Tap into Provincial Graduate Funding for your Next Hire!

09 Aug Tap into Provincial Graduate Funding for your Next Hire!

You may already know that Nova Scotia has the second oldest demographic make-up of any province in Canada, making it more important than ever to bring skilled post-secondary talent into the workforce.

Now, it’s easier than ever to make hiring recent graduates possible for small business owners.

EMM Law, a renowned, private, firm nestled in the heart of Port Hawkesbury, has been providing a range of legal services to clients in Cape Breton for over 50 years. Recently, they increased their staff capacity to 18, with a salary funding program that helped them hire more talented articling students.

Wayne MacMillan, Managing Partner of EMM Law says the provincial Graduate to Opportunity (GTO) program has brought EMM Law significant value over the years. “Not only are we able to provide great career opportunities for graduates in Port Hawkesbury, but we are able to reduce the risk and cost associated with hiring someone who has little or no experience,” says Wayne.

GTO helps small businesses with under 100 full-time employees, including start-ups, social enterprises and non-profits, hire recent grads for permanent, full-time jobs in Nova Scotia. GTO offers 25% of a grad’s first year (35% if the grad is diverse) and 12.5% of a grad’s second year salary to eligible employers in the province.

“It can be costly for private practises to make a new hire,” says Wayne. “But GTO helps reduce those bottom line costs, which is huge. All three of the recent grads we have hired with the support of GTO, have stayed with the company. Retaining young talent is so important to the economy of rural Cape Breton, and this program can help businesses get an upper-hand on talent attraction and even succession planning.”

Wayne hired Nakita Samson of Richmond County, who completed her studies at the Universite de Moncton. Kalysa Kirk, of Sherbrooke, and Mitchell Broughton of Ontario, who both attended Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law, also joined EMM Law under the GTO subsidy.

Now a practising lawyer at EMM Law, Mitchell strives to take a restorative justice approach to his work, helping clients with an approach that is unique for them. He became an associate with the firm in 2018.

“Working at a more rural law firm has given me excellent hands on experience,” says Mitchell. “This, coupled with strong mentorship from senior counsel, has made me confident in my ability to help individuals navigate our legal system.” Mitchell enjoys exploring Cape Breton and making it home.

“We want to support the graduates we hire so that they succeed, and see a future with our company,” says Wayne. “Programs like this make the opportunity to invest in young talent a lot easier for small businesses like us.”

To date, over 900 recent graduates are employed across Nova Scotia with the support of GTO funding. Learn more about how the GTO program can benefit your company at novascotia.ca/GTO. Applications are typically turned around within 5 business days.