The New Brunswick government is taking action aimed at overcoming the labour shortage in that province’s information technology (IT) sector. A recruiting and repatriation drive for qualified professionals will be held in Montreal on November 14 and in Ottawa on November 15.
Hundreds of jobs up for grabs
The Population Growth Secretariat will partner with New Brunswick’s Enterprise Network and Enterprise Greater Moncton to undertake the mission. Participating employers will have the opportunity to promote themselves and converse with experienced workers, students and recent graduates in the IT sector. Hundreds of jobs will be offered to interested candidates in the areas of online services, animation and video games, defence and aerospace, and technical support.
“This is the first mission undertaken by the government where we will provide potential recruits and former New Brunswickers with actual job opportunities within a booming sector,” said Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne, who is also Minister of the Population Growth Secretariat. “We expect it to have significant benefits for the province’s population growth efforts, which are a key component of our plan to make New Brunswick self-sufficient by 2026.“
Grow or leave
At the beginning of November, some 15 companies had confirmed their participation in these events, including Internet service provider Barrett Xplore; network security specialist Q1 Labs and Telisis Aviation System, to name but a few. About 20 other companies are expected to sign up for the event in the coming days. In 2006, 3.7% of the jobs posted by new start-ups went unfilled for at least four months.
“A lot of work was done in the 1990s to attract leading-edge companies to our province,” says Richard LeBlanc, executive director of New Brunswick’s Enterprise Network. “Today, these companies fear not being able to grow, or simply having to leave, because they don’t have enough employees or clients.” To attract labour, Minister Byrne is not hesitating to promote the “great opportunities” available to IT professionals who want to “advance their careers and improve their quality of life.“
The Montreal event is being held at the École de technologie supérieure, Université du Québec, 1100 Notre Dame West; the Ottawa event at the Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Dr. The events are being held in the areas of both cities with the highest concentration of IT professionals. Facilities will be available at each event for companies to conduct interviews. The events are also open to new recruiters looking to make good contacts—you are cordially invited, so don’t be shy!
Information: New Brunswick’s Enterprise Network – 506-453-6141