On Wednesday, March 7, 2012 Nova Scotia’s Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism held a special media announcement at Dalhousie University, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building. Bringing together supporters of co-operative education from across the province, the room was filled with students, staff, faculty and employers eagerly awaiting the good news.

Announced by Minister Percy Paris, the Co-operative Graduate Placement Program is set to stimulate provincial economic growth by providing employers an incentive to hire graduates from Nova Scotia’s co-operative educational programs into full-time employment. Consistent with the government’s JobsHere plan and Workforce Strategy, the Co-operative Graduate Placement Program was developed in consultation with Nova Scotia’s post-secondary educational institutions that have co-operative educational programs as part of their curriculums.

It’s a win-win-win for students, employers and post-secondary educational institutions. Graduating co-op students eager to secure permanent employment in Nova Scotia will now have more opportunities available. Employers who receive funding are now able to secure experienced and qualified talent to advance their businesses. Post-secondary institutions anticipate the announcement will encourage more students to consider the benefits of co-op programs.

To ensure Nova Scotia continues to grow the economy and compete on a global scale, the Co-operative Graduate Placement Program will provide funding of $400,000 to organizations from various sectors including private, government-funded and not-for-profit organizations. Special consideration will go to industries such as Ocean Technology, Financial Services, Information and Communication Technologies, Aerospace and Defense. The province anticipates the funding will produce 50 new job opportunities each year.

To view highlights from the announcement, visit http://gov.ns.ca/news/smr/2012-03-07-Graduate-Placement/

Organizations wishing to apply for the Co-operative Graduate Placement Program can complete an application at www.gov.ns.ca/econ/sep