PROJEX Technologies Brings Jobs East

Young Nova Scotians out West, and those here at home, will have more opportunity to land good paying jobs in the province, thanks to a decision by an Alberta company to expand its workforce east.

PROJEX Technologies Ltd. is recruiting Nova Scotians who are working out West for its Halifax office, and will also hire and retain more engineering graduates to work in up to 440 new jobs over the next five years. The estimated average salary, in a range of positions, will be $90,000 plus benefits.

Premier Darrell Dexter made the announcement today, Nov. 7, at Dalhousie University, hosted by president Tom Traves.

"We want to keep our young people here at home and provide more opportunities for those who have moved away to come back," said Premier Dexter. "Working with companies like PROJEX is one way we can do this, together creating high-paying jobs of the future, so our young people can build a life here and help us turn the corner towards economic growth and prosperity."

PROJEX Technologies Ltd., headquartered in Calgary, is a privately owned engineering consulting firm specializing in the oil and gas industry. PROJEX has worked in the western energy market for more than 12 years.

Through NSBI, PROJEX identified Nova Scotia for a pilot office last year, over India and Calgary. The office will support western energy projects from Halifax.

"We see new engineering graduates from the Maritimes applying for jobs in Calgary every day," said Scott Richards, PROJEX president, Atlantic Region. "I am from Nova Scotia and it's great to be able to bring these opportunities back home. It is our intent to hire a mix of experienced engineers and new graduates.

"Our clients are out West, but we are committed to investing in our workforce here to support our work in the western energy market."

The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission reports engineering graduates from Nova Scotia universities has increased 17 per cent from 2007 to 2010.

"I was lucky to have the opportunity to do my co-op term here in Halifax at PROJEX," said Veronica Nicksy, a fourth-year engineering student from Dalhousie University. "The province is doing the right thing by helping bring in innovative companies like PROJEX that will give me and my classmates the opportunity to work in our field without having to make the difficult choice to leave home."

The 440 people working at PROJEX will earn almost $140 million, with benefits, over five years, money they can spend in their communities and to make life better for families.

The job creation over the five-year period would generate an estimated $18.2 million in direct tax revenue for the province.
In return for creating and retaining these jobs, PROJEX will earn up to $11.4 million. Overall, the province earns almost $7 million through this agreement.

"PROJEX is about hiring new graduates and retaining critical skills. We competed and we won these jobs for Nova Scotia," said Stephen Lund, president and CEO, NSBI. "Not only are we seeing up to 440 jobs created, but Nova Scotians will see a return on investment through the millions of dollars injected into the economy through payroll and the direct tax benefit, which far exceeds the provincial investment."

PROJEX's clients are from the Alberta energy sector, and include Suncor, Devon, EnCana, Cenovus, CNRL, Nexen, Husky Oil and Statoil.

"PROJEX is an example of the value our numerous local engineering firms add to our economy," said Barbara Pike, executive director, The Maritimes Energy Association. "Not only are they working on national and global jobs from local offices, they are hiring local firms from the local supply chain to help complete that work for those national and global clients.

"Our clusters of engineering firms are critically important to our region by adding new money to our economy."

PROJEX has started a campaign to encourage Nova Scotian engineers to come back to the Maritimes from western Canada. Interested applicants can apply at www.PROJEX.ca.

"Today's announcement is an excellent testament of the competitiveness of Halifax and its unique sustainable competitive advantage in engineering," said Paula Gallagher, chair, Halifax Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and a consulting partner at Deloitte. "We have considerable strength in the engineering sector; it makes good business sense to encourage businesses that fit well with the assets we have and build on those strengths."

PROJEX is a full-service engineering firm that delivers design, engineering, procurement and construction management for thermal in-situ heavy oil production and processing facilities in western Canada. PROJEX has offices in Calgary and Halifax. For more information, visit www.PROJEX.ca.

Nova Scotia Business Inc. is the province's private-sector-led business development agency. Through trade development, investment attraction, business financing and venture capital, NSBI assists local companies and attracts international companies to Nova Scotia. For more information, visit www.nsbi.ca.