Central New Brunswick Workforce Development

The Situation

Workforce development is a crucial economic development driver in communities globally. The New Brunswick Department of Post-Secondary Labour and Training (PETL) needed strategic direction to develop the workforce of the future for central New Brunswick.

Our Approach

Stiletto was engaged to develop the Workforce Strategy for Central New Brunswick. The client was seeking a strategic plan and roadmap to help bring together multiple organizations within the ecosystem to streamline activities and support for employers and employees to drive greater impact on helping to align the needs of employers with the availability of talent. The project included extensive stakeholder engagement with the Central Region Employment and Workforce (CREW) Committee members to ensure involvement and validation at the community level.

The Results

The project resulted in a detailed action plan and related activities to advance workforce development. The strategy launched in April 2022. The strategy group has engaged a full-time resource to mobilize the plan, and working groups to support employers and employees have been established and are ongoing.

The project included the achievement of the following:

• Ongoing engagement and outreach with the Steering Committee
• The development, distribution, and analysis of a survey to the business community
• The development, distribution, and analysis of a survey to existing and potential workers
• An asset mapping exercise to confirm existing activities, programs, and services available for employers and employees
• Interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders within industry, government, and academia
• The establishment of working groups in post-secondary education, and workforce placements
• The development of a series of toolkits to support both employees and employers
• The development of a 10-step process for employees and a 10-step process for employers
• An action and implementation plan outlining actions, activities, timelines, and resources
• Identification of key partners and the roles within the ecosystem to support employers and employees