Graduate to Opportunity (GTO)
GTO helps employers across Nova Scotia hire recent university and college graduates for jobs in their field. Eligible employers can receive up to 35% of a grad’s year 1 salary and 12.5% of the year 2 salary.
Maigoro Yunana moved to Nova Scotia in 2011 from Nigeria, and graduated from Dalhousie University’s mechanical engineering program in 2016.
GTO made it easier for Green Power Labs to hire Maigoro full-time after graduation as a Building Energy Modelling Specialist.
“The GTO program brought to Green Power Labs a capacity to hire this really excellent young graduate who brings to the team a diversity of opinion, a different way of looking at the world, a real sense of new ideas,” says Marlene Moore, Vice President of Marketing at Green Power Labs.
Maigoro is happy to have made Nova Scotia home. “The beauty of being able to live in Nova Scotia is that it is big and it is small at the same time. Everyone knows everyone,” says Maigoro, who values his opportunity to grow professionally. “This has been a very important opportunity for me to be with a company that is so young with a product I completely believe in, while being given the responsibility to see it through to success.”
GTO is available to small business, start-ups, social enterprises, non-profits and registered charities operating in Nova Scotia. For more information on how to apply visit: https://novascotia.ca/programs/graduate-to-opportunity/
Innovate to Opportunity (ITO)
A new provincial program will help recent graduates with advanced degrees start their careers with Nova Scotia businesses.
ITO helps well-educated young people find meaningful jobs in Nova Scotia while helping businesses become more innovative and export oriented. A funding incentive is offered to SME employers to hire recent Masters and PhD graduates for jobs that are focused on research, innovation and exports. Employers receive funding for a 3- year period, and can be eligible to receive funding of up 50% of a new grad’s first year salary.
James Craig of Rimot recently hired Walter Thekkekara, a master’s graduate of Dalhousie’s Computer Science program. “This program will help us put jobs in place for new grads that we may have not been able to afford before, and give us the opportunity to develop and retain new talent,” says James.
Walter is grateful to have found employment in his field here in Nova Scotia. “There is great talent coming out of local graduate programs in Nova Scotia, and this initiative will encourage science and tech companies to retain talent within the province,” says Walter.
For more information on the ITO program and how to apply visit: https://novascotia.ca/programs/innovate-to-opportunity/
Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI)
WIPSI provides funding to companies to encourage them to invest in employee skills development including certification, new technology, productivity improvements, and increased international competitiveness. Learn more here: https://novascotia.ca/programs/workplace-innovation-productivity-skills-incentive/
SkillsonlineNS
https://www.coursepark.com/ns
SkillsonlineNS offers free learning for Nova Scotia businesses, and offers valuable skills training to employees and managers. Employers have the option of setting up free learning networks or assigning training modules to their staff in courses such as Financial Management, Supply Chain, Getting ready series, Human Resource Management and Social Media.
Originally posted by Chris Shannon of the Cape Breton Post.
SYDNEY, N.S. — The federal government announced Thursday it’s spending money in Cape Breton in the hope more small- and medium-sized businesses begin exporting their products and services outside the province.
The two-year, $135,326 pilot program managed by the Cape Breton Partnership is called the export growth service of the Think Export NOW (Navigating Opportunities Worldwide) program.
The grant from Ottawa will identify and assist businesses across the island interested in exporting and how to manoeuvre through the bureaucratic red tape to do so.
Click here to read the original post.
Cape Breton Partnership receives Government of Canada investment to deliver export program for Cape Breton Island
June 28, 2018 – Sydney, NS – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
When a business sells its products and services in international markets, it creates wealth here at home, helping to expand the economy. That is why the Government of Canada is investing $136,326 in the Cape Breton Partnership to deliver the Think Export N.O.W. (Navigating Opportunities Worldwide) program. This program identifies and assists local businesses interested in exporting to new global markets.
The funding was announced today by the Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
This two-year project supports the Cape Breton Partnership as it helps to improve access to export opportunities for businesses on Cape Breton Island. Working alongside an Advisory Council, the Partnership will work to build the export readiness of Cape Breton based businesses. Think Export N.O.W activities include events, training, round-table discussions, and strategy development.
This non-repayable contribution, through ACOA’s Business Development Program, allows the Cape Breton Partnership to work with the private sector to address barriers to export, to develop an industry database, and to offer export related training to companies interested in development and growth.
Today’s investment builds on commitments made by the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic Provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, which aims to build on Atlantic Canada’s competitive advantages, such as its strong export potential, its growing innovation ecosystem and its skilled workforce.
Quotes:
“By connecting Canadian businesses with global consumers, we will be able to maintain our competitive edge in the fast-paced international marketplace. Our future depends on our ability to collaborate with government and other stakeholders toward a more vibrant, entrepreneurial, innovative and globally competitive region where Canadians thrive and prosper.”
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA
“Long-term economic growth and sustainability in communities across Atlantic Canada rely on the development of emerging and value-added sectors’ ability to access international markets. The Cape Breton Partnership has established itself as a champion for our Island’s private sector by bringing people together, sharing ideas, and creating new opportunities for business growth. Increasing our capacity for export will help Cape Breton face the challenges of today and tomorrow and ensure that the benefits of a growing economy are felt by more and more people across the Island.”
– The Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria
“The Cape Breton Partnership focuses our efforts on implementing projects and activities that will foster new growth and opportunities for the people that live and work in Cape Breton. Think Export N.O.W will give businesses in Cape Breton the tools and resources needed to access new markets, raise the value of our exports and attract more foreign investment to the Island. The Partnership is grateful to have the support of ACOA as we continue to unite the private sector and improve our local economy by showing that Cape Breton is truly open for business.”
– Carla Arsenault, President & CEO, Cape Breton Partnership
Quick facts
• The Think Export N.O.W. Advisory Council is made up of members of the local private sector, all levels of government, academic institutions, and First Nations. As of 2018, the Partnership has offices across Cape Breton including: Sydney; Port Hawkesbury; Baddeck; Arichat; St. Peter’s; Ingonish; and Strathlorne.
• The Partnership has 16 staff members in offices across the Island.
• The Partnership has over 150 private sector investors.
• In June 2015, the Partnership started a quarterly business publication called Elevate Magazine.
Contacts:
Alex Smith
Director of Communications and Outreach
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Phone: 902-426-9417 / 902-830-3839 (cell)
E-mail: alex.smith@canada.ca
Carla Arsenault
President & CEO
Cape Breton Partnership
Phone: 902-562-0122 / 902-577-2455
Email: carla@capebretonpartnership.com
Website: www.capebretonpartnership.com
(CAPE BRETON, NS) – On Thursday, June 21st community members, business leaders, and government officials convened at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck for an Innovation Ceilidh celebrating the Province of Nova Scotia’s investment in growing our economy through innovation and entrepreneurship. Hosted by the Government of Nova Scotia with support from collaborative partners including the Cape Breton Partnership, Cape Breton University, the Halifax Partnership, Dalhousie University, and the Nova Scotia Community College, the Innovation Ceilidh showcased how Nova Scotia is emerging as one the most vibrant places for innovation in North America.
As part of the Innovation Ceilidh, the Cape Breton Partnership launched a new initiative, Creative Island, which is an effort to advance the innovation-driven entrepreneurial system in Cape Breton by creating a culture and environment that values and supports creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. With support from Cape Breton University and the Province of Nova Scotia, Creative Island emphasizes celebrating Cape Breton’s rich creative past and present, developing and supporting programs, services and infrastructure to support and grow the innovative capacity of Cape Bretoners and Cape Breton companies, and attracting and retaining more creative people in Cape Breton.
“As Cape Breton’s private sector-led economic development organization, the Cape Breton Partnership is excited to be working with our partners on this project and position Cape Breton as a world-class leader for innovation, economic growth and sustainable business,” says Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “Creative Island works to bring together stakeholders and business leaders from across the island and beyond to build on our remarkable assets and help transform Cape Breton into the most creative place on earth.”
The three main areas of focus for Creative Island include: growing and celebrating a culture that values creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship; increasing the ability of entrepreneurs, inventors, makers, creators, and companies to be more innovative; and fostering creativity, creative courage and attracting and keeping creative people in Cape Breton.
“In the past 5 years there has been considerable growth in the start-up community,” says Anna Manley, lawyer at Manley Law Inc. and Founder of Advocate Cognitive Technologies Inc (ACTI). “This influx is fueled mostly by people’s natural drive for collaboration but has also been supported by more organized efforts, like the Innovation Districts.”
To learn more about Creative Island or if you want to get involved, visit www.thecreativeisland.com.
Media Contact:
Carla Arsenault
President & CEO
Cape Breton Partnership
902-562-0122 / 902-577-2455
carla@capebretonpartnership.com
Originally posted by Jeremy Fraser of the Cape Breton Post.
BADDECK, N.S. — Rebecca Dunphy was a volunteer at a summer camp for people with disabilities, some of whom required the use of wheelchairs.
It was then she realized she could help those with disabilities by starting her own business.
“We would go on little hikes and there was a little museum down the road (from the camp) and we would take the campers there,” said Dunphy, 24, from Whycocomagh.
“I saw how difficult it was to get inside the building because the ramp was around the back or there was a lot of gravel in front — it would take three of us pulling the chair to get them inside — the campers were upset and embarrassed, which I didn’t feel was right.”