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Mature students face unique challenges accessing post-secondary education

Commentary: people shouldn't have to choose between post-secondary education and family.

Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. Photo by Bruce Wark.

Mature students, those aged 24 and over, are of vital significance to enrolments in New Brunswick post-secondary education institution. At the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Fredericton campus alone, mature students make up 40 per cent of full-time students. The rate is even higher for part-time mature students: 78 per cent. Given this, how are universities and colleges within the province meeting the unique needs of this group?

Based on my calculations using data from Statistics Canada, one in three Canadian post-secondary students (33 per cent) are mature-aged. Most provinces in Canada fall within this range. New Brunswick is at the lower end with close to 30 per cent, and the Northwest Territories on the higher end with 74 per cent of their post-secondary population being mature-aged. At the national and provincial levels, this is a highly significant group of students.

For one reason or another, mature students take longer to reach college or university. They may need to take a mental health break, start a job for much needed funds, take time to support their extended family, or start a family of their own. Yet, as they return to restart their education, many find they have more responsibilities than they would have if they had entered fresh from high school. Those who enroll directly from high school might live in dorms or with parents who are able to provide more financial and social supports. As a mature student, securing financial aid may also be more complicated, due to the very circumstances that led them to defer further study to begin with.

I spoke with mature-aged students with children who are currently completing post-secondary education in New Brunswick. One strong theme that emerged was the social support they receive from their own families, often in the form of informal childcare, more so than direct financial support. The question is, why do students have to rely on family for childcare? This reliance on family while in studies is typically due to the long wait lists and the costs of attending daycares close to their university or college.

Student newspapers are one place to look for discussion of the challenges faced by mature-aged students. In a 2017 article for Mount Allison University student newspaper The Argosy , Jill Macintyre linked the challenges of mature students to their sense of isolation from the wider student community, perhaps in part because they are not understood as a group needing specific services. She also noted that first-generation and low-income students are over-represented among mature students.

Macintyre’s discussion resonates with the experience of Andrew McCullough, reporting as a mature student in his 2021 article in the University of New Brunswick’s student newspaper The Brunswickan . As McCullough wrote, “Entering education as a mature student, I felt I had a lot to prove.” He described his experience of firstly dropping out as a freshman, and then returning at 29 with a firmer viewpoint on his education. Mature students have had time to grow and focus on their purpose in seeking education. Typically, they have a better understanding of the fields and forms of education they are passionate about. With hard earned life experience, they enroll because they want to learn, not party.

In my own experience as a mature student attending Mount Allison University with children, the first challenge I faced was finding a place to rent that met a range of criteria: a place that was affordable, accepted children, and was walkable to the campus. I did not have a car or driver’s license at the time. Sackville, where Mount Allison is located, has no public bus service. Students are expected to live close to campus or else use private transport. Finding a home was hard back then but would have been near impossible in the rental market today. Had I not found that house, I probably would not have been writing this article, as an incoming graduate student at the University of New Brunswick.

While completing my undergraduate studies, I had to balance home life, family life with kids, and school life. By necessity, some mature students will have to add work life on top of all this.

Larissa Ruby Marshall, a parent who attended Oulton College in Moncton until last year, reaffirmed the idea that balancing these different aspects of our lives is strenuous and difficult, and more than likely something must give if one is to succeed as a student.

“My house definitely took the back burner during that time,” she said. “It’s very rewarding but it can be challenging. The short-term struggle is definitely worth the long-term gain.”

Post-secondary education institutions need to be proactive about ways to minimize this struggle in order to retain their mature student enrollments. If otherwise motivated students become drop-out statistics. This is a huge waste of human potential and university resources.

Alejandra Poulin, currently a second year student at Mount Allison University, faces a range of other difficulties as a parent with three young children. Scheduling conflicts are a persistent problem. Whereas such conflicts arise for most students, being a student with three children makes them significantly complex to resolve, even when resources are provided by the school.

Poulin noted, “I did have trouble accessing additional resources available to me. Help sessions with the TAs are in the evenings. I can’t attend those.” The challenges Poulin describes are more than understandable in the context of any parent’s evening responsibilities, from dinner preparations to bedtime routines, to making tomorrow’s lunches. While speaking with Poulin we both reflected on the informal help we got from amazing faculty who were both understanding of these situations, and flexible as they assisted us in navigating complex systems and rules not designed for students with kids.

Some students with families have younger children not yet in school. One should not have to choose between higher education and family, and yet the question of childcare forces this choice on too many mothers who want to study.

Tara Leger, a fourth year student at Crandall University in Moncton with a 10-month-old baby, explains this best: “I was ‘on duty’ around the clock, often up with the baby 3-5 times a night.” For myself, I had my third child during my fourth year of undergraduate studies. I took a semester off and then returned the following semester with a beautiful daughter who was only a few months old. I made this work with the help of my own mother, who provided childcare during the day so I could attend  school. As any parent also understands, the daylight hours are not the only challenge.

Understanding the issues that mature students face—and especially those with families—brings us a step closer to being able to offer aid that would benefit these students. Something needs to be done about childcare: the lack of availability, especially for children under two years of age; the waiting lists; and of course, the extra costs this adds to the family budget if and when a space can be found.

Having to balance these different aspects of mature students’ lives is another larger issue at hand. As a student who has attended quite a few study skills workshops, I can say that these never broach the subject of balancing your children’s affairs with home and school life. Kids are the big stuffed elephant in the room, so to speak. It needs to be recognized that as mature students get creative with scheduling to fit in which extended family who offer help, this further amplifies their time management challenges. Universities and colleges need to understand this and accommodate accordingly.

As we transition away from ways of working and studying that we used to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are in a period where ways of working, and studying are in the spotlight. There is no better time to confront these issues faced by mature students, and those with families.

It should not be a surprise that mature students, especially those with families, feel a deep sense of pride as they recognize their own strength and resilience, and that of their families.

As Tara Leger of Crandall University put it, “I feel like an absolute rockstar for completing this year.” She takes credit for the difficult and rewarding education she received. As she should, and for all of us mature students who face many adversities with little to no aid geared specifically for us. Yet we come out with degrees, certificates, diplomas, and honours in spite of these challenges. Maybe it’s time that colleges and universities took a more proactive approach that relied a little less on our resilience and learned a little from the creativity we use to succeed against the odds.

Kirsten Leclaire-Mazerolle, from Natoaganeg First Nation, is a researcher and writer working out of the Human Environments Workshop (HEW) funded by RAVEN.

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Study shows majority of post-secondary grads from New Brunswick stay here

89 per cent of nb natives are still in the province a year after graduation.

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For many years, the perception was that New Brunswick was losing many of its young, educated citizens after they graduated from post-secondary education. 

But the author of a recent report on college and university retention in the province says that's now a misconception.

Ted McDonald, the director of the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training, said the majority of graduates are staying in the province. 

In fact, McDonald said almost 90 per cent of New Brunswickers who study in the province are still here within a year of graduation. 

McDonald believed that place matters, but he was surprised at how much it matters.

That compares with 30 per cent for out-of-province graduates, and 34 per cent for out-of-country graduates.

As the report states, "New Brunswick invests substantially in educating post-secondary students. When qualified graduates leave the province, much of that investment is lost, as they take their human capital (and potential earnings) with them when they relocate."

Understanding who's staying can help the government develop policies to encourage graduates to stay, McDonald told Information Morning Saint John . 

In fact, he said it was an inquiry from the province about that very thing that provided the impetus for the research.

McDonald said there was also "a fair bit of variation" by program.

"This is probably good news for New Brunswick that nursing and allied health services have the higher retention rates and they've actually increased over the last couple of years."

But fields like engineering and IT specialists have lower retention rates. 

Grass not necessarily greener

Anecdotally, McDonald said the impression has always been that a lot of graduates "go off to greener pastures in other provinces."

"And so I think the biggest surprise we found when we did this project is that where you're from when you enrol in those universities or community colleges matters a lot."

Almost 90 per cent of those who are from New Brunswick, are still here a year after graduation. 

"That kind of flies in the face of that kind of conventional wisdom that we're just not keeping our young people after they graduate."

The study didn't, however, look at the reasons they stayed. Researchers didn't talk to students, they simply used administrative data to follow where the students went after graduation. 

Opportunity, family, community

Sean McCullum believes there are three main reasons at play. 

"Contrary to a certain self-defeating belief among New Brunswickers, there's a tonne of opportunity here, especially for recent grads," said McCullum, who grew up in Quispamsis and graduated from St. Thomas University in 2016.

A second consideration is being able to remain close to family, said McCullum. 

And the third motivation "is something that happens at universities, specifically small universities," he said. 

"As a graduate of St. Thomas University, it was a small school, very tight knit … So those are really strong connections. So one of the reasons absolutely that I stay in the province, aside from the opportunities, the family I have … is that community of people that I've met and grown to know in the area."

McDonald hopes to continue the study and look at how many graduates are still in New Brunswick over a longer period of time. 

He wonders if there is "a critical mass that if we can keep you long enough, and you've invested in the place, you bought the house, your kids are in school that you're more likely to stay for the long term."

Understanding who's staying and why will help the province better target policies to keep those with "the skills necessary to keep our province going into the future."

The same approach could also help retain graduates from other parts of Canada and abroad.

"Are we training enough people in the fields that we need and are we able to keep them? And so it ties into this much bigger picture about provincial renewal," said McDonald.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Urquhart is a journalist with CBC New Brunswick, based in Saint John. She can be reached at [email protected].

With files from Information Morning Saint John

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DEPARTMENT OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LABOUR

Website:  www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_training_and_labour.html

Employment Services for Persons with Disabilities

Employment Development Offices The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) has several employment offices located around the province to assist New Brunswick citizens with their employment goals. Our staff can help you search for permanent employment, starting with an employment action plan. Based on your interests, skills and hopes for the future, our staff will help you define career goals and assist in making a plan to achieve them. Contact your regional employment office today to get started towards your employment goals.

Bathurst 300 – 275 Main Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 549-5766 Fax: (506) 549-5782

Campbellton 100 – 157 Water Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 789-2411 Fax: (506) 759-6696

Caraquet Place Bellevue 20E St-Pierre Ouest Blvd. Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 726-2639 Fax: (506) 726-2728

Dieppe 320 – 200 Champlain Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 869-6944 Fax: (506) 869-6608

Edmundston Carrefour Assomption 308 – 121 de l’Église Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 735-2677 Fax: (506) 735-2527

Fredericton 300 St. Mary’s Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 453-2377 Fax: (506) 444-5189

Grand Falls 101 – 160 Réservoir Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 475-4025 Fax: (506) 473-7574

Miramichi 152 Pleasant Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 627-4000 Fax : (506) 624-5482

Neguac 430 Principale Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 776-3996 Fax: (506) 776-3807

Perth-Andover 19 Station Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 273-4559 Fax: (506) 273-2195

Richibucto 25 Cartier Blvd. Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 523-7602 Fax: (506) 523-4633

Sackville 170 Main Street, Unit C-1 Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 869-6944 Fax: (506) 364-4304

Saint John 1 Agar Place Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 643-7258 Fax: (506) 643-7443

Shediac Centreville Mall 144 – 342 Main Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 533-3325 Fax(506) 533-3340

Shippagan 182 J.D. Gauthier Blvd Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 726-2639 Fax: (506) 336-3036

St. Stephen Ganong Place 202 – 73 Milltown Blvd. Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 466-7627 Fax (506) 466-7462

Sussex 707 Main Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 432-2110 Fax : (506) 432-6169

Tracadie 3514 Principale Street, 2nd Floor Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 726-2639 Fax: (506) 394-3813

Woodstock 201 – 111 Chapel Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 325-4406 Fax: (506) 325-4491

Training and Skills Development (TSD)

Training and Skills Development (TSD) program has been introduced in an effort to ensure that case managed individuals, whose employment action plan identifies skill development as being necessary, have access to funding to assist them in achieving their goal.

A participant must have an Employment Action Plan that has been developed with a Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Employment Counsellor, who will determine eligibility based on program criteria.

The training must:

• be a required component of a participant’s Employment Action Plan
• lead to sustainable employment

Training and skills Development (TSD) selectively provides grants to people who meet the program criteria. The focus of the program is to help clients receive training or educational programs which will allow them to return quickly to work.

The TSD duration is limited to:

• a maximum of two consecutive years for a regular post-secondary training program
• a maximum of one year for academic upgrading for grade levels 7 to 9 and two consecutive years for grade levels 10 to 12
• a maximum of 10 weeks for levels 5-6 and a maximum of 12 weeks for GED preparation
• a maximum of three consecutive years for a co-operative training program

The level of TSD funding is determined by an Employment Counsellor and may cover a portion of tuition and books as well as other training expenses. Contact the Department’s local Employment Regional Office to find out how TSD can become a component of your Employment Action Plan.

Training and Employment Support Services (TESS) – Employment Services

Training and Employment Support Services assists individuals with permanent or long-term disabilities to gain access to training and employment opportunities.

A participant must:

• be a resident of New Brunswick or a First Nation Community in New Brunswick;
• be 18 years of age or a high school graduate who is 17 years of age;
• have a permanent or long-term physical, intellectual, psychiatric or cognitive disability;
• have an Employment Action Plan.

Provided as part of the Employment Services Program, Training and Employment Support Services (TESS) is directed towards individuals with physical, intellectual, psychiatric or cognitive disabilities. The purpose of these services is to offer training and employment support options to persons with permanent or long-term disabilities who need to develop marketable skills in order to assist them to enter the labour force. These services are provided in full collaboration with the person with a disability in accordance with his/her needs and capabilities.

By its nature, the process is time-limited in that provision of goods and services is aimed at attaining self-sufficiency. Therefore, TESS is limited to the concept of enabling persons with disabilities to either obtain employment or resume employment when it has been interrupted. The intent is designed to reduce or remove, to the fullest extent possible, the effects of a disability, which limits a person’s potential to achieve a job.

It is not the intention of TESS to support training activities for individuals who already have marketable skills to enter the labour force, nor is it the intention of TESS to place persons with disabilities in a preferred position to that of the nondisabled. Rather, the purpose is to lessen the barriers a person with disabilities faces so that he/she may be as competitive as the non-disabled population when competing for employment. It should be noted that any individual with a disability, whether or not they are receiving income support benefits, could be eligible for services under TESS.

Work Ability

The Work Ability Program provides work experience opportunities to unemployed individuals who require a job placement to overcome a barrier as identified through their employment action plan. By placing an individual with an employer, they can work towards becoming job ready by establishing a career goal, developing skills, or addressing specific needs.

• The individual must be a resident of New Brunswick.
• The individual must have an employment action plan and be referred by an employment counsellor / case manager.
• The individual must not be an immediate family member of the employer (spouse, children, parents, brother, sister), nor can they be an officer or director of the organization or a member of their immediate families.
• The individual must be 18 years of age or over and out of an educational institution (high school or post-secondary institution) for at least six months.
• The Employer can be a non-profit organization, municipality, provincial government department/agency, private sector business or First Nation.
• Employers must complete a client evaluation at the end of the job placement.
• The job placement cannot displace permanent employees on layoff, vacation, parental or sick leave.
• The job must meet the individual’s needs as per their employment action plan.
• Where jobs are covered by collective agreements, the employers must consult with unions to ensure that placements are not in contravention with provisions of the collective agreement.
• The job placement must be in accordance with all Provincial and Federal Acts and Regulations. The employers must pay premiums to WorkSafe NB (if applicable).

Employers who participate in the Work Ability Program must pay the individual hired and then subsequently submit wage claim forms for reimbursement to the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL). Employers cannot withhold wages while waiting to be reimbursed by the Department.

Employers are reimbursed on an hourly basis at a rate of minimum wage plus the employer’s share of benefits (CPP, EI and Vacation pay) for the duration of the placement. The wage reimbursement can be for up to a maximum of 40 hours per week. The duration of the job placement will depend on the employment action plan requirements.

Employers interested in participating in the Work Ability Program can submit an Inventory Registration Application (see section ‘Forms and Packages’) to the appropriate PETL regional office. A Program Officer will contact you when an individual requiring your type of job placement is referred by an Employment Counsellor/Case Manager.

Workplace Essential Skills Program (WES)

Workplace Essential Skills (WES) training is aimed at helping adults who are employed or seeking employment and require additional essential skills to succeed. It is also available to employers who are experiencing skilled labour shortages and in need of recruitment support. Courses are offered free of charge for adult residents of New Brunswick.

Learning activities focus on the specific tasks associated with either an individual’s current job or desired occupation. Training is customized to respond to the specific needs of the work environment.

Additionally, WES training can be designed to support apprentices who have experienced difficulties with taking certification exams. Training is adapted to help apprentices prepare for tests such as the Essential Skills Assessment, Block tests or Red Seal Certification exams.

Individuals and employers interested in these courses may contact the Regional Office in their area.

Adult learners who are currently employed and/or apprentices

The program is open to adults 18 years of age and older who have below functional level skills in one or more essential skills, including at least one literacy skill.

Adult learners who are seeking employment

• The program is open to adults 18 years of age and older who:
• have below function level skills in one or more essential skills, including at least one literacy skill;
• have an occupational goal; and
• who are case managed through Employment Development, Social Development, Public Safety or WorkSafe NB.

In the workplace

• PETL provides an initial Training Needs Assessment to identify the essential skills required in the specific workplace. Based on the results, training is customized and can be delivered on site. Training ends with a final evaluation of the impacts and recommendations for future learning opportunities within the business.

In the community

• WES training is based on the occupational goals that eligible individuals identify with their case manager. Training includes the opportunity to apply the skills learned in a workplace through work placement. Training ends with a final evaluation of the impacts and recommendations for future learning opportunities.

Apprentices

• Apprentices who require addition help to be successful on certification exams may access training through their regional apprenticeship officer or employer.

Workers’ Advocates

Website:  www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/services/services_renderer.15396.html

Office of Workers’ Advocates is in place to provide information, advice and direct representation to injured workers or their dependents who desire to discuss or dispute any decision made in relation to their claim for workers’ compensation.

New Brunswick’s injured workers and their dependents as well as representatives of injured workers are eligible for their services. Its main goal is to provide injured workers or their dependents with a fair and reasonable opportunity to resolve issues that arise with respect to workers’ compensation claims.

More precisely, Workers’ Advocates will review and investigate complaints, inform clients of available options, provide advice and, if necessary, represent claimants at Appeals Tribunal hearings. There is no fee for these services.

Workers’ Advocates assist injured workers or their dependents in relation to their compensation claims pursuant to sub-section 83.1 of the Workers’ Compensation Act. A worker should be satisfied that his/her case was thoroughly advanced, or understands why an advocate was not able to achieve the worker’s desired outcome.

Workers’ Advocates’ Role:

• To provide general information about the WorkSafeNB system, policies, procedures, etc. and about relevant legislation;
• To discuss each case with the client in detail in order to get a clear understanding of the issue;
• To advise injured workers on what actions they can take in reference to their claim and to help them gather the necessary information;
• To help determine if a claim can be resolved through an appeal;
• To assist in preparing an appeal;
• To appear with the injured worker or their dependent as his or her representative at an appeal hearing;
• To assist claimants in resolving an issue without proceeding to an appeal hearing whenever possible.

Workers’ Advocates in New Brunswick Toll free 1 (844) 530-0282 Email: [email protected]

Bathurst Harbourview Place 216 – 275 Main Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 549-5361 Fax: (506) 549-5351

Dieppe Place 1604 320 – 200 Champlain Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 869-6455 Fax: (506) 869-6608

Edmundston Carrefour Assomption 121 de l’Église Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 735-2082 Fax: (506) 735-2558

Miramichi Chatham Town Centre 207-1780 Water Street Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 624-2125 Fax: (506) 624-5482

Saint John 8 Castle Street, 2nd Floor Find this location on Google Maps Telephone: (506) 453-2597 Fax: (506) 549-5351

Student Financial Services

Website:  www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_training_and_labour/Skills/content/FinancialSupport/StudentFinancialServices.html

For information on financial assistance to attend a post-secondary institution in New Brunswick, call:

Fredericton and area: (506) 453-2577 In New Brunswick: (800) 667-5626 National Student Loans Service Centre: (888) 815-4514

Employer Wage Incentive – Workforce Expansion

Website:  www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_training_and_labour/services/services_renderer.6935.Empl oyer_Wage_Incentive_-_Workforce_Expansion_.html

The Employer Wage Incentive component of the Workforce Expansion Program is a collaborative effort to bring our clients, unemployed New Brunswickers, together with employers. The program builds employer/employee relationships which promote the development of our unemployed by gaining skills that ultimately result in long-term sustainable full-time employment. The component also aims at encouraging the hiring of individuals from select groups.

Eligible employees:

• Must be unemployed.
• Must be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) (with the exception of members of a priority group or a Recent Post-secondary Graduate).
• Must be residing in New Brunswick or be willing to establish residency in New Brunswick.
• Must not be an immediate family member of the employer (spouse, child, parent, brother, sister), nor can they be an officer or a director of the organization or a member of their immediate families.
• Priority will be given to Aboriginals, Social Assistance Recipients, Persons with Disabilities, Visible Minorities, Newcomers, Older Workers, and recent Post-secondary Graduates.

Eligible employers:

• The employer must be a private sector company, non-profit organization or First Nation.
• Employer must be prepared to provide training.

Note: Public sector positions are not eligible for funding.

Eligible jobs:

• Jobs are for a minimum of 30 hours per week. A minimum of 15 hours per week will be considered for recently established small businesses creating a part-time position which will eventually develop into a full-time position.
• Jobs are incremental (with flexibility for Priority Groups).
• Jobs are not paid strictly on a commission basis or piece work basis, or by the kilometer.
• Jobs are not already publicly funded.
• Jobs do not displace permanent employees on layoff, vacation, parental or sick leave.
• Jobs will lead to permanent full time or extended/recurring seasonal positions.
• Jobs within First Nations are eligible except for those which are related to the band’s management.
• Jobs cannot start prior to approval.

Employer Wage Incentive utilizes temporary wage reimbursements to help establish permanent employment or annually recurring seasonal jobs.

A wage incentive is available to an employer at a rate and duration that depend on the type of employment that is created and individual employed:

Permanent Employment:

• Unemployed individual who is EI eligible: 50 per cent of the hourly wage to a maximum of $8.00 per hour. Duration is 12-24 weeks, depending on the National Occupation Code (NOC) of the job.
• Unemployed individual from a Priority Group (Aboriginals / Social Assistance Recipients / Persons with a Disability / Visible Minorities / Newcomers / Older Workers): 70 per cent of the hourly wage to a maximum of $8.00 per hour. Duration is 12-24 weeks, depending on the National Occupational Code (NOC) of the job, or 24 weeks for a disabled individual.

Annually Recurring Seasonal Job:

• Unemployed individual who is EI eligible: 50 per cent of the hourly wage to a maximum of $8.00 per hour. Employment must be for a period of at least 14 weeks in duration. Funding is for half the employment period (a minimum of 7 to a maximum of 10 weeks).

Recent Post-secondary Graduates: If the hourly wage paid by the employer is $14.00 or more per hour see  Wage Incentive – One-Job Pledge  below.

Participating employers will pay the employees hired under this program and will subsequently submit wage claim forms to the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour for reimbursement. Employers must not withhold wages while waiting to be reimbursed by the Department.

Wage Incentive – One-Job Pledge Website:  www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/post-secondary_education_training_and_labour/services/services_renderer.6935.Employer_Wage_Incentive_-_Workforce_Expansion_.html

Retaining our trained young professionals is part of a series of strategies aimed at rebuilding New Brunswick to accelerate our economic growth and provide us with an enhanced quality of life. To help achieve this goal, the New Brunswick Government, through its employment programs, is offering employers an improved wage incentive when they hire a recent post-secondary graduate in a job related to his or her field of study.

• Must be unemployed and be residing in New Brunswick or be willing to establish residency in New Brunswick.
• Must have graduated from a recognized post-secondary institution in the last four years.
• Be at least 30 weeks in duration or be training accredited by an apprenticable trade; AND
• Be provided by a Private Occupational Training Act (POTA) recognized institution; AND/OR
• Be recognized by respective industry as post-secondary training that lead directly to full time permanent employment.
• Must not be an immediate family member of the employer (spouse, child, parent, brother, sister), nor can they be an officer or a director of the organization or an immediate family member of an officer or a director.
• Jobs are for a minimum of 30 hours per week.
• Jobs must be related to the employee’s field of study.
• Jobs will lead to permanent full time positions.
• Jobs must not start before the approval of the Department.

Funding Eligibility:

The wage reimbursement for a recent post-secondary graduate is $10 per hour, for a maximum of 40 hours per week. The duration of a subsidy for a recent post- secondary graduate is 52 weeks. The employee must be paid at least $14.00 per hour.

Hiring is the responsibility of the employer, and it must not occur prior to the Department’s approval. Jobs must be filled within 30 days upon approval.

Participating employers will pay the employees hired under this program and will subsequently submit wage claim forms to the Department for reimbursement. Employers must not withhold wages while waiting to be reimbursed.

Employers interested in participating in the Workforce Expansion Program can submit an application to the appropriate departmental office.

Youth Employment Fund Youth Employment Fund Website

The Youth Employment Fund (YEF) provides an entry point to long term employment for unemployed individuals between 18-29 years of age who require a work experience opportunity as identified through their employment action plan. By placing an individual with an employer, the youth may gain work experience and develop skills through basic workplace training, mentoring and coaching (from the employer).

Eligible individuals:

• Must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
• Must be unemployed, underemployed or working less than 15 hours per week.
• Must be a resident of New Brunswick.
• Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
• Social Development
• Employment Assistance Services organizations o Aboriginal organizations
• Public Safety
• Office of Human Resources (Equal Opportunity Program)
• The individual must not be a full time student. High school students who: are at least 18 year of age, graduating in June, not planning to attend full-time post-secondary education and plan to enter the labour force immediately after high school can apply to the program after May 1st for placements starting after graduation.
• Individuals must be between 18-29 (at least 18 years old but less than 30 years old at the time of application).
• Must have a resume before being placed with an employer.
• Have not previously participated in a YEF placement.
• An employer must inform the YEF Program Officer immediately when an individual has taken medical or personal leave. No placement will be held beyond eight weeks.

Eligible placements:

• Must be for 30-hours per week for 26-weeks, consecutively (i.e. 6 months).
• Up to 8-weeks (2 months) of the 26-weeks may be for training.
• The job must meet the individual’s occupational goal as per their employment action plan.
• The job placement must be in accordance with all Provincial and Federal Acts and Regulations.
• The placement cannot be for a post-secondary education practicum, a co- operative education work placement or Apprenticeship Block Release.
• The individual must not have already started with an employer prior to the position being approved by the YEF Program Officer.
• Non-profit organizations;
• Municipality;
• Provincial Government Departments/Agencies only;
• First Nations.
• Must be located in New Brunswick.
• Needs to provide a quality (i.e. orientation, coaching and mentoring) work experience opportunity.
• Have demonstrated commitment and positive experience in previous placements (if applicable).
• Priority will be given to employers who express an intent to retain the participant after the placement period.

The Youth Employment Fund is through both provincial resources and by the Labour Market Development Agreement. It is a youth specific, work experience program designed to provide youth with an opportunity to develop skills and find jobs in the Province.

Through the case management process youth are matched with eligible employers for a 26-week (i.e. 6-month) work experience. Individual supports and wage subsidies are available to support the placement and skills training that are linked to an available job.

Student Employment Experience Development  (SEED) – Students

SEED Website

Overview The Student Employment Experience Development (SEED) program provides funding to create summer job opportunities for post-secondary students. The program provides selected students with a summer job of up to fourteen weeks in duration with a New Brunswick employer between April 30 and the Friday following Labour Day.

Program objectives: • Provide a valuable work experience for students, experiential learning, mentoring and coaching; • Help students develop and build transferable skills and/or find employment in their field of study; • Provide a wage subsidy to employers to help them provide quality summer employment to students; • Enhance students’ employment prospects upon completion of their studies; and, • Enable students to finance the continuation of their education.

Eligibility A participant must be: • a resident of New Brunswick or a First Nation community in New Brunswick; • eligible to work in Canada; • a student in the current academic year and; • attending a post-secondary institution full-time in the fall.* *Note: grade 12 students are eligible if attending a full-time post-secondary institution in the fall.

Program steps Step 1 – Register online at NBSeed.ca (see under related links) during the application period. Step 2 – Upon reception of a voucher, research job opportunities. Step 3 – Apply for jobs and go through the employers’ recruitment process to ensure a successful work placement. Step 4 – Gain valuable experience.

Selection process • Once the application process is closed, eligible SEED applicants will be selected at random from the pool of registered applicants to ensure fairness and equal opportunity. Random selection will be divided by geography/sub-region to allow for equal geographical representation. A third party, non-governmental entity will provide validation for the random section process. • Selected participants will be notified and will receive a voucher by email along with instructions on how to connect with registered employers. • Due to the large number of applications, some students will not receive a SEED voucher. They are encouraged to explore all summer work options in their region.

Description This program provides students with employment opportunities during summer break. The average length of SEED summer placements ranges between nine (9) and fourteen (14) weeks. In order to be considered for placements, students must apply online at NBSeed.ca (see under related links).

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Student transition to post-secondary education in New Brunswick: 2014-2019 high school graduates

Author : Madeleine Gorman-Asal, Ted McDonald, Pablo Miah, Rawia Mokhtar Year : 2022 Category : Education and Training

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This study examines the transition of NB high school graduates to post-secondary education (PSE) in New Brunswick from 2014-2017, drawing on enrolment and graduation data from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) and seven public post-secondary institutions. The study considers both students who enter post-secondary education shortly after high school graduation and those who delay entry. It also estimates high school graduation rates and the retention rate of non-pursuers in the province.

Understanding the transition decisions of NB high school graduates can help identify where barriers to higher education exist in the province so that investments in PSE can support reducing barriers to educational attainment for New Brunswickers.

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More in this series

Graduate retention.

• Graduate retention in New Brunswick: 2021 cohort update
• Graduate Retention in New Brunswick: Supplementary Report on Graduates in Social Work 
• Graduate Retention in New Brunswick: 2019 and 2020 Cohort Update
• Student Transition to Post-Secondary Education in New Brunswick
• College and University Graduate Retention in New Brunswick: 2010 - 2018
• International and domestic university graduate retention in New Brunswick by institution

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