Workforce issues, environmental economy to be discussed during Burridge sessions

BY ERIC BOURQUE

The Vanguard

Labour force issues will be the focus of one event and environmental sustainability will be the subject of another on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Burridge Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College.

Both sessions are presented by NovaKnowledge.

The first session will look at some of the challenges facing the province’s workforce, given factors like the aging population and the pending skills shortage.

“Some areas of the province are already having skill shortage issues, so we have three panelists that we’ve put together,” said Phyllis Collier, project manager with Halifax-based NovaKnowledge.

Slated to take part in Wednesday’s event as panelists are Everett Titus from A.F. Theriault & Son, Blair Cottreau of Tri-Star Industries and Deborah MacAskill of Register.com.

Dave Warner of the South West Shore Development Authority will be the moderator.

This is part of NovaKnowledge’s MIKE series of debates. The acronym stands for Millennium Issues for the Knowledge Economy and this is the first time a MIKE event is held in Yarmouth.

People who turn out for the session will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts with the panelists.

“We consider the audience to be like the fourth panelist,” Collier said. “So we get into a really inter-active discussion: What’s it like here in Yarmouth? What are we doing?”

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the event itself is set for 8 to 9:30, at which time registration for the morning’s second session is scheduled to start.

That session, which goes from 10 until noon, is billed as an environmental economy workshop.

According to the session agenda, participants will have a chance to hear about the experience of a business that has invested in more sustainable products/processes.

The morning will conclude with what is described as an “interactive exercise in eco-efficiency.”

Both the labour issues discussion and the environmental session will take place in Burridge’s Room C181.

Collier notes that by keeping things relatively short, with everything wrapping up by lunchtime, organizers hopefully will have a good turnout, given that many people likely are busy and would rather not spend too much time out of their workplace.

Organizers would prefer to have them register in advance if possible. They can do so by going to the Web site www.novaknowledge.ns.ca or by calling 494-1510 ext. 10.

NovaKnowledge is a non-profit organization established in 1993.