Q & A Western Region

Conversation with Angelique LeBlanc and Miranda McLean

Our Connector Program in Western Nova Scotia (Barrington, Digby, Yarmouth, Clare, Argyle Municipalities) is different from many other programs, because it serves newcomers, international and domestic graduates, people new to the area, and underemployed or unemployed locals. The Regional Enterprise Network (REN) itself works to create a business and investment friendly environment in Western Nova Scotia, and the Connector program helps to accomplish this goal. We caught up with Coordinator Miranda McLean and CEO of the REN, Angelique LeBlanc, to talk about the Connector Program, and its impact on the area.

Interview by Alida Campbell.

Alida manages the National Connector Program and continues to be inspired by the stories of connection and growth that participants share across the country.

Alida:

The Connector Program has been around since 2017 in the Western Region of Nova Scotia. How has it impacted the community in this time?

Miranda:

The Connector Program fills a gap. When I graduated from school, I met someone by chance, who offered me a job. I was able to get my first job through a connection, and so many people don’t have those connections, or find those opportunities, so this program meets that need and create those opportunities for people. In places like Western Nova Scotia, you are at a disadvantage if you don’t know people. When I was moving here, people said – you won’t find a meaningful job there, there’s no opportunities. With the Connector Program being in the community, it shows that you can find a job, there are opportunities in small towns and small communities. It also helps companies bring new perspectives to their businesses – so they can’t just answer “it’s always been done this way”, they have to think about the reasoning and maybe change how they do things. It also helps to integrate new ideas and new ages into the workforce, which is important here.

Angelique:

In rural communities, we are all about networking. Connector Program humanizes the process. It helps the area feel more like home, giving newcomers a taste of what we are all about. It shows we care enough about them to help them make their home here. It’s just organic enough to be successful. The program allows us to identify these incredibly talented people. It helps us maintain good relationships with our business community, because we can point them in the direction of great talent that makes sense to them, but they might not otherwise have seen. The program helps us close the loop between talent, business and the community. For our business community, it responds to the acute problem of our labour shortage. It helps them find talent they otherwise would not have known. The program helps to maintain vibrant, diverse and highly talented people in our region and helps newcomers find everything they need to stay here.

Alida:

What about your organization? How does the Connector Program benefit the REN itself?

Angelique:

It is the heart and soul of the REN in many ways. Economic Development is a long-term game. The Connector program allows us to build relationships that facilitate this. It is also very personalized and lets us get to know business and the people here. It’s our feel-good program, where we see the impact we are having. We maintain the relationships with Connectees and help them integrate into the business picture of our community – it creates an affinity to our region and our organization.

Miranda:

The REN is here to support businesses, existing and new. The Western REN works with organizations to convince people to invest in the Western REN, and talent is a huge part of that – so the Connector Program is a huge piece of what the Western REN does. Also, The Connector Program helps promote our organization. People see it and know what the Western REN is doing in their area, that it is contributing to the community. It also helps build relationships. If people aren’t a good fit for the Connector Program, they might be a great fit for other programs within the Western REN, so the more people it can bring to the organization, the more our programs benefit, and the more the community benefits.

Alida:

Angelique, what would you say to those regions who might be interested in learning from your experience and starting a Connector Program?

Angelique:

Do it. I’m constantly amazed by who is coming through the program, who is involved and the jobs and opportunities that come out of it. People have no idea who their neighbours are, or those that live down the street, in terms of their skills, education, or abilities. This program allows people to discover that – just do it. We live in a global world, people move around all the time, so it’s a great way to get out there and make sure that if they move to your area, they don’t move away.

Alida:

Absolutely. And Miranda, what might you say to those who would start a Connector program? What can the National Connector Program be for them?

Miranda:

I love being a part of the NCP Community! Everyone is incredibly welcoming and really want to help each other whenever they can – be it a resource they may have created, ideas about an event they did, how they run their programs, someone to bounce ideas off of or really anything someone needs. It’s like an extended support network outside of your organization to help you be as successful as you can be. I’ve seen collaboration before in similar instances, but the NCP really is just that – a Community!

Alida:

Thank you so much for chatting with me today about the program. It’s great to see that you can use it for retention in your community, helping people stay and make their homes in your area.