August 24, 2022 Halifax, Nova Scotia Employment and Social Development Canada
Canada's economic recovery is well underway. We have recovered 115% of the jobs lost during pandemic. In fact, our economic growth is beginning to outpace the ability of some employers to find workers. The country has faced shifting demographics, new technologies, and different practices, such as gig and part-time work. New sectors like green technology are growing rapidly. The ways we work, such as teleworking and digitalization, are creating more options for people. Now, more than ever, it's critical that workers have the foundational and transferable skills they need to adapt, and thrive in the evolving workforce of today.
Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced that the Government of Canada is investing over $3.7 million to Digital Nova Scotia through the Skills for Success program. Digital Nova Scotia's Skills for Hire Atlantic project will provide skills training for 1500 participants across the four Atlantic provinces on the skills that employers are seeking in the tech industry. These short-term courses on data analytics and web development will help participants enter or rejoin the tech fields with an industry recognized certification.
With this federal funding, Digital Nova Scotia will also develop a digital platform to support learning through online courses and workshops, as well as establishing support systems for students through tutoring, industry mentorships and partnerships to foster their professional development.
The Government of Canada launched the Skills for Success program in 2021, with a focus on nine foundational and transferable skills that Canadians need to participate, adapt and thrive in learning, work and life. They include foundational skills like writing, reading and numeracy, and socio-emotional skills - the human skills required for effective social interaction, such as collaboration, communication, problem solving, adaptability, and creativity and innovation.
The Skills for Success program is part of the Government of Canada's ongoing effort to address the immediate and long-term training needs, particularly for under-represented groups in the labour market, including Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and racialized Canadians. The projects funded by the Skills for Success program will contribute to an estimated 90,000 skills training opportunities, helping deliver on the Government's commitment to create 500,000 new training and work opportunities for Canadians.
