of the North Atlantic’s Prince Philip Drive Campus. Minister Davis was joined by Bruce Hollett, President and Chief Executive Officer of College of the North Atlantic; Sharon McLennon, Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre; representatives of the successful proponents; and, stakeholders.

The research projects supported are:

• $616,866 to Choices for Youth: Applied Research on Supportive Training, Social Enterprise and Employment First Practices for the Future of NL which will assess and analyze options for education, training and work and how these relate to changing socio-economic conditions, especially for marginalized youth;
• $229,705 to the St. John’s Board of Trade: Research on Barriers and Opportunities to Workforce Participation for Older Workers in Newfoundland and Labrador, which will explore the barriers older workers face in the labour market, and optimizing opportunities; and,
• $227,211 to Academy Canada: Enhancing Employability through Soft Skills Development, which will focus on post-secondary institution graduates, including under-represented groups and the public, throughout the province.

To date, there have been 17 projects supported by the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre. They are selected on established criteria that focus on job creation and economic development, as well as and the objectives of the Newfoundland and Labrador Research and Innovation program.

Supported through funding through the Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement, these initiatives deliver on commitments in The Way Forward to strengthen the province’s economic foundation and deliver better services and better outcomes for residents. The Way Forward outlines all actions the Provincial Government is taking to achieve a strong, diversified province with a high standard of living, and can be viewed at www.gov.nl.ca/thewayforward.

Administered by College of the North Atlantic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre, has a provincial mandate to provide a co-ordinated, central point of access to engage all labour market stakeholders about challenges, opportunities and best practices in workforce development. The centre’s goal is to promote and support 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 market and particularly under-represented groups.

Quotes
“These innovative projects are a result of the expertise and insight of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Our government is pleased to allocate funding to the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovative Centre to help make these exciting ideas for social and economic growth a reality.”
Honourable Bernard Davis
Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour

“College of the North Atlantic remains committed to ensuring the labour market is supplied with highly skilled graduates who fulfill the growing needs of industry and community stakeholders. Our work with NLWIC has shown time and time again that there are numerous opportunities to assist other labour market stakeholders in the development of training, applied research and innovation. These initiatives, in turn, will contribute to the projected target on jobs and workforce requirements for Newfoundland and Labrador in the coming years. We look forward to supporting the centre and its management of projects of this magnitude that positively align with the college’s overall mandate.”
Bruce Hollett
President & CEO, College of the North Atlantic

“Our team is excited by the idea, innovation and impact envisioned for workforce development by each of the proponents of these research projects, as well as all of the research projects approved to date. We invite labour market stakeholders and the public to learn more about our 17 research projects funded to date, including those today, and the activities of the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre. We are focused on increasing employment, employability and overall attachment to the workforce.”
Sharon McLennon
Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre, College of the North Atlantic

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Media contacts
Ryan Crocker
Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
709-729-1795, 709-725-9595
RyanCrocker@gov.nl.ca

Jeffrey Keeping
Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre
709-637-8646
Jeffrey.keeping@nlwic.ca

Michelle Barry
College of the North Atlantic
709-643-7721
Michelle.barry@cna.nl.ca