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As we move towards intelligent machines — which are creating enormous opportunities for every sector — we need different skills and talents to take advantage of it,” says Stackhouse. “Canadians entering the workforce over the next decade are going to need a foundation of skills that sets them up for many different jobs and roles, rather than a single career path.”
“We’re shifting from a ‘jobs economy’ to a ‘skills economy.’”
Stackhouse is one of the speakers lined up for the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Spring Dinner on May 2. He’ll be discussing the future of work, the skills revolution and how work-integrated learning can help.
“Employers have the opportunity to invest in talent and be a part of the skills revolution in order to be more competitive — both locally and globally,” says Stackhouse.
He believes students really do have the power to drive change in a business — but they must be used as critical players in an innovative ecosystem, not charity cases or backfill labour for menial tasks. He envisions a “circularity” existing between classrooms and workplaces.
“Students bring ideas, new ways of thinking, a curiosity and an energy level we need,” says Stackhouse. “We need to try to plug that into what we’re doing in our companies and send the student back to school where they hopefully continue to develop those ideas — and then come back to us.”
Work-integrated learning is something that Don Bureaux, President of NSCC, firmly supports. As we enter what many are calling “the fourth industrial revolution” — an economy defined by data, analytics, robotics and automation — he says post-secondary institutions and the business community will need to team up to create a different talent pool.
“In order to compete in the economy of tomorrow, the input of talent will be more critical than ever — and in order to provide the human capital we need for the economy of the future, it’s going to require closer ties between the post-secondary sector and the business community in the form of work-integrated learning,” says Bureaux, who is also speaking at the Spring Dinner on May 2.
“Students are the future supply of our human capital and their connection to the business community cannot wait until after graduation — it needs to happen early on in their education.”
Bureaux says work-integrated learning opportunities help students understand and appreciate what’s happening in the business community, while exposing employers to the region’s up-and-coming talent.
“Nova Scotia is blessed with 11 world-class post-secondary institutions, so we have a large supply of local talent. Collectively, we’re going to work to create opportunities for that labour supply and that labour demand to be connected,” says Bureaux. “Only together can we ensure that the economy has the human capital it needs to be successful.”
Bureaux says there’s such a diversity in work-integrated learning opportunities, from co-op terms and internships to applied research and innovation labs. He feels experiential learning “can almost be customized to the needs of the business” because post-secondary institutions are willing to be flexible and responsive to those needs.
“We’re going to require a continued close relationship with our business partners to make sure our students are given the opportunities to interact and to partner with the business community on a multitude of work-integrated learning opportunities,” says Bureaux. “Our talent must be able to compete with the best in the world — and I believe that it can.”
Sarah Young, Managing Partner with NATIONAL Atlantic and Talent Lead with AVENIR GLOBAL, says attracting the best people is a top challenge for any business — and it’s a competitive advantage for companies who excel at it.
“Businesses in Halifax are fortunate because we have access both to organizations that attract global citizens and to those that cultivate local talent,” says Young, who will also speak at the Spring Dinner on May 2. “Businesses who are attracting and developing top talent have strong relationships with universities and colleges, as well as connector organizations like the Halifax Partnership, Immigrant Settlement Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), Black Business Initiative, YMCA and the Province.”
Young empowers her teams to be on the lookout for potential new relationships and new ideas. She says it takes constant effort and focus to get beyond incrementality to fully embracing the opportunity and potential of a young, diverse workforce — but the companies who do are rewarded with an agile, engaged culture.
Primrose Watson moved from Sri Lanka to Canada 11 years ago, when she was 25. Despite having experience in sales, accounting and advertising, she spent her first few years in Canada working at a coffee shop.
“I came across a requirement from potential employers that I needed to have ‘Canadian work experience’ in order to be considered for a position and it was very disheartening,” says Watson. “Don’t discount someone’s work experience just because it’s not Canadian work experience, or else you may miss out on someone who’s incredibly talented.”
Watson eventually completed undergraduate and law degrees at Dalhousie University and is now articling at McInnes Cooper — where she was recently told she’s got a full-time job there after she finishes articling. During her speech at the Spring Dinner on May 2,
Watson will express gratitude for the employers who have welcomed her onto their teams.
“I appreciate that I am different. I have different ideas, suggestions, problem-solving abilities and perspectives — and they all add value to what I have to offer,” says Watson. “Imagine a workplace that embraces difference — and the unlimited potential for that workplace to continuously grow.”
While law firms are committed to hiring summer students as well as articling students, Young says there are many different ways to approach work-integrated learning opportunities — no matter your industry or the size of your business.
“I sometimes hear misgivings that co-ops or internships are too time consuming to manage, or don’t produce enough tangible benefits — but companies who learn to do these right will swear by them,” says Young.
She suggests business owners look at each work-integrated learning placement as an opportunity for your organization and then at what you’re providing for a student.
“A keen individual with a fresh perspective is going to come into your organization. How are you going to make the most of this precious time?” says Young. “They are likely reading different material, engaging with different audiences — possibly prospective customers — and playing in an innovative space. Perhaps, most importantly, this is an opportunity for you to scout and attract your future talent.”’
So how can business owners in Nova Scotia improve the way they create, attract and retain local talent? Stackhouse says they should start by developing a clear understanding of the skills they’ll need today, next year and five years in the future. They should also determine which foundational skills are valued in their organization, since hiring won’t always revolve around credentials or the ability to do a certain task as jobs change and disappear.
Rapid transformation in the electricity sector — new renewable energy and digital technologies, changes in public policy and evolving customer expectations — mean new career opportunities at Nova Scotia Power, says Karen Hutt, President & CEO of Nova Scotia Power.
“Acquiring the talent and building the team we need to serve customers today and into the future means broadening the skillsets and the perspectives of our workforce,” says Hutt. “We’re building those strengths by hiring recent graduates and promoting diversity and inclusion in our workforce. Having employees who reflect the diversity of our customers helps us better serve our customers. Our company and our sector wouldn’t be alone in this.”
Nova Scotia Power is purposely growing its corporate culture in this regard. NSP has a Diversity & Inclusion Network comprised of more than 80 of its 1,700 employees and has rolled out training to its employees across the province. Cultural occasions are celebrated at the company and passersby will notice the Mi’kmaq, Pan-African and Pride flags flying outside its waterfront offices during various diversity events.
To attract young and diverse talent, Nova Scotia Power has revamped its post-secondary scholarship program this year to better reflect diversity and inclusion in its criteria and categories. The company is also a steadfast participant in co-op and summer student programs, hiring 67 in 2018 and has approximately 90 apprentices in a variety of trades including Power Line Technicians, Power Engineers and a variety of other Red Seal and in-house apprenticeships.
Additionally, in 2017, NSP launched a newly designed program for junior engineers. To date, the company has hired 21 Engineers-in-Training working toward their professional engineering designations, 12 of whom are female. The program provides each participant with a mentor and supports them in growing key leadership and business skills.
“It’s a journey and we have more road ahead of us, but we have more employees under 30 and greater diversity — ethnic, cultural, gender, sexual — than we would have had a decade ago,” Hutt says. “We have women in positions they didn’t occupy previously, including my office, but this evolution of our workforce didn’t begin in my office and it doesn’t end there. Our commitment to change extends to our Board of Directors and our parent company Emera.”
Young believes local businesses need to elevate the focus on human capital as a central part of business planning in order to maintain a competitive advantage for what is coming next in the global knowledge economy.
“Top talent is more mobile than ever and the best people are choosing organizations and locations that offer the conditions for them to thrive, professionally and personally,” says Young. “We have students, newcomers and underserved communities in our midst with adaptability, in-demand skills, global insights and perspectives, digital fluency and intellectual agility.”
“If we can think about talent differently and re-organize ourselves, we can benefit from what they have to offer.”
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