History of Bridging the Gap
Rural regions of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada have been traditionally reliant on natural resources. The collapse of the Northern Cod stocks in 1992 ended almost 500 years of cod fishing activity in the province and put almost 30,000 people out of work. Rural residents found themselves not having the necessary skills to diversify their local economies. Hundreds of coastal communities that had depended on the fishery for generations watched their economic and cultural mainstay disappear overnight.
Challenges
The challenges resulting from this collapse were many and varied. Major among them was coping with outmigration and the need to retrain the many displaced fish harvesters and processors to participate in other occupational sectors. It was quickly learned that there was insufficient training capacity to address this significant need, particularly in rural areas.
Although the province has made real progress in recent years by generating more employment opportunities, higher wages and expanding its GDP, a segment of the skilled population continues to take job opportunities outside Newfoundland and Labrador. At the same time the remaining workforce is aging and more of the existing jobs are demanding new and updated skills. Research indicates that local skilled labour and labour requirements for existing and new businesses will be affected by these skill gaps.
Evolution
The BTG Model continues to evolve by working collaboratively with both levels of government, the private sector, organized labour, NGOs and Post Secondary Schools in the planning, design, development, implementation and evaluation processes. The model cannot be implemented in isolation. All partners contribute to the model’s positive outcomes and learn from the experience to improve for future applications.
Government has been following a consultative process by engaging local citizens when developing new policies and programs. A BTG Provincial Model Steering Committee comprised of NGOs and both levels of Government has taken a similar approach and collaborated to further refine and adjust tools/templates ensuring the model is more sustainable/adaptable to meet individual and business needs.
Solution
The Bridging the Gap (BTG) model evolved as a tangible solution to address at the community level, the effects of major business closures due to downsizing and economic hardships.
Key community stakeholders realized that without the labour force skills to meet industry demand, there would be a profound impact on rural and business development.