HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | JULY / AUGUST 2019 | VOLUME 28 ISSUE 7 A GLOBAL MINDSET ISANS, employers agree hiring newcomers helps both immigrants and business Pg 18 WITH A PURPOSE TAX TALK INCREASING ABILITIES Businesses find success in Reductions could help small Removing barriers in the giving back Pg 21 businesses grow Pg 26 workplace Pg 30 INVESTING IN THE FUTURE LEADERS OF TOMORROW The informal ofce atmosphere isn’t the only thing that has young Hiring youth is an investment in the future. It can be incremental — professionalsracingtoworkatQRAcorp.ThesmallHalifaxrm start with hiring co-op students, and then consider hiring them designs software to help clients verify plans in early stages of after graduation.” engineering projects. The brainy team of quantum physicists, software engineers and mathematicians who work there love the Stephen Foster recently completed his PhD in physics in Toronto, challenge of complex systems. butwaseagertocomebackhometoNovaScotiaandjoinQRAas a software engineer. Much of QRA’s talent are recent grads who are applying their education in a full-time job for the rst time. And they’re driving “I was hugely relieved to get this job,” says Stephen. “I moved back the company’s growth. toHalifax,andIreallywantedtostayhere—thatwasmygoal allalong.IfIdidn’tgetajob,Imighthavehadto “I was worried about getting a job after graduation,” move somewhere else. I feel very lucky. QRA is NOVA SCOTIA YOUTH says Arthur Recalde, an international student very good at onboarding and welcoming young from Brazil, who graduated from NSCC. “But then ARE ON PAR WITH ANY IN people with a progressive, start-up mentality that Igothiredhere.Theyevenpaidmeformy5-week THE WORLD. AS A SMALL values work-life balance.” work placement, which was not required of them. COMPANY WITH GLOBAL Graduating, I thought I would be xing printers, but I Like Stephen, Arthur sees a future and a life in REACH, WE BENEFIT FROM started off operating systems as a DevOps system Nova Scotia. “In Nova Scotia, there are more jobs, administrator right off the bat.” THAT TALENT AND ENERGY better pay, and it is safer than Brazil — where I would EVERYDAY. still be living with my mom. Coming here I thought Hiring Arthur fresh from college was made easier ‘why don’t I go to Toronto or Vancouver? It seems thanks to Graduate to Opportunity (GTO), a provincial like everyone is moving there’…but Nova Scotia has funding program. GTO provides salary incentives to small businesses, magicintheair.Idon’tknowwhatitis,butIlikeit.” start-ups, social enterprises, and non-prots who commit to hiring a recent post-secondary graduate. Employers receive 25% of the “PerCapita,thetalentofNovaScotiayouth—especiallyinsoftware grad’s rst year (35% if the grad is diverse) and 12.5% of the grad’s and technology — is on par with any other place in the world, second-year salary. literallyanyotherplaceintheworld,”saysJordan.“Butbecause the youth population is so small here, we really need to retain as “Having the follow-through from the government, with the much of our future brain trust as we can. As a small company with Graduate to Opportunity Program, gives us a way to keep these global reach and ambition, the youth we hire and retain today will co-op students here in Nova Scotia after graduation,” says Jordan beourleadersoftomorrow.Wearesofortunatetobebenetting Kyriakidis, QRA Co-founder and CEO. “This is key to the growth from that every day.” of our industry, and both these programs — GTO and the Co-op Incentive — are incredibly important for retaining youth.” GTO has helped more than 800 graduates land good jobs in their elds in Nova Scotia, and for the rst time in 32 years, we are seeing Attracting and retaining youth is important to the future of the more youth enter the province than leave. Employers like QRA are workforceinNovaScotia. contributing to this trend, and helping themselves, by providing career opportunities to post-secondary graduates. “At some point there will be a labour gap that needs to be lled,” says Arthur. “How can businesses better prepare for that? If you wait, you will be behind in the competition to hire the best grads. LEARN MORE ABOUT AVAILABLE FUNDING TO HIRE GRADS AND THE GTO PROGRAM AT NOVASCOTIA.CA/GTO Volume 28 • Issue 07 Nothing feels better than waking up in the morning Business Voice is published 11 times a year for members of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and Metro Halifax’s and wanting to go to work.” business community. Views expressed in Business Voice are those of the contributors and individual members, — John Robertson, CEO, HomeEXCEPT and are not necessarily endorsed by, or are a policy of, 20 the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot be held COVER STORY: responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur. Please address editorial enquiries and changes to information to: Halifax Chamber of Commerce 100-32 Akerley Boulevard Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3B 1N1 Tel: 902-468-7111 Fax: 902-468-7333 [email protected] www.halifaxchamber.com Board of Directors Margaret Chapman, Narrative Research, Chair Gavin MacDonald, Cox & Palmer, Vice Chair INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Cynthia Dorrington, Vale & Associates, Past Chair Directors LEADERS OF TOMORROW Robert Dean, MNP LLP Mark Sidebottom, Nova Scotia Power Inc. Richard Butts, Clayton Developments Ltd. Paul Bent, Self-Employed Consultant Saeed El-Darahali, SimplyCast Faten Alshazly, WeUsThem Stefanie MacDonald, Halifax Paper Hearts The informal ofce atmosphere isn’t the only thing that has young Hiring youth is an investment in the future. It can be incremental — Michele Peveril, NS Department of Business A GLOBAL professionalsracingtoworkatQRAcorp.ThesmallHalifaxrm start with hiring co-op students, and then consider hiring them Brad Proctor, McInnes Cooper Captain(N) David Mazur, Maritimes Forces Atlantic designs software to help clients verify plans in early stages of after graduation.” Roger Boutilier, Nova Scotia Association of Realtors engineering projects. The brainy team of quantum physicists, Caroline Wolfe Stewart, The Berkeley Retirement Residences MINDSET Stephen Foster recently completed his PhD in physics in Toronto, Andrew de Freitas, Canadian National Railway software engineers and mathematicians who work there love the Cayla Stryncl, Fiera Properties ISANS, employers agree hiring challenge of complex systems. butwaseagertocomebackhometoNovaScotiaandjoinQRAas Christopher Googoo, Ulnooweg a software engineer. Chamber Staff newcomers helps both 18 Much of QRA’s talent are recent grads who are applying their Patrick Sullivan, President and CEO immigrants and business education in a full-time job for the rst time. And they’re driving “I was hugely relieved to get this job,” says Stephen. “I moved back Nancy M. Conrad, Senior Vice President, Policy toHalifax,andIreallywantedtostayhere—thatwasmygoal Colin J. Bustard, Director of Finance and Administration the company’s growth. Becky Davison, Director of Marketing allalong.IfIdidn’tgetajob,Imighthavehadto Emma Menchefski, Communications Specialist “I was worried about getting a job after graduation,” move somewhere else. I feel very lucky. QRA is NOVA SCOTIA YOUTH Business Voice is published by says Arthur Recalde, an international student very good at onboarding and welcoming young The Chronicle Herald Custom Publishing Department Publisher: Sarah Dennis from Brazil, who graduated from NSCC. “But then ARE ON PAR WITH ANY IN people with a progressive, start-up mentality that Editor: Nicole Gnazdowsky TABLE OF Layout & Design: Peter Ross Igothiredhere.Theyevenpaidmeformy5-week THE WORLD. AS A SMALL values work-life balance.” Contributing Writers: Sara Ericsson, Erin Elaine Casey, work placement, which was not required of them. COMPANY WITH GLOBAL Joey Fitzpatrick, Tim Houston, Charlene Pickrem, Graduating, I thought I would be xing printers, but I Like Stephen, Arthur sees a future and a life in Ehsan Belghis, Moe Belghis, Harriette Schumacher, CONTENTS: REACH, WE BENEFIT FROM Alita Fabiano, Kathleen MacEachern started off operating systems as a DevOps system Nova Scotia. “In Nova Scotia, there are more jobs, Customer Relations Specialist: Jennifer MacLean administrator right off the bat.” THAT TALENT AND ENERGY better pay, and it is safer than Brazil — where I would Sales Executives: Wanda H. Priddle, Karen Publicover still be living with my mom. Coming here I thought 902-426-2811 ext. 1163 • [email protected] 04 Events EVERYDAY. Cover photo: Paul Darrow Hiring Arthur fresh from college was made easier ‘why don’t I go to Toronto or Vancouver? It seems Copyright 2019 by The Chronicle Herald. 05 President’s message thanks to Graduate to Opportunity (GTO), a provincial like everyone is moving there’…but Nova Scotia has All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, funding program. GTO provides salary incentives to small businesses, magicintheair.Idon’tknowwhatitis,butIlikeit.” photograph or artwork without expressed written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. 06 New & noted start-ups, social enterprises, and non-prots who commit to hiring “PerCapita,thetalentofNovaScotiayouth—especiallyinsoftware 2717 Joseph Howe Drive a recent post-secondary graduate. Employers receive 25% of the Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2T2 and technology — is on par with any other place in the world, Tel: 902-426-2811 11 Members grad’s rst year (35% if the grad is diverse) and 12.5% of the