NB 120
Feb. 3. 2004
FREDERICTON (CNB) - Premier Bernard Lord will take a personal approach during the latest phase of the provincial government's Be.Here.Now. campaign to attract skilled expatriate New Brunswickers back to the province and keep current New Brunswickers apprised of job opportunities. The premier will host repatriation events in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto between Feb. 24 - 26, and will be joined by Training and Employment Development Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney and representatives from New Brunswick's employer community.
The events will highlight New Brunswick's Job Opportunities Link, which has attracted more than two million visitors and posted more than 5470 career-level opportunities since it was launched in 2003. The site is available at: http://www.nbjobs.ca.
"As highlighted in Greater Opportunity: New Brunswick's Prosperity Plan, one of the keys for the province's success will be in attracting and retaining skilled workers," Lord said. "Every jurisdiction throughout the country and around the world has labour shortages in such fields as knowledge industries and health, for example. For business in a province like ours, which faces a number of demographic issues, attracting the right employees can be a challenge. For those companies, this website has been a real benefit."
The premier will be joined at the repatriation events by Training and Employment Development Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney and representatives of New Brunswick employers in Vancouver on Feb. 24, Calgary on Feb. 25 and Toronto on Feb. 26.
"Our skilled expatriates, many of whom long to return home for family, friends and the lifestyle, are excited to learn there are all kinds of challenging careers waiting for them here in New Brunswick," Blaney said. "We are also very pleased to be accompanied by some key employers who will give that message in person."
Blaney said that attracting back former New Brunswickers is just one plank in an over-arching skills improvement plan focusing on training, retention, recruitment and repatriation.
Former New Brunswickers are being invited to the events via the website and through direct-mail sent to alumni by event partners Mount Allison University, St. Thomas University, l'Université de Moncton and the University of New Brunswick. Participants will enjoy a reception that gives them a nostalgic flavour of New Brunswick, as well as an in-depth look at the career opportunities available in the province.
Lord announced the Be.Here.Now. initiative in February 2003, launching the website in co-operation with CareerBeacon.com, an Atlantic Canadian Internet recruitment advertising service. CareerBeacon.com handles all the postings on the site. In addition to job postings, the website includes supporting material such as cost-of-living comparisons and information on health services, education, business and recreation. Career seekers can also sign up to receive a quarterly digital newsletter that informs them about career developments in New Brunswick, company expansions and new investments. As well, the site includes interactive features such as a job notifier, tell- a-friend and send-to-a-friend.
04/02/03
EDITOR'S NOTE: Interested companies wishing to register in the repatriation events, please contact Shannon Ker at 506-453-2694 or at shannon.ker@gnb.ca. Interested New Brunswickers wishing to participate in the events, following are the locations and times of the events. Please RSVP online at http://www.nbjobs.ca.
- Vancouver - Pan Pacific Hotel, 6 p.m.
- Calgary - Sheraton Eau Claire Hotel, 6 p.m.
- Toronto - Delta Chelsea Hotel, 6 p.m.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Chisholm Pothier, Office of the Premier, 506-444-2286; Shawn Hearn, Training and Employment Development, 506-453-2568; Sarah Ketcheson, Business New Brunswick, 506-444-4983.
04/02/03