Programs that help Nova Scotian businesses and job seekers
Are you looking to upgrade your own skills or those of your staff? Do you need help to find your next great employee or support to hire a new graduate? The Province offers a number of programs that support job-seekers and businesses. Browse the list below to find a program that can help you:
Skill Development, Recruitment, and Wage Subsidies
Nova Scotia Works Employment Services Centres: Nova Scotia Works helps businesses recruit, manage and develop the talent they need to be more productive here at home and around the world. They also help Nova Scotian job seekers understand, prepare for, and fill the needs of the province’s job market.
Co-op Education Incentive: The Co-op Education Incentive provides wage assistance to private sector, government-funded and non-profit organizations offering career-related work experiences for university and community college co-operative students.
Graduate to Opportunity: The Graduate to Opportunity program (GTO) provides salary contributions to employers to offset the cost of hiring a recent post-secondary graduate and assists graduates in finding career opportunities in Nova Scotia.
START: Financial incentives will be provided to employers with a labour need willing to support ready-to-work Nova Scotians.
One Journey Initiative: The One Journey Initiative is a partnership between Labour and Advanced Education, industry, and community. This program provides skill development and employment opportunities to unemployed or underemployed Nova Scotians where there is an identified industry labour shortage.
Workplace Education Initiative (WEI): Workplace Education Initiative (WEI) focuses on developing the essential skills of employees, supervisors and managers and is customized to meet the needs of business and industry.
Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive: The Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive provides funding to companies to encourage them to invest in certficiation, training on new technology, productivity improvements and increased international competitiveness.
The Self Employment program: The Self Employment program provides entrepreneurial support and financial assistance to eligible unemployed participants starting their own business. Entrepreneurial support may include orientation, information sessions and/or workshops, coaching, mentoring, and access to specific business implementation training to enable participants to develop and implement their business plans.
SkillsonlineNS: SkillsonlineNS offers thousands of free online courses on the most important workplace topics to improve your skills and career prospects.
Business Tools
Access to Business: Nova Scotia businesses can register, manage their information, and apply for licences and permits online.
Restaurant and Accommodations Bundle: this tool helps navigate the process of starting or operating a business in your industry. It helps keep track of important steps and understand what your business needs.
Business Navigators: Contact Business Navigators for personalized and timely help with regulation and requirements, including registration, permit and license assistance.
Agriculture-Related Programs
THINKFARM: Putting farmers in touch with experts who can advise them at each stage of starting a farm, from exploring to planning to start-up.
Perennia: Perennia offers integrated services to agri-food companies in production, quality and food safety, bioventures and new product development.
Farm Safety Nova Scotia: Farm Safety Nova Scotia is a nonprofit safety organization dedicated to advancing workplace health and safety within agriculture for Nova Scotia.
FarmNEXT: Encouraging and supporting new farmers to establish commercial farms in Nova Scotia. Program funds are intended to reduce the loan principal to provide a stronger equity position for the farm business in the first year of operation.
Growing Forward 2/Homegrown Success Program: A cost-shared program between the federal and provincial government to encourage innovation, competitiveness and market development for agricultural producers.
Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board: For almost 80 years the Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board has supported the development of sustainable agri-culture and agri-rural business in Nova Scotia through responsible lending.
Fisheries-Related Programs
Atlantic Fisheries Fund: An initiative cost-shared between the federal and provincial government supporting sustainable growth in the fishery through investments in innovation, infrastructure and science.
Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board: For 80 years the Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board has supported the development of fisheries and aquaculture businesses in Nova Scotia through responsible lending.
Energy-Related Programs
Energy Training Program: Provides wage subsidies up to 50% (to a maximum of $7.50/hour) to eligible companies to hire co-op students, non–co-op students, and recent graduates.
Pengrowth-Nova Scotia Energy Scholarship: Offers scholarships to Nova Scotia students pursuing careers in energy. These scholarships can help students develop the knowledge and skills needed to work or conduct research in this field.
