SmartCity Blog

Connecting in Communities Across Canada

By Fred Morley

Today, the Colchester Regional Development Association launched a new initiative modeled after Greater Halifax Partnership’s successful Halifax Connector Program. A version of this innovative approach to connecting immigrants to both communities and jobs is now found in nine communities across Canada.

Started just over two years ago, Connector is a formalized networking initiative that began as a way to help new immigrants establish their network of professional contacts. In a short period of time it has attracted significant praise and attention, and Truro’s recent decision to replicate it is another testament to its success.

When Connector launched in Halifax, it was is based on the simple understanding that integrating immigrants into the community, completing a successful job search, or finding a good career path seemed to be more about the strength of your network than the strength of your CV.  It was clear that people looking for opportunities needed to get connected. 

Fortunately, Halifax has great organizations like ISIS who work hard to get immigrants ready for success. We’re also fortunate to have an abundance of natural connectors - people with extensive contact lists who like nothing more than meeting people and connecting them to others in their own network. 

When each volunteer connector meets with an immigrant and has a discussion about local business conditions and potential career paths, no jobs are promised or offered… just advice.  However, each connector provides the newcomer with up to three new connections, and then each of these three is asked to provide three more, and so on.  In this way, a newcomer rapidly builds her network.

And it really works.  The program has grown from 50 to over 350 connectors representing over 250 businesses and organizations.  Over 100 newcomers have made connections leading to employment as part of this process.  The program also expanded to include international students and will soon expand to include both young and emerging talent and new graduates.

Connector has been recognized by the Conference Board of Canada as a best practice in attraction and retention of immigrants.  It has also received recognition from the Washington based International Economic Development Council.

Of course, the best outcomes for the program have been the hundreds of people who have found jobs, expanded their networks and put down deeper roots in Halifax. And with the help of the 350 + business people who volunteer their time as connectors, the Connector program will continue to make Halifax a more welcoming and inviting place to live and work.

Learn More about the Halifax Connector Program

Author: Fred Morley

Fred Morley is the Executive Vice President and Chief Economist at the Greater Halifax Partnership.

In Case You Missed It: Meeting the Talent Demand

By Mike MacKenzie

This has been a promising week for labour market development news. The announcement of several initiatives and strategies aimed at both engaging underemployed workers and connecting segments of the labour force with non-traditional careers is a step in a positive direction.

In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that made headlines this past week:

Exploring how to encourage more women to adopt skilled-trade careers will be on the agenda when Halifax plays host to a conference put on by the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology. The conference, taking place May 3-5, will focus on improving access to skilled-trade education and removing barriers that often stop women from considering non-traditional career options. It’s no coincidence that this year’s conference is being held in Halifax. With Irving’s $25B shipbuilding program in the works, the demand for skilled labour in the region is expected to increase steadily for the next number of years.

The federal government also announced last week that it’s providing over $600,000 to help injured and disabled workers get back on the job. TEAM Work Co-operative, the recipient of the funds, is putting the money towards existing projects that help workers improve their skills and find relevant employment in their home communities, including Halifax. It is estimated that the funds will help over 120 people return to the workforce.

Finally, the provincial government announced this week that it intends to lobby for an increase in the quota of immigrants it is allowed to accept each year as part of the Provincial Nominee Program. A joint provincial-federal initiative, the program allows provincial governments to nominate immigrants who have the skills to make an immediate economic contribution to the province that nominates them. Nova Scotia is currently able to nominate up to 500 immigrants under the program, which officials say is not enough to meet the upcoming demand for labour in the province.

So in case you missed it, you’re now in the know.

Author: Mike MacKenzie 

Mike is the Communications and Marketing Assistant with Greater Halifax Partnership, currently working as a Bachelor of Public Relations co-op student. A lover of all things communications and strategy related, Mike is often known to spend his free time analyzing the latest-and-greatest PR/advertising campaigns. As a relative newbie to the Halifax scene, he can also be seen strolling the streets of downtown looking for the next cool thing that the city has to offer.

No Experience? No Thank you! Employers Need Incentive to Hire New Grads

As many of our fellow Canadians begin to retire and enjoy their golden years - which they deserve for building the greatest nation in the world - the next generation of Canadians will have very big shoes to fill. Building a country is very difficult, but sustaining this momentum will be more difficult with the current and projected trends in population decline.

We, as a nation, have a major crisis brewing in our system as the future leaders of tomorrow are sitting idle and not gaining the required experience to begin the succession planning required for our private and public organizations. We need to make an impact on this problem today and the federal and provincial governments must step up to the plate to help create incentive programs for employment for new graduates.

A simple idea that would encourage employers to hire new graduates is an incentive to gain a tax credit of $5,000 per employee per year. The limit would be a maximum of 15 employees for the life of the program for a small company and 30 employees for large company.

So let’s do the quick math, 10,000 new graduates * $5,000 = $50,000,000 program that will generate the benefit to our national productively issues and provide an opportunity for employers to train and prepare the next generation of our workforce.

That simple idea could also be created for new immigrants and international students. An incentive to hire international talent will help companies understand the positive impact of diversity and deal with the potential supply shortage that we will see going forward.

This is not about taking away jobs from Canadians. It is about starting a plan to train, nurture and create an overall capacity of qualified workers, whether they are youth or new immigrants. Without this capacity of workers, the jobs could be outsourced to other parts of the world and in turn, hurt the overall economic development that we need.

The impact of such a program once awareness is created with universities, employers and immigration consultants, will increase the attraction of new applications to our universities and potentially higher migration rates to our nation. The total benefit to all Canadians will outweigh the initial costs going forward.

 

Saeed El-Darahali is the president and CEO of SimplyCast, a leading provider of self-service multi-channel marketing services empowering small businesses to create, manage and track their own online and offline marketing campaigns.

SimplyCast was recently featured in the article Businessman: Place trust in new hires. 

Seeing Tomorrow's Workforce Today

Succession planning is an important part of any business operation. Keeping a business running at capacity can be difficult when faced with the prospects of retirement and regular turnover.  But not everything is doom and gloom, there are always opportunities.

So what is the situation in Halifax?

Well, generally things look pretty tempered for the economy. Employment is growing, there are new opportunities on the horizon, major projects are moving forward; everything looks well weathered. We’re not exactly sprinting at full speed, but we are moving at a decent clip.

The same, however, can’t necessarily be said about the labour market. I’m not talking about a few months from now; I’m talking about long term growth. What will the labour force look like in 10 years? What about in 20? Well, to quote Niels Bohr “prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.”

 

Toddlers Today are Toilers Tomorrow

Fortunately, we have some indicators. The people being born and entering school now are going to make up the workforce in several years. So how do birth rates look in Halifax?

Birth rates in Halifax have dropped, with a 10.2% increase in population and only 4.7% more annual births from 2000 to 2009. We aren’t providing the natural population growth to keep up with the economy. The province hopes to partially close the gap with its new immigration strategy. The Partnership has also been doing work to attract and retain newcomers through our Immigration Employer Support and Connector programs. In 2010, The Connector program helped 73 immigrants and 13 international students find work in Halifax.

But what do babies have to do with succession planning?

 

Taking Action: Tapping Potential and Productivity

The answer lies in productivity. With smaller workforce prospects in the future, businesses will need to do more things with fewer people. Improving productivity is going to be essential to keeping revenue high and it comes with added efficiency to boot. This means investing in productivity enhancers like technology and employees’ knowledge and skills. And then making sure you get the most out of those investments.  

The Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism’s Productivity Investment Program makes it easier and more affordable for companies to become more productive, innovative and competitive.

Investing in People

1. Get more out of training by making sure new employees and experienced employees interact – skills and experience will spread through the workplace 
2. Sharing skills encourages learning and innovation – the person learning a new skill may also think of a new use for it that can improve your business’s productivity and bottom-line

The province’s Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive helps companies cover the cost of: 

• training from a formal training institution or qualified external or internal training provider
• registration, tuition or course fees
•  international training
• management skills development
• skills development training leading to certification
• training that supports workplace diversity
• other skills development and training based on a valid business case

Investing in Productivity Boosters

One way to do more with fewer people and improve productivity and competitiveness is to keep on top of new technologies. The province’s Capital Investment Incentive helps companies cover 20%, up to a maximum of $1 million, of the cost of:

• technologically-advanced machinery
• clean technology
• equipment
• software and hardware with preference given to exporters in qualified industries.

These are just two programs that are out there to help companies invest in their business and our workforce.  So, like any tough decision, consider your options. Just don’t forget to consider the future.

 

Paul Jacob is the Research Coordinator at the Partnership.

 

Halifax Welcomes over 3,000 International Students

The blue banners hanging on the MacDonald Bridge to welcome international students brings me back to the first day I came to Halifax. 

It was on Aug 20, 2005. I landed at the Halifax international Airport around 11pm and everything was new and exciting to me.  Friendly smiles and warm greetings of “welcome to Halifax” from strangers put me at ease and made me feel right at home.

I have loved Halifax since then, and I now work as the Coordinator of the International Student Connector Program at the Partnership. I work with international students to help them expand their networks and deepen their attachment to our community. This increases their chances of finding employment in their field and building a career here in Halifax. The employers I work with benefit from connecting to skilled, and highly motivated, individuals with global perspectives and experience - helping them access new talent and tap into international markets. 

I’m so fortunate to be part of this year’s Welcome International Students Campaign, greeting 3,200 international students from over 140 countries who have come to study here.  International students bring diversity and creativity to classrooms, communities, and workplaces. They contribute $200 million to our economy annually, making Halifax a more global and competitive city. They are Halifax’s ambassadors to the rest of the world, and they will be the part of solutions to our pending labour shortages.

Top Reasons to Hire an International Student

1. Bringing investment opportunities and connections to global markets
2. Bringing new ideas, new perspectives and enthusiasm
3. Canadian educated and accustomed to life here
4. Multilingual skills and international work experience
5. Hiring is easy and free
6. Addressing labour market needs
7. Contributing to our cultural diversity and strengthening our communities
8. More people contributing to our economy

How to Connect and Hire

Hiring an international student or graduate is easy. International students can work in Canada on-campus, off-campus, as part of a post-secondary program, and after graduation.  Once a student has obtained a work permit, the process is the same as hiring domestic students and regular employees.

The International Student Connector Program can connect you to international students looking to expand their networks and start a career in Halifax. By opening your business to an international student, you’ll reach across borders, find new opportunities, and help make Halifax a more diverse and welcoming city. 

For more information on hiring international students or to become a Connector visit www.welcometoHFX.com, call 490-6000, or email me at jguo@greaterhalifax.com.   

 

Jackie Guo is the Coordinator of International Student Connector Program. In addition to his work at the Partnership, Jackie is an active volunteer for Halifax United Way.

Post-secondary impacts smarts, health and happiness

We know Halifax is smart – we have the numbers to prove it. But what do those numbers mean to our communities? The impact of post-secondary education on local and regional economic development can easily be linked to a number of things: the impact of direct spending, increased individual earnings and a better skilled work force. Simply put, we’re all benefiting from post-secondary education. To measure the social and cultural benefits however, is not quite as simple.

 Being home to over 30,000 students, you may not always see the positive relationship between the university system and Halifax. A study by The Association of Atlantic Universities shows that people with post-secondary degrees have a higher life expectancy, an improved quality of life and increased social status. When you compare the student population of Halifax with these positive spin-offs, we really should thank our post-secondary institutions for not only making us a smart city, but a happy, healthy city too.

The benefits of post-secondary institutions have a domino effect that stretches out to our communities and beyond.  For instance, Dalhousie University has more than 200 charitable community service initiatives. The Dalhousie Dentistry Clinic provides dental care for seniors, students, families, refugees and many others who can’t afford these services. DAL also brings in nearly $80 million in health studies research funding each year.

Not only are our post-secondary institutions helping to improve the health of our communities, they are also providing support and resources to local businesses and organizations. Mount Saint Vincent University’s Centre for Women in Business provides entrepreneurs with the tools they need to get going. Not only that, the Centre also showcases outstanding women entrepreneurs at their annual awards ceremony.

These positive spin-offs are felt by all ages throughout our communities. The presence of our post-secondary institutions promotes education at a young age and gets students thinking about their future. Saint Mary’s University strongly believes in the researchers and innovators of tomorrow and hosted the 2009 Team Nova Scotia Showcase for the winners of the year’s regional high school science fairs.

These contributions are only a mere fraction of the amount of community support that is provided by the Nova Scotia university system. Being a volunteer myself, I take pride in my efforts to get involved and lend a hand where needed. And I’m not the only one; more than 17,000 members of the region’s university community were involved in charitable undertakings in 2009.

For a working student, there are always opportunity costs to committing a Saturday to volunteering, but whether it is standing on the side of the road collecting change for Shinerama or the simplicity of generating a smile, the outcomes certainly outweigh the costs.

Dalhousie has between 5,001-10,000 volunteers alone. So maybe the next time you hear a ‘celebration,’ think that maybe these students are celebrating a victory, or the success of an event. For Atlantic Canada, education surrounds us; it is instilled in us at young age and is supported and promoted throughout our adult lives. These social and cultural benefits are what bring universities and communities together.

 

Halifax is Canada’s smart city.  We have one of the largest concentrations of universities and colleges in North America and one of the best educated workforces in all of Canada.  This series explores and celebrates the numerous post-secondary assets in Halifax; the sector’s impact on our economy and community; research and commercialization; and partnerships between post-secondary and business.

This post was written by Brianna Colford,  the Partnership's Marketing & Communications Co-op Student. She is in her final semester of Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University and spent the past 14 months working with Emera Inc. as a Communications Assistant. Born and raised in Halifax, Brianna enjoys the downtown atmosphere of the city she loves to call home.

Post-Secondary Education: Cornerstone of Our Knowledge Economy

Universities and colleges are economic drivers of communities where they are located.  This is well understood in the United States with its Ivy League schools, private universities, research institutes, and business incubators but less understood in Canada.  Colleagues of mine in the United States with a major university nearby consider themselves lucky because with a bit of work these institutions become growth engines. 

In Canada for example, some observers think of universities as cost centres, forgetting that the public contribution to universities has been falling for decades in real terms and that more and more, they are funding themselves through tuition and externally financed research.   Local governments may at times think of them as a nuisance because of the occasional exuberance of youth or parking or traffic issues, forgetting the residential and commercial tax base that post-secondary institutions shore up.

 


Drivers of Prosperity & Innovation

Fact is, these institutions grow economies in unique ways.  A 2011 economic impact analysis focused on Dalhousie University points this out in specific ways.   These institutions are big employers, in Dalhousie’s case 5,400 jobs on-campus support another 10,000 jobs off campus. Dal pays close to $300 million in direct wages driving big volumes of personal spending and investment in Halifax.  Add to this, capital spending, much of which flows to local companies and the impact is huge.

Students also spend money, in Dalhousie’s case; $88 million is spent every year by 17,000 students.  Universities also provide services to the community…in the case of Dalhousie…a whole range of medical services drawn from health practitioners in training. Dal’s dentistry school serves, 12,000 people. Medical residents and student nurses keep our hospitals running.

Universities in particular also draw vital research dollars into the community.  Dal alone drew in $132 million in research last year.  This has huge potential benefits for spin-off activity and new business start-up. Big Nova Scotia head-officed companies like Ocean Nutrition Canada and ImmunoVaccine Technologies had their start in university partnerships. 

Talent Magnets

Perhaps the most important role universities and the community college plays in Halifax is their role as talent magnets.  About 35,000 post-secondary students are currently in classrooms, labs, coop terms, and apprentice postings in Halifax. 

These emerging professionals represent a vital competitive advantage for business in Halifax.  Because of these institutions, Halifax business have access to one of the best and deepest labour pools in the country.

As the impact of demographic change washes over our economy this resource will become even more important.  However, this advantage doesn’t belong to us by right. As the competition for skilled people heats up companies from across the country and around the world will be trying to capture this talent. 

So post-secondary education is clearly a cornerstone of the Halifax economy, the driver of knowledge based industry and our biggest and best competitive advantage.  These places of higher learning have never been more important to us and their value is on the rise. What we do with it is up to us.

Universities Economic Impact: Fast Facts

Atlantic Canadian universities’ direct contribution to GDP was $2.6 billion in 2008 (a 31% increase since 2004). In Nova Scotia alone, our 11 universities (six of which are in Halifax) contribute:

• $1.2 billion to GDP
• Employ 8,079 people (over 6,000 jobs in Halifax)
• Generate $220 million in tax revenues
• Responsible for 50% of provincial R&D
• Generate over $860 million in personal income
• Attract more than $150 million in annual funding 

* Figures from The Association of Atlantic Universities, The Economic Impact of Universities in Atlantic Provinces: The Current View 2006 - 08,  May 2010

Halifax is Canada’s smart city.  We have one of the largest concentrations of universities and colleges in North America and one of the best educated workforces in all of Canada.  This series explores and celebrates the numerous post-secondary assets in Halifax; the sector’s impact on our economy and community; research and commercialization; and partnerships between post-secondary and business.

 

Fred Morley is the Execuive Vice President and Chief Economist at the Greater Halifax Partnership.

 

Atlantic YES!- Transforming Ideas into Economic Opportunities

I am still supercharged from the inaugural Atlantic Youth Entrepreneurship Summit-Atlantic YES! held at St. Francis Xavier University from May 13-15.

I met young promising entrepreneurs from Atlantic Canada, listened to their dreams and successes, and learned about their challenges and frustrations. This summit is all about helping young entrepreneurs succeed by transforming their ideas into economic opportunities.  

A variety of keynote speeches, panels an d workshops helped participants strengthen their entrepreneurship skills and create economic growth for their community and region through leadership and innovation.  The youth delegates talked about issues like lacking connections, networking and employment opportunities.

The last day of the summit, each province developed an action plan to foster entrepreneurship and help youth realize their potential. The Nova Scotia delegation came up with a plan that included priorities like communication & awareness, collaboration, and youth retention and attraction.

As one of the presenters of the Nova Scotia Action Plan, I shared some of the great strategies and programs from Halifax that could be replicated in other cities and provinces to keep the best and brightest young people:

• The Partnership’s Halifax Connector Program model has been, and can be, replicated by other cities wanting to retain talented people. The International Student Connector Program connects International Masters of Finance, MBA, and co-op education students with business leaders to expand their networks and deepen their attachment to Halifax.    

• Fusion is also about the "next generation" in Halifax. Created for young people, by young people, this group works to capture the voice, spirit and engagement of 20-40 year olds in shaping the future of Halifax and to inspire active citizenship, create dynamic networks, develop new friendships and generate great ideas in everything from business, to arts and culture to sustainable communities.  Why not a Fusion Sydney or Fusion New Glasgow?

• The Y2E Project  - led by Partnership staff in 2008 - worked with local employers, youth and service providers like the YMCA employment centre, to develop a strategy that would make the business connection between priority youth and employers in Halifax.  The result was the Y2E Framework - a model that could be implemented by other cities looking to improve young people's employment prospects and connections to the community.

I was truly inspired by the young entrepreneurs’ passion to make a difference, their love for their communities and their hunger for success.

Together we can build a better Nova Scotia and region!

Jackie Guo is the Coordinator of International MBA Student Connector Program.

Making Dreams a Reality

We all have dreams when we’re young. Some people want to become a movie star; some wish to be an Olympic champion; while others dream about becoming the Prime Minister.  When I was 14, my dream was to be happy and financially successful: to have a big job, own a big house, drive a fancy car, and the list can go on and on.

But for those who fail to plan for the future, dreams remain just that...dreams.

On March 29th, four staff from the Partnership including President and CEO Paul Kent took part in Junior Achievement's Economics for Success Program, helping grade 9 students at Duncan MacMillan High School in Sheet Harbour plan for their future.

We shared our experience and business expertise to help them understand important concepts and explore their personal finance, education and career options.  Careful not to “burst their bubble”, we provided practical planning tips and an idea of the skills needed to have a career and be financially independent and successful. 

It was wonderful to spend a morning with dynamic and promising students. They were engaged and eager to learn how making the right choices could help them achieve their goals. Personally, I had a lot of fun. It made me think back to when I was 14 and how great it would have been to have someone share advice and information about planning for my future.
 
I’m really looking forward to participating again next year in this valuable program.

For more information about Junior Achievement’s programs and services in Nova Scotia, please visit http://nova-scotia.jacan.org/.

Jackie Guo is the Coordinator of International MBA Student Connector Program. In addition to his work at the Partnership, Jackie is an active volunteer for Halifax United Way.

RBC Supports Diversity

Guest blog post by: Glen Dormody, Regional Vice President, Metro Halifax, RBC

Last fall, I spoke at a conference for the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers over at Mount Saint Vincent University.

They asked RBC to speak on the topic of diversity. It was a difficult topic to prepare for, simply for the fact that we have so many great things underway in our company right now in support of diversity.

But when I reflected on it, there were two things that stood out in my mind. First, having a focus on diversity is clearly the right thing to do. Second, it’s a smart thing to do from a business standpoint.

There are so many different ways to describe diversity. It can mean things like values and purpose, life experiences and perspectives. And certainly some people who have a diverse perspective in our community are new immigrants.

At RBC, we’ve been blessed with having some new immigrants as employees who have made a big contribution to our company.

One of these employees, Makafui Atloko, grew up in Ghana. He came to Canada for school.

After graduation, he went to a job fair at Pier 21 and I spoke with him about his experience joining RBC.

“I spoke to a few people at Pier 21 who told me about RBC and the opportunities they have for people with diverse backgrounds. When I first started, every employee I met was very forthcoming. They wanted to know about where I was from and what brought me here and they were all really welcoming. Initially I thought I was going to be out of place, especially with my accent and all that. But I wasn’t and I love it.”

Mak has excelled at RBC. In fact he is one of our top employees, not just in Halifax, but across the world, and was recently recognized at an international employee convention as a top performer.

The rewards of hiring immigrants are many. It creates a high performing workplace with a variety of ideas, cultures and languages. Furthermore, it helps make our clients more comfortable when someone is serving them in their own culture and language.

In my view, immigrants are individuals who have already surmounted a great deal simply by leaving their country and coming to a new one. As such they show a great propensity to adapt to change. They also bring a different perspective and a willingness to learn, which are incredible assets.

One of the challenges for our business is to continue searching for and developing an available pool of immigrant talent to draw from. We also need to do a better job of making conscious decisions to hire people with diverse backgrounds.

And we don’t want to stop at the employee experience. We serve a lot of customers in Metro Halifax, and we are driving hard to ensure a fantastic experience for new immigrants when they come to our branches to open accounts. To that effect, we’re designating one person in each of our branches as a diversity/immigrant expert. In many instances, our experts will have been immigrants themselves. We want our experts to be able to truly understand the new immigrant experience in order to better introduce banking in Canada and find the right solutions for their needs.

Truly, when you reflect on Halifax’s economy, many of those who have created opportunity in this community are immigrants themselves. It’s up to us and other businesses to support and facilitate the entry of the next generation of newcomers to greater Halifax. They will only make our community stronger!

For more information on how you can hire an immigrant, click here.

RBC partners with Greater Halifax Partnership on an awareness campaign promoting the benefits of hiring a newcomer.

Glen Dormody, RBC Regional Vice President

Glen Dormody is Regional Vice President, Metro Halifax at RBC. Glen understands Halifax's need for immigrants and he supports efforts to diversify our city.