News Bulletin - August 2020
Like the iconic iceberg, there’s more to see and understand when it comes to the workforce innovation research projects funded through the NL Workforce Innovation Centre (NLWIC) and to the workforce innovators in Newfoundland and Labrador who are leading them. So learn more from the links and follow us, follow our projects, engage @NLWIC #tipoftheiceberg or download our brochure here. 
Newfoundland and Labrador’s labour market is facing a number of challenges including a declining and aging population and technological change which requires new and innovative approaches to increasing the talent pool available to meet the needs of employers, individuals and communities in the province. That involves taking a multi-pronged approach to growing the participation of groups under-represented in the labour market including older workers. This research project led by the St. John’s Board of Trade looks at barriers, potential contribution of older workers to the labour market, employer attitudes, and recommendations to remove barriers and increase labour force participation.
Workers hit by Covid-19 need funding for rapid skills development.

As the next step in our pandemic response plan, this $15-million call for proposals for labour market innovations is to help build resiliency in the face of social and economic shock.

The objective of this call is to support all industries with challenges to mitigate, and also looks for new opportunities that can be further leveraged, accelerating skills training to help many navigate an evolving job market.

FSC is seeking proposals for activities such as research, network development and innovation pilots that target sectors, regions, and populations facing pressing needs and recognize emerging opportunities that examine new insights and models across three levels of the skills ecosystem.
As digital technologies transform our economy, employees, employers and policy-makers have new opportunities to revolutionize the way we work.

To appreciate what this means for Canadians, and to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the transition to the digital economy, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Future Skills Centre are launching a Knowledge Synthesis Grant competition — the first partnership of this kind — on  Skills and Work in the Digital Economy

By synthesizing existing knowledge, successful applicants will identify research strengths and gaps on the nature of work in the digital economy. Up to 35 grants will be awarded, each valued at $30,000 for one year.

Working in the Digital Economy is one of  16 future challenge areas  identified through  Imagining Canada’s Future , a SSHRC initiative that mobilizes research on critical topics to address Canada’s long-term societal challenges and inform a better future for Canadians.
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster has launched its July 2020 Call for Proposals under its Accelerated Ocean Solutions Program (AOSP). Through the ASOP, the OSC will continue to invest in smaller projects that can be completed in less than two years.

This will supplement the OSC’s core programs in Technology Leadership and Innovation Ecosystem, and is intended to trigger additional industry investment in innovation, capacity-building, and helping build resilience in the ocean economy.
Corner Brook will soon be home to a centre that will support research and development, business diversification and a stronger culture of innovation and entrepreneurship throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
 
Funding from the Government of Canada, the Provincial Government departments of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation, Advanced Education, Skills and Labour and Fisheries and Land Resources, the City of Corner Brook, as well as Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd. (CBPPL), is making it possible for Grenfell Campus-Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic (CNA), to embark on a major renovation and research initiative. 

(Copyright College of the North Atlantic News July 27, 2020 )
On June 25 2020, ANC held its annual Diversity Summit as a virtual event. The event's theme was: Promoting Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism in Businesses and Communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In this segment we hear from a panel on Multiculturalism in Businesses and Communities.

Participants are:
Moderator: Sharon McLennon, Director, NL Workforce Innovation Centre, CNA
Panelist: Pam Anstey, Executive Director, St. John’s Farmers’ Market
Panelist: Dr. Tony Fang, Full Professor & the Stephen Jarislowsky Chair in Cultural and Economic Transformation, Memorial University
Panelist: Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe, Founder & CEO, Sharing Our Cultures
Panelist: Colin Krulicki, Regional Vice President, RBC
How Better Skills Data Can Help Canadian Sectors
This month we’ve added  occupational outlooks  to our online labour market encyclopedia,  WorkWords . In this entry we explain their purpose and use, and provide detailed methodologies for 10 different federal, provincial and territorial occupational outlooks in Canada.
To Our Readers
 
Thank you, reader, for your continued support during these trying times. If there is something specific you’d like to see from us, email  nlwic@nlwic.ca  or tag us at  @nlwic on Twitter.