Contents | Previous | Next  Strategic Directions Labour Force Ensure the labour force is able to take advantage of opportunities Our strength is our people. “Human capital,” our collection of skills and training, is as important as our financial or infrastructure capital. In a knowledge-based economy, human capital is key to Nova Scotia’s competitive advantage. We have a well-trained work force, but many Nova Scotians still lack the skills that will be required in the future. At the same time, many Nova Scotia businesses have difficulty finding qualified workers. These are the two sides of the labour force challenge, finding a balance between the demand for labour by Nova Scotia companies and the supply generated by institutions. The Nova Scotia Community College is a key institution for this strategy’s focus on demand/business-driven initiatives. Provincial economic development organizations will work with the Department of Education and the Nova Scotia community college system to respond to business and citizen needs in training and lifelong learning. Success will see more Nova Scotians in full-time, high-paying sustainable work. Issue Actions/Next Steps Matching employment Better match business needs with training programs; opportunities and training encourage business, labour, and educational institutions to plan jointly to ensure that an adequate supply of appropriately trained workers is available for key industries; provide information on workplace trends, skill requirements, and training opportunities to assist in matching workers to jobs; maintain labour force information for potential investors; develop an innovative “just-in-time” business training and skills assessment program Youth Launch Opportunity Knocks, a youth employment and development strategy, which focuses on education, experience, and information, to help deal with “brain drain” and other youth employment concerns Immigration Finalize an agreement with the federal government to ensure Nova Scotia is able to benefit from a strong immigration policy that includes ways to attract entrepreneurs and skilled businesspeople Barriers/inclusion Identify and work to remove skills and training barriers, especially low levels of literacy, that prevent people from finding jobs; identify barriers that impede participation in economic development by women, Aboriginal people, visible minorities, and people with disabilities, and aggressively tackle those where government has influence Employers Support efforts to increase the skills of business owners and managers Measuring Progress—Provincial economic development organizations will work with lead departments to advance improved co-operation among labour market partners, including the private sector, educational institutions, and community organizations. Education. As the developer of human capital, education is an engine for economic growth and social development. It assists business and industry in achieving their goals. It is the means by which people can take advantage of economic opportunities, enabling them to increase their income, self-sufficiency and social development. Education, skills and training of Nova Scotians are key to the province’s competitive advantage. Our public education system needs to be strongly supported—160,000 young people depend on it. We know that high school completion is the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and we are moving forward with initiatives to strengthen that foundation. Ensuring that our population is literate and ready for labour market challenges is critical to economic growth and prosperity. We will work to ensure that our young people have the necessary literacy skills to make successful transitions from school to work, and we will develop intervention strategies where needed. In addition, government will undertake an initiative that will allow adults to earn their high school diploma in a flexible manner, thereby enabling them to gain the skills required for success in the labour market. Our post-secondary systems are strong and growing. The Nova Scotia Community College and Collège de l’Acadie are working to meet the needs of business and help to ensure the competitiveness of the province. Nova Scotia has a well-developed and highly regarded university system serving Nova Scotia students, and students from across Canada and around the world. Our universities are lead players in research. We must strengthen the link between business need and support for academic research. The university system must be strongly supported if we are to prosper as a knowledge-based economy. Through the public school system, colleges, and universities, the Department of Education will ensure that Nova Scotians have access to a first-class education system. A strategy to support learning across the lifespan will be developed to foster continuous learning and skill development in formal and informal settings. Forums will address ways to meet existing and future skills requirements. Those ways include large-scale development initiatives, apprenticeships, distance learning, and training as a business recruitment tool. Goals will include working with learning partners to ensure development of a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. Efforts will acknowledge that economic growth requires both education and opportunities. Education without opportunities will only accelerate the brain drain. Contents:   Contents Premier’s Message Minister’s Message Introduction What We Heard What We Learned Where We Want to Go How We Will Get There  Strategic Directions    - Business Climate    - Infrastructure    - Innovation    - Labour Force    - Investment    - Exports    - Regional Capacity  Vital Economic Sectors    - Foundation Industries    - Growth Opportunities Making It Happen  Nova Scotia Business Inc.  Nova Scotia Economic Development Agency Measuring Progress Home Highlights | Strategy | News Release | Background | Feedback Form  Comments to comm@gov.ns.ca | Privacy Statement Copyright © 2006, Government of Nova Scotia, All Rights Reserved.