Jeremy Martell, Author at Cape Breton Partnership

(SYDNEY, NS) – The Cape Breton Partnership, in collaboration with the NextGen Unama’ki Leadership Society, is pleased to present the seventh annual Vital Cape Breton Excellence Awards on Sunday December 13, 2020, but this year will be celebrated virtually.

The Vital Awards celebrate individuals between the ages of 16 – 40 who have made a significant impact in their community or workplace. The Awards also honour employers who recognize the importance of giving youth and young professionals meaningful work experience. After receiving numerous nominations, the winners for each category for the 2020 Vital Awards will be announced live on Facebook on Sunday.

“This year’s winners are all incredible and vital to Cape Breton,” says NextGen Unama’ki co-chair Allison MacDonald. “We have such a variety of talent and commitment to Cape Breton’s prosperity, it’s our honour to celebrate these people in our community.”

Although the celebration will be virtual this year, the committee is hoping it will allow more attendees to join in to celebrate the winners.

“We are celebrating virtually and that’s very fitting for 2020,” said Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “A year like none other has created challenges, but also opportunities for young people in our community. We’ve seen people step up to the plate time after time and demonstrate resilience in a time of global uncertainty. The Vital Awards is just one way we can acknowledge their commitment to Cape Breton-Unamak’i and we’re proud of what they’ve accomplished.”

The Cape Breton Partnership and the NextGen Unama’ki Leadership Society invite you to join them in celebrating Cape Breton’s youth and their employers at the Virtual Vital Awards from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday December 13, 2020. You can tune in on Facebook live through the NextGen Cape Breton Unama’ki’s Facebook page. For more information about the Vital Cape Breton Excellence Awards, visit the NextGen Cape Breton website.

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Media Contacts:
Allison MacDonald, NextGen Unama’ki co-chair
allisonvmacdonald@gmail.com
902-304-7191

Erin Gallagher Lynk, NextGen Unama’ki co-chair
erin@unitedwaycapebreton.com
902-595-0045

Cape Breton Island, NS – After a week-long online voting period, the Cape Breton Partnership’s Connector Program has announced the top 3 winners for the Hire Me Cape Breton Pitch Competition that showcases the Island’s top talent. The top 3 winners are Tham Le in third place winning $200, Chandrayog Yadav in second place winning $300, and Ayha El-Darahali who has won the top prize of $1,000.

The top six pitches were chosen by a selection committee of local professionals and were then voted on by the public. The online voting portion of the contest opened on November 16,2020 and closed at 11:59 P.M. ADT on November 23,2020. A total of 1,433 votes were cast through an online platform where the public could watch the top 6 videos and submit their vote.

“This contest has been an excellent opportunity to engage the Island’s employers with these talented individuals,” says Carla Arsenault, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “We are very pleased with the community’s involvement in the voting process and look forward to seeing the opportunities that lie ahead for the participants.”

Hire Me Cape Breton highlighted Cape Breton’s top talent through exposure to Cape Breton employers by inviting students approaching graduation, new graduates, newcomers, and job seekers to submit a 60-second video pitch. Using the video to tell local employers why they should be their next hire, participants uploaded video submissions to YouTube and submitted the video link through the official submission portal at www.HireMeCapeBreton.com.

“It is an honour to be given the opportunity to showcase my skills among the top talent in Cape Breton,” says Ayha El-Darahali, the top prize winner of Hire Me Cape Breton. “This competition provided me with the opportunity to connect with my fellow Capers and local employers on a broader scale. I believe this opportunity will be essential in helping me achieve my goal of giving back to my community through my work.”

All submitted videos which met our criteria will be shared on the Cape Breton Connector Program’s Facebook page in the coming weeks to offer all participants an opportunity to be seen by hiring organizations on the Island. To watch the top six video submissions, visit www.HireMeCapeBreton.com The Cape Breton Partnership also launched the Cape Breton Job Board this summer for local employers looking to promote vacant jobs or job seekers looking for employment on Cape Breton Island. The job board can be found at www.capebretonjobboard.com.

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Media Contacts:
Mark Inglis
Cape Breton Partnership
902-578-2482
Mark@capebretonpartnership.com

About the Cape Breton Partnership:
The Cape Breton Partnership is Unama’ki – Cape Breton’s private sector-led economic development organization that supports companies and entrepreneurs by promoting our island as a great place to live and invest; growing a culture that values and celebrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship; and connecting entrepreneurs and companies to the resources they need to succeed. For more information, visit https://capebretonpartnership.com.

Ayha El-Darahali, the top prize
winner of the Hire Me Cape Breton Pitch Competition.

Cape Breton Island, NS – After an overwhelming response for submissions, the Cape Breton Partnership’s Connector Program has chosen six finalists for the Hire Me Cape Breton Pitch Competition that showcases Cape Breton Island’s top talent. Originally intended for five finalists, the high-quality submissions inspired the selection panel to choose six individuals to advance to the final round of the competition.

The top six pitches have been chosen by a selection committee of local professionals. Starting November 16^th, the contest is now in its final phase and voting is open to the public to choose who will win the top three prizes of $1,000, $300, and $200 respectively. The online voting will close on Monday, November 23^rd at 11:59 P.M. ADT.

“We are very pleased with the amount of high-quality submissions that we’ve received,” says Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “Although it was difficult to narrow down the finalists, this only proves the amount of talent that exists on our Island. It is a great opportunity for these six individuals to gain exposure that will help them establish their professional networks here in Cape Breton.”

Hire Me Cape Breton highlights Cape Breton’s top talent through exposure to Cape Breton employers by inviting students approaching graduation, new graduates, newcomers, and job seekers to submit a 60 second video pitch. Using the video to tell local employers why they should be their next hire, participants uploaded video submissions to YouTube and submitted the video link through the official submission portal at www.HireMeCapeBreton.com.

“We know that, in spite of the global pandemic, we have new graduates and hopeful job seekers ready to connect with Cape Breton companies,” says Cape Breton Connector Program Coordinator Robyn Lee Seale. “Hire Me Cape Breton is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent to the entire Island and for the Island to see just how much talent we have.”

To watch the top six video submissions and cast your vote, visit www.HireMeCapeBreton.com The Cape Breton Partnership also launched the Cape Breton Job Board this summer for local employers looking to promote vacant jobs or job seekers looking for employment on Cape Breton Island. The job board can be found at www.capebretonjobboard.com.

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Media Contacts:
Mark Inglis
Cape Breton Partnership
902-578-2482
Mark@capebretonpartnership.com

All six candidates, from left to right are
Top: Brian Dang, Tham Le, Ayha El-Darahali
Bottom: Chandrayog Yadav, Rachel Leck, Kelly MacIsaac

Cape Breton Island – Following Cape Breton University’s announced plans for the Centre for Discovery and Innovation, President David Dingwall will headline a luncheon and presentation on November 12.

Hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership and Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Our Island. Our Future: A Lunch with President Dingwall will explore details about the Centre for Discovery and Innovation and the ways in which residents and the business community can help to create a prosperous future for Cape Breton Island.

“This is not just a building,” says Dingwall. “This is an anchor to assist the community in reaching its goal of growing the population of Cape Breton Island.”

The Centre for Discovery and Innovation is a shovel ready infrastructure project that will have the power to ensure CBU’s sustainability and impact into the future. The Centre will be a modern research and instructional facility featuring cutting-edge design and clean technology, enabling CBU to attract the brightest minds from Cape Breton Island and around the world. The Centre will be home to state-of-the-art research and training and will facilitate industry partnerships that create local solutions for global problems. For more information on the Centre for Discovery and Innovation, visit https://innovateourfuture.ca/.

Our Island. Our Future: A Lunch with President Dingwall will take place at 12 noon on Thursdsay, November 12, 2020, at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion in Sydney. This will be a ticketed event. To register for the luncheon, please visit https://ourislandourfuture.eventbrite.ca or phone the Chamber at 902-564-6453. Ticket sales will close on Tuesday, November 10.

As per Province of Nova Scotia public health restrictions, COVID-19 protocols will be strictly followed. All attendees will be required to wear a mask unless they are seated at their table and social distancing will be built into the seating arrangements.

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Media Contacts:
Jeremy Martell
Cape Breton Partnership
902-631-5442
jeremy@capebretonpartnership.com

Kathleen Yurchesyn
Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce
902-578-4029
kathleen@cbregionalchamber.ca

About the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce:
The Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce is a private-sector led, not-for-profit, non-partisan membership organization. The Chamber works as a catalyst for business growth by listening to and advocating for their members’ needs, and creating a strong business community through collaboration, networking, advocacy, education and celebration. For more information, visit https://www.cbregionalchamber.ca/.

On October 22, the Cape Breton Partnership hosted “Tourism Now”, a webinar developed for Cape Breton Island’s tourism businesses.

The webinar introduces the resources available through the Tourism Seasonality & Labour Project, showcasing tools, training, and programs to help strengthen Cape Breton’s tourism workforce and visitor experience. The webinar will be held on the Zoom virtual platform and will also include a question-answer period and a Tourism Rocks! presentation aimed at encouraging Nova Scotians to become local tourism ambassadors. Webinar hosts also tuned in live from the Lakes at Ben Eoin Golf Club and Resort.

Hundreds of training modules, courses, and certificates are available through the Tourism Seasonality & Labour Project, an initiative supported by the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia. Training opportunities range from one to two-hour learning modules to e-Cornell executive program courses and group training in online or in-person venues. Topics include food & beverage, customer service, bartending, supervisory skills, and more. Most of the training opportunities are being made available free of charge through this project, and others will have their costs significantly reduced.

For a full list of the project’s offerings, visit https://capebretonpartnership.com/initiatives/tourism-seasonality-and-labour-project-2020/. One-on-one consultation meetings with your local Economic Development Officer can also be requested by emailing info@capebretonpartnership.com.

Click here for the slide deck presentation used in the session.