Wanted: IT professionals

N.B. companies on recruitment mission with jobs in hand

By Kate Wright
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Saturday November 3rd, 2007
Appeared on page B1

OTTAWA - Over a dozen New Brunswick companies will descend on the nation's capital later this month with jobs in hand, looking to repatriate skilled New Brunswick IT workers.


In a joint effort by the New Brunswick's Enterprise Networks and the province's Population Growth Secretariat, New Brunswick companies will host an IT recruitment job fair Nov. 15 in Ottawa.

The fair will be in Montreal on Nov. 14.

Employers will have jobs in hand for IT professionals interested in coming to the Maritimes -- or coming back home.

John Thompson, executive director of Enterprise Greater Moncton, said Enterprise Networks across the province were hearing from member companies that recruiting skilled IT workers was becoming increasingly difficult.

Through consultation with employers, Montreal and Ottawa were identified as destinations with the greatest number of potential candidates for recruitment to the New Brunswick IT sector.

Through this mission, employers will have the opportunity to promote themselves and speak directly with experienced IT professionals, alumni and recent graduates.

"These companies have real jobs available now and by filling them now, we're also opening opportunities for future investment," he said. "If we could fill those, there is the potential for other investments to come into the region."

After a lull in the IT sector over the past few years, the industry has rebounded. In New Brunswick, the IT sector has grown rapidly, leaving a number of new positions to be filled.

While the industry is booming and the province is experiencing healthy growth in new start-ups, Thompson said recruiting bright minds from central Canada, and encouraging New Brunswickers to reconsider work in their home province sends a strong message to the rest of the country.

"We're here in New Brunswick, we have jobs available, there are opportunities here and we want you to have another look," he said. "Even if we recruit one or two people, it's a success.

"There are areas where we can help companies grow and create long-term viability within the region."

Thompson said the mission will be set up like a job fair, with employers eagerly looking to hire.

"I think people will be pleasantly surprised," he said.

Atlantic Lottery Corporation spokeswomen Paula Dyke said many companies in the region are struggling to fill their labour requirements and the company jumped at the chance to expand their recruitment base by looking outside the province.

Like many New Brunswick companies, she said there are challenges in recruiting strong IT professionals and going directly to the talent pool is the best way to recruit the brightest minds.

"Going there means we are able to answer questions first hand and sell the advantages of our company," she said. "At the end of the day we are able to look at pockets of talent and are able to recruit people who have maybe never been to New Brunswick, or are New Brunswickers interested in coming home."

But the mission is also being treated as a way to grow the province's population and encourage New Brunswickers to reconsider employment in their home province.

Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne, who also head's the province Population Growth Secretariat, will also be participating in the job fair.

He said there is major potential in bringing skilled New Brunswickers back home, for both employers and for the province's economy.

"This is the first mission undertaken by the government where we will provide potential recruits and former New Brunswickers with actual job opportunities within a booming sector," Byrne said.

"We expect it to have significant benefits for the province's population growth efforts, which are a key component of our plan to make New Brunswick self-sufficient by 2026."

Byrne is hoping to remind expatriates of the major advantages of living and working in New Brunswick and use that as a selling point.

"It's one of the lowest cost areas to live in terms of housing and amenities," he said. "There are quality of life issues in terms of the amenities we have. We have recreation -- you can be at a beach or on a trail in an hour. We can sell New Brunswick as a good place to do business."

The IT recruitment mission will be held on Nov. 14 in Montreal at the École de technologie supérieure at the Université du Québec and Nov. 15 in Ottawa at the Brookstreet Hotel, 525 Legget Dr. The event will run from noon until 7 p.m.