Providers Selected to Lead New Employment Services System

The province is one step closer to increasing the number of frontline workers who help Nova Scotians find jobs.

Today, April 4, the province announced it has selected the organizations that will fight unemployment.

The province began working with service providers in November to redesign the $23-million employment services system to better meet the needs of job seekers and employers.

"We are committed to growing our economy and helping more Nova Scotians find work," said Labour and Advanced Education Minister Kelly Regan. "We need a system that will help get more Nova Scotians working."

In the current system, 53 per cent of the funding goes to administration and infrastructure. That number will drop to about 31 per cent in the new system as money is redirected to frontline services.

"All savings will be reinvested," said Ms. Regan. "We will use the money we save to place more people on the frontlines in the fight against unemployment."

The new system will include:

• increased focus on finding opportunities for youth and more effective support with businesses
• expansion of services for vulnerable populations across the province
• better access to services online and through mobile offices

"We feel this new delivery model is the best of its kind in Canada," said Jane Orrell, executive director of the Employability Association of Cape Breton. "The new system will provide consistent, quality employment services to all Nova Scotians who enter a career centre anywhere in the province."

To reduce administration and direct more money to frontline services, organizations partnered to reduce the number of contracts from 51 to less than 20. In most of the province, service providers worked together to submit joint proposals based on the needs of their region and communities.

In areas where providers did not reach an agreement, they submitted proposals and an evaluation committee recommended successful proponents.

"I want to thank our partners for working together to make the employment services system better for all Nova Scotians," said Ms. Regan.

In the new system, there will be about 75 employment services sites across the province, a reduction of about 10. However, the number of people working in the system will increase to more than 300 because more money will be spent on frontline services instead of administration.

Over the next few months, the province will work with the employment services providers to finalize their proposals and get contracts in place. It will be during this process that details like exact locations, budgets, and staffing will be determined. The new system will be launched on July 1. For more information on the organizations and a list of Careers Nova Scotia centres visit http://www.novascotia.ca/employmentnovascotia/programs/CNSC.asp .

Government has committed to growing the economy and creating more opportunities for youth in Nova Scotia. This includes the Graduate to Opportunity program, which helps recent graduates get their first job. For more information visit http://makeithere.novascotia.ca .