Cape Breton organization taps into provincial funding to hire a recent grad
Winnipeg is about as far away from the ocean as you can get, but that didn’t stop Manitoba-born NSCC graduate, Rebecca Borchert from setting foot on Cape Breton and launching her career in the fishing industry.
As the new Groundfish Project Coordinator with the Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association, Rebecca’s already having a big impact.
“Working in a small organization has allowed me to play a significant role in many projects so I am consistently being challenged,” says Rebecca. “I’m able to apply the knowledge I’ve acquired through my studies, and my employer is completely open to my ideas for change.”
After completing the NSCC’s Oceans Technology program and her internship, Rebecca started working full time to gather, analyze, and communicate research that supports the growth of sustainable fisheries in Nova Scotia.
On any given day you can find her collecting lobster and halibut data from the decks of commercial fish vessels, deploying underwater cameras, or running the Cod Sentinel project to monitor local cod stocks.
“Rebecca’s hard work and innovative perspective is directly impacting the way we support and empower fishermen in making important, sustainable decisions,” says Veronika Brzeski, Executive Director, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association.
“Rebecca has been essential in developing our Geographic Information System database, mapping all of our projects to create a visual cue for easier communication. She is the only one here who knows how to program and manage videos from our underwater cameras. Her varied skillset has been eye-opening and groundbreaking to our work.”
Graduate to Opportunity (GTO), a provincial funding program, helped the association hire Rebecca.
GTO provides a two-year salary incentive to small businesses, start-ups, social enterprises and non-profits who hire a recent post-secondary graduate within 12 months of their graduation. Employer receive 25% of Year 1 salary (35% if the grad is a member of a designated diversity group) and 12.5% of Year 2 salary.
“Not only did GTO help us create a new position, but we’re providing a good, local job to a graduate. Keeping young, career-driven graduates in Nova Scotia is so important to the future of our economy — and GTO is helping to make it possible. GTO is an incredible funding and succession-planning opportunity for small employers like us,” says Veronika.
Since program launch in 2014, GTO has helped over 800 graduates like Rebecca secure permanent full-time jobs in their fields.
Interested in learning more about the available funding to hire talented grads? Check out the GTO program.
