News Release

SAINT JOHN (GNB) – The provincial government is providing about $54,000 toward the development of training videos that will help new employees joining the food services industry.

“Many sectors have been affected by COVID-19 but in the initial months, arguably the one hardest hit was the restaurant and hospitality sector,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder. “Having these video training modules available will help restaurant owners get back on their feet more quickly while also assisting new workers in the industry – many of whom may be starting their first jobs.”

The food services industry employs about 22,000 people around the province.

The funding will go to the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick, which proposed the idea and will oversee development of the videos.

“We are extremely happy to be part of this great training offer for our restaurants across the province,” said Carol Alderdice, president and CEO of the association. “Restaurant owners need all the help they can get with the cost of doing business and having this training available for free will be one less thing to worry about.”

The videos, to be produced separately in English and French, will give employees an overview of everyday tasks in their new positions but are not intended to replace specialized training or certification that may be required for roles such as bartending.

"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to develop introductory training for the restaurant industry here in New Brunswick,” said Peter Stoddart, a board member of Restaurants Canada and owner of Saint John Ale House. “Reducing the cost of onboarding new team members with assets like these will truly help businesses like ours be more resilient over time, and that is more important than ever these days. We are really looking forward to working with the team to get it up and running.”

The videos are also intended to benefit customers by improving the overall consistency and quality of industry employees around the province.

Research and planning for the videos will take place over the summer with a pilot program expected to be ready this fall.