A Year of jobsHere
NOTE: The following is an op-ed piece by Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Percy Paris. To watch a video of Mr. Paris go to http://gov.ns.ca/econ/
A year ago, on Nov. 23, the province introduced a plan to help create good jobs and grow the economy. A plan that would put an end to 20 years of slow economic growth and the inability to keep up with an increasingly competitive global market. A plan that would do things differently. That plan was jobsHere.
jobsHere is our plan to help businesses be innovative, train, and compete.
The government recognized that to be prosperous, we need to help people learn the right skills for good jobs, grow the economy through innovation, and help businesses be more competitive globally.
A year in, we have already supported the startup and growth of hundreds of companies all over the province.
More than 175 businesses are making productivity improvements and becoming more competitive through investments in new equipment or training for their employees with financial assistance from PIP, the jobsHere Productivity Investment Program.
A.F. Theriault and Son Ltd. is a good example. The Meteghan River boatbuilding company used $10,000 in PIP funding to help purchase sophisticated equipment that more accurately aligns the engines and propulsion shafts on their vessels. The company is now able to build larger, higher-quality boats that they are selling across Canada and internationally.
BioMedica Diagnostics Inc., a medical devices company based in Windsor, purchased new equipment with $193,000 in PIP funding to modernize and automate its manufacturing facility. The equipment also allowed BioMedica Diagnostics to complete larger lot sizes, helping them compete for major orders with large international medical supply companies within North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
jobsHere is also investing in "high value" sectors which have tremendous growth potential and pay high salaries, such as ocean technology and financial services, for market studies and research and development. A $24 million Clean Technology Fund is bolstering support for green tech companies.
Over the last year, jobsHere investments have supported jobs in every part of the province, including: $10 million to LED Roadway Lighting, supporting 210 jobs in Amherst; $8.8 million to Shelburne Ship Repair, supporting 60 jobs; and $1.5 million to Ledwidge Lumber, supporting 50 jobs in Enfield.
Our jobsHere plan will help the province take full advantage of the tremendous opportunities that come with Irving's winning bid to build Canada's new combat vessel fleet.
These contracts will create up to 11,500 jobs in the province during peak years, creating opportunities for workers and suppliers in all areas of Nova Scotia.
This is a defining moment in Nova Scotia's history and the provincial government will continue to support the Irving Shipbuilding bid by helping Nova Scotians learn the trades and skills needed to fill the thousands of opportunities, both direct and indirect jobs, that lie ahead.
The jobsHere Workforce Strategy, which was just launched on Tuesday, Nov. 22, will further help Nova Scotians get the right skills for good jobs.
The bottom line is, we are in the business of creating a better economy. And we are doing just that with jobsHere.
Investment after investment, jobsHere has proven that it is working, and we will continue to put this plan into action.