Paulette HIcks of Envision Saint John and PETL Minister Trevor Holder took part in a Port Days panel on Tuesday (Image: video capture)
A planned expansion in capacity at Port Saint John brings about a corresponding need for workers.
It was the focus of a panel discussion during Port Days, which was held virtually on Tuesday.
Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister (PETL) Trevor Holder referred to a five-year agreement with the Saint John Learning Exchange, which he thinks could help the port as it seeks new employees.
“Now we’ve got a five-year agreement in place with the [Saint John] Learning Exchange with actual targets. A lot of the work they do will help with the opportunity that’s come before us at the Port in the next number of years,” Holder said.
Holder said we need to see a day where high school graduates see working at the port as a way to buy a home, raise a family and spend their lives in Saint John,
Meanwhile, Paulette Hicks said the challenge is workforce development; attracting and retaining homegrown talent.
The CEO of Envision Saint John thinks Holder has done a good job at demonstrating the appetite for alignment with their partners.
“Whether that is with the province of New Brunswick, specifically with Minister Holder’s department, with PETL and Working New Brunswick, but also other partners whether it’s the New Brunswick Community College, UNBSJ, the [Saint John] Learning Exchange and our private sector partners,” Hicks said.
Hicks said Envision Saint John wants to bring openness and collaboration to the entire region.
.”This opportunity (for workforce growth) is the largest of my lifetime” – Honourable Trevor Holder, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training & Labour on growth at Port Saint John. Panel with @Gov_NB & @EnvisionGSJ pic.twitter.com/XzsnjnSryD
— Port Saint John (@PortSaintJohn) June 8, 2021
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