Z - Atlantic Revitalization

Public Policy Forum President and CEO Edward Greenspon sat down with Frank McKenna, the former premier of New Brunswick, for a recent fireside chat. They discussed Atlantic Canada's newfound success, the gaps that still need to be filled, and ways the region could soon lead the country.

On June 18th, 2021, the Public Policy Forum brought together over 30 experts and practitioners in the immigration space in Canada. The roundtable, Strengthening Canada’s Immigration Ecosystem, focused on a digitally enabled modernized immigration system. The consensus was clear: A modernized immigration system is necessary, and any such modernizations must be inclusive, immigrant centred, and must not perpetuate biases within the system. Katie Davey, Policy Lead at Public Policy Forum and Fatemah Ebrahim, Policy Associate at Public Policy Forum reflect on the roundtable conversation:

What did a survey of over 800 Atlantic employers tell us about their outlook and activities to drive business growth before COVID-19? Explore our findings in five thematic reports and what it means for supporting employers as economies rebuild.

Entrepreneurship has been called the backbone of the economy. Despite the popularity of hoodie-wearing CEOs and global tech innovations, broad-based entrepreneurship that fuels local productivity and helps solve real-world problems has declined across developed nations. Canada is no exception. COVID-19 has added to the challenge. As Canada recovers, how do we get entrepreneurship back on track?

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing skills shortages and are turning to newcomers to fill job vacancies. Yet retention in the region remains a problem, and many immigrants who relocate elsewhere in Canada report employment as a leading cause for their decision to move away. A consultation with local business leaders, business council representatives, educators and immigrant workers provided insights into challenges and policy opportunities.

Newfoundland and Labrador's labour force is shrinking — not to mention population — and once again more people are leaving the province than arriving. PPF developed recommendations to upskill existing workers and bring in new workers at a St. John’s consultation with leaders in government, civil society, immigration, education institutions and business as part of our Atlantic Revitalization project.

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing skills shortages and are turning to newcomers to fill job vacancies. Yet retention in the region remains a problem, and many immigrants who relocate elsewhere in Canada report employment as a leading cause for their decision to move away. A consultation with local business leaders, business council representatives, educators and immigrant workers provided insights into challenges and policy opportunities.

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing skills shortages and are turning to newcomers to fill job vacancies. Yet retention in the region remains a problem, and many immigrants who relocate elsewhere in Canada report employment as a leading cause for their decision to move away. A consultation with local business leaders, business council representatives, educators and immigrant workers provided insights into challenges and policy opportunities.

Where seasonal work is more common, what kind of EI reform would both protect workers and help create prosperous local labour markets? This paper explores six options focused on Atlantic Canada, arguing that widespread use of EI by seasonal workers makes it seem there's more unemployed workers than is really the case – a distortion that negatively impacts the economic potential of the region.

Explore the findings of PPF regional consultations in Atlantic Canada in a province-specific report on employers and communities experiences with skills and labour shortages in context to key provincial factors.

Past Event

How does Atlantic Canada need to pivot priorities for regional economic growth and immigration for post-pandemic prosperity? Atlantic Summit 2020 brings together leaders in policy development, government, business, education and social services for a forward-looking exploration of what it will take to confront old challenges compounded by new crisis.

In the sixth edition of our Atlantic Newsletter, our latest report explores how is Atlantic Canada working to retain international students and our Skills Next series looks at what Canadians will need to succeed with the changing nature of work. Plus: a sneak peak at upcoming reports on Atlantic growth & save the date for the 2020 Atlantic Immigration and Revitalization Summit and Frank McKenna Awards Dinner.

Past Event

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing labour and skill shortages. Retention of young people and newcomers in the region remains a challenge, and many people who relocate elsewhere in Canada report jobs as a leading cause for their decision to move away. To truly understand the issues that Atlantic Canada is facing, PPF and Professor Tony Fang from Memorial University are conducting a roundtable discussion in Nova Scotia to learn about employer experiences and priorities regarding hiring and retaining skilled workers.

Past Event

The economic fortunes of rural Canada depend on attracting human capital, and while international students are highly skilled & qualified candidates for settlement, they don't often stick around. PPF Fellow Sean Speer identifies lessons from two promising programs in Atlantic Canada which seem to be convincing students to settle, against the odds.