The Halifax Chamber of Commerce is pleased to partner with Labour, Skills and Immigration (LSI) to highlight their resources, funding opportunities, and programs for our members.
Hiring Incentives
LSI has a number of programs to save you money as you strengthen your business with new talent.
- The Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) program provides 25% of the first year's salary - 35% if the new hire is a member of a diversity group - and 12.5% of the second year's salary when you hire a recent university or college grad for a permanent, full-time job.
- The Innovate To Opportunity program provides 3 years of salary subsidies for hiring masters and PhD grads for innovation-focused work.
- The Co-op Education Incentive offsets the cost of hiring post-secondary students for co-op placements in your organization.
- The START program offers a combination of wage, onboarding and training incentives to help you hire an unemployed Nova Scotian.
Learn more at https://novascotia.ca/grow-your-business/ or call us at 902 424 6000 or 1–800 –424-5418.
Watch the recording of the "Small Business Support Series: Hiring Incentives to Help You Grow Your Business" HERE.
Training Supports
A sure-fire way of improving productivity is by upskilling your employees. LSI has Business Workforce Consultants to help with HR planning, workforce development programs and a trove of free training resources.
- Workplace Education helps you assess the learning needs of your business and organize and deliver education and training programs.
- The Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive (WIPSI) provides money for training and certification to improve productivity and competitiveness.
- SkillsOnlineNS provides easy access to hundreds of free online courses for employers and workers, from software applications to customer service, business writing to finance.
Find out about all of our hiring and training incentives at novascotia.ca/grow-your-business/
Watch the recording of the "Small Business Support Series: Training Incentives to Help You Grow Your Business" HERE.
Apprenticeship
If your business employs workers in the skilled trades, apprenticeship is one of the best investments you can make. The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency can make it easier.
- The Apprenticeship START program provides funding to eligible employers who employ and support Nova Scotians through their apprenticeship program. Funding for a four-year apprenticeship can be $25,000 to $30,000, depending on location and if the apprentice is from an underrepresented group. nsapprenticeship.ca
Watch the recording of the "Small Business Support Series: How Apprenticeship Can Work for Your Business" HERE.
Safety Support
Safety makes a difference in everyone’s lives and is important for your business’ peace of mind, reputation and its bottom line. The Safety branch can help with any questions or concerns about health and safety in workplaces, and technical safety of regulated equipment in public places. We value the opportunity to speak about safety and encourage people to call to ensure they have current and accurate information for their business and their workers.
- Please call 1-800-LABOUR (1-800-952-2687) or email LAESafetyBranch@novascotia.ca.
- The Safety Branch can also provide tools and supports to encourage a strong safety culture within your business such as guidance around prevention of COVID-19 in the workplace: https://novascotia.ca/working-during-covid and the Small Business Safety Toolkit: http://workplace-safety-toolkit
Watch the recording of the "Small Business Support Series: Covid-19 - A Workplace Hazard - Lessons Learned" HERE.
Labour Services
As an employer, you have certain rights and responsibilities under labour and employment laws. We have experts to answer questions, help you avoid labour and employment-related problems, and services to help you resolve disputes.
- For questions about rights and responsibilities under the Labour Standards Code, call 1-888-315-0110
- If your workplace is unionized and you need dispute-resolution support, visit https://novascotia.ca/lae/conciliation/
Watch the recording of the "Small Business Support Series: Labour Standards in 2020" HERE.