Message from the Honourable Susan Sullivan
Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment
As Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, I am very proud of the Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy that has been developed by my department. I am also very pleased with the unique process that created it.
At the outset of this initiative it was clear we needed to accomplish two objectives:
First we needed to know exactly what our young people were thinking, especially in terms of their priorities, their goals, and their views about their province and respective communities.
Next, we needed to apply this knowledge toward reshaping our province so that it will always be a place that exceeds the expectations of our young people and fosters their ambitions.
To achieve these objectives, we began an extensive partnership with youth, employers, and community leaders in June 2008 with the goal of making Newfoundland and Labrador a province of choice for the next generation.
Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN), a company recognized as Canada's most influential social policy think tank, provided guidance to this initiative to ensure we engaged stakeholders in the best manner possible and produced findings that accurately represented the opinions of young people living throughout the province, as well as expatriate youth. At every step in the process we worked in tandem with a Youth Advisory Panel that was comprised of young people from all walks of life. This panel provided advice on the project's design and the development of research materials, making this a truly youth-led initiative.
The end result of our efforts has been over 41 action items that will be implemented over three years to give Newfoundland and Labrador a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the brightest and best among young people in Canada.
This strategy will be key to the continued prosperity of our province. Newfoundland and Labrador, like other jurisdictions throughout the country and the world, will be engaged in intense competition for talented young people to fill the career opportunities that will emerge in the coming years. That is why we have been so thorough and comprehensive in our approach to developing this strategy, and why we will continue to make youth engagement an important part of how we develop policies and initiatives in the future.
I extend my deepest appreciation to all the youth representatives, business leaders and community stakeholders who gave their time and energy to help us complete this important document. Together, we have made Newfoundland and Labrador a stronger province both now, and for years to come.
Susan Sulllivan
Minister