News Release

SAINT JOHN (GNB) – The provincial government will invest $500,000 in Atlantic Human Services to support newcomers in the Saint John region.

“Your government wants to help newcomers get their feet on the ground and provide them with the resources they need to settle in New Brunswick and find employment,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault. “This funding will provide them with tools they need to do just that, while contributing to our province’s economic growth.”

The funding, over two years, will help the company develop employment action plans and provide employment counselling services to newcomers.

The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour’s Employment Assistance Services provides access to employment-related services for people facing barriers.

“Our team of employment counsellors is currently serving more than 200 newcomers and providing them with the knowledge, tools and support necessary to successfully integrate into the local Saint John area economy,” said Atlantic Human Services president and CEO Joffre Thériault. “This new funding will allow us to help even more newcomers find meaningful employment opportunities here in the Saint John area as they become active members of the community.”

The government also recently announced that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project is underway in New Brunswick. It is a three-year, employer-driven immigration program to attract and retain talented immigrants while supporting population growth and addressing labour shortages. The pilot project will welcome 2,000 additional immigrants and their families to the four Atlantic provinces, a key component of the Atlantic Growth Strategy. Immigration and population growth is also an important part of the New Brunswick Economic Growth Plan.

Interested employers can find more information online about how to register and participate in the program.

The provincial and federal governments also signed the Canada-New Brunswick Immigration Agreement in Moncton last month during the first joint Forum on Francophone Immigration. The agreement supports New Brunswick in its goal to help fill labour shortages and grow the population by welcoming more immigrants, and also included the first francophone immigration annex in Canada.

The government also recently launched www.weareallnb.ca, a website that serves as an immigration hub for New Brunswickers, employers, and skilled foreign workers.