In St. John’s, not unlike many places in North America or around the world, landing a job in your field is sometimes more about whom you know than what you know.
But what if you don’t know anyone?
With that in mind, the St. John’s Board of Trade launched a connector program in 2014, a network that assists in connecting local businesses and organizations with immigrants and students — both local and international — looking to break into the St. John’s market.
The connector — the business or organization — benefits from access to pre-qualified talent, while the connectee — the job seeker — gains access and insight into the professional network they want to join.
“For international students, students and immigrants that don’t have that natural network that they’ve developed by growing up in an area, it helps them to really find those connections, help establish themselves and find ways of getting into career paths that they normally wouldn’t access to,” explains board chair Andrea Stack.
To date, the board has amassed 97 connectors from its membership and 81 connectees. Over the first few years it has resulted in 28 individuals — a 50-50 mix of graduates and established professionals from another country — securing employment in all manner of sectors and industries.
“I can’t stress this enough, this program is not about jobs,” explains Brendan Haggerty, the board’s manager of labour market solutions and manager of the connector program. “This program is about us helping people connect and expand their network.”
Adds Stack, “For us, we’re a business organization, so it’s about making sure business has access to the talent they’re looking for.”
Following the success in St. John’s, the board has established partnerships with both the Grand Falls-Windsor Greater Exploits Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Corner Brook Board of Trade to allow the program to be offered in those regions.
The expansion plan is fueled, in large part, by two distinct and very real demographic challenges: an aging population and out-migration of students after graduation.
Evidenced by the numbers, the program is already tackling those issues in the St. John’s area, but the reality is that central and western business communities will need an injection of talent, too.
“That’s why we’re so excited about this program,” says Stack. “It’s really going to help grow that talent and diversified pool, that population that will power the business community and help drive the community forward.”
Moreover, who’s to say graduating students or new immigrants necessarily want to live and work in metro? In some cases, the connectee may hail from a community in one of those regions and may be keen on heading home.
“It is about the people in those regions that are looking for jobs, but who in St. John’s wants to move back to Corner Brook? Who in St. John’s, that’s at Memorial, wants to move back to Grand Falls?” suggests Haggerty.
As an example, the individuals hired to staff the board’s satellite offices — Ashley Verge in Grand Falls-Windsor and Shannon Mugford in Corner Brook — both hail from the respective communities.
“Their main focus is economic development in two rural regions and helping build a strong talent pool for places that have an aging demographic and need to retain youth,” says Haggerty.
Twitter: kennoliver79
