Supporting employers through resources and funding

The workforce is changing - are you ready to lead the way?

Future Force Employer Program: A New Era in Workforce Development.

The Future Force Employer Program is a new and forward-thinking initiative designed to help employers overcome today’s most pressing workforce challenges: recruitment, engagement, and retention. Built in partnership with our Youthworx program, this initiative connects businesses with motivated young talent while equipping employers with tools, insights, and strategies to create inclusive, resilient, and future-ready workplaces.

Empowering employers. Engaging youth. Building a stronger workforce.

 Youthworx supports youth to build confidence, skills, and a future they believe in. Youthworx, based in Truro, is funded through the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS). This investment supports young people aged 15 to 30 in developing the confidence, skills, and work experience needed to thrive in today’s job market.

Why Employers Participate

This initiative offers employers 10+ hours of FREE HR training and skills development - a $1,000+ value - to strengthen workplace culture, foster inclusive and flexible environments, and connect with new talent

By joining the Future Force Employer Program, businesses will:

  • Access a pipeline of motivated, pre-supported youth

  • Gain insight into the evolving expectations of young workers

  • Strengthen recruitment, engagement, and retention strategies

  • Build inclusive workplace practices that support long-term sustainability

  • Contribute to a framework for workforce transformation

 For more information, click here.

Be Part of the Future of Work

This initiative is more than a placement program - it’s a strategic partnership that strengthens your workforce while shaping the next generation of talent in Nova Scotia. By partnering with Youthworx through the Future Force Employer Program, you’re not just filling roles - you’re helping build a labour market where youth are equipped to succeed and employers are positioned to grow.

Become a Future Force employer today.

Help close the gap between willing workers and ready workplaces - and be part of a workforce evolution that benefits your business, your community, and our province.

Register here

For more information, contact Jennifer.Robichaud@futureworx.ca

The project will be catalytic in addressing multiple barriers to employment and labour shortages while creating a framework that is portal across the province. By engaging with Youthworx, employers help build a stronger workforce, close the gap between willing workers and ready workplaces, and connect with future-ready youth.

Looking for reliable, work-ready employees?

Connex: Breaking Barriers is an employer partnership for inclusive hiring.

Connex: Breaking Barriers is a targeted employer partnership initiative designed to help businesses address labour shortages while advancing inclusive hiring practices. Built in collaboration with a Community Steering Committee, this program connects businesses with motivated, work-ready individuals who are rebuilding their careers after incarceration or living with the stigma of a criminal record.

Breaking Barriers facilitates direct connections between participants and inclusive employers through a guided job search process, helping reduce hiring barriers and support informed, sustainable employment outcomes. This initiative offers employers the opportunity to access prepared talent, reduce hiring risk, and play a meaningful role in strengthening communities through employment.

Breaking barriers. Building futures. Turning potential into possibility.

Breaking Barriers is more than a placement program - it is a supported partnership that helps employers recruit, onboard, and retain motivated workers while contributing to long-term workforce stability. Where second chances become career pathways.

Be Part of a More Inclusive Workforce

Breaking Barriers offers employers the chance to meet real workforce needs while helping individuals rebuild confidence, stability, and long-term careers. By partnering with Connex: Breaking Barriers, you’re not just filling roles — you’re helping build a labour market where opportunity, accountability, and inclusion work together.

By participating in Connex: Breaking Barriers, employers will:

  • Access a pipeline of job-ready candidates who have completed pre-employment training and certifications

  • Receive ongoing support from the Connex team before, during, and after placements

  • Reduce recruitment and onboarding pressures

  • Strengthen retention through supported, confidence-building work experiences

  • Demonstrate leadership in inclusive, community-focused hiring

  • Have access to, and support applying for wage subsidies

Become an Inclusive Employer Today!

By participating, employers help reduce stigma, support reintegration, and contribute to safer, stronger local communities. Download more information here.

For more information, or to register - contact Ann Boyd: annb@futureworx.ca or by calling 902-233-1059.

FREE Employer Sessions

Breaking Barriers. Building Futures.

Join us for a VIRTUAL discussion on inclusive hiring for individuals with a criminal record.

Breaking Barriers is a FREE, facilitated discussion designed to support fair, informed, and inclusive hiring practices. Delivered by Shumba Consulting, this session will help employers better understand criminal record checks, human rights legislation, and bias in hiring - while offering practical tools to support confident decision-making.

Through guided discussion and real-world examples, employers will explore how to balance organizational needs with human rights obligations, challenge common misconceptions, and identify supports that make inclusive hiring successful for both employers and employees.

 What You’ll Learn

  • Gain clarity on criminal record checks and when they are required

  • Understand federal and provincial human rights considerations

  • Explore personal and organizational bias in hiring decisions

  • Learn best practices for inclusive recruitment and screening

  • Identify supports available before and after hiring individuals with criminal records

Recognizing the demands on employers’ time - this session is offered twice, with morning and evening options available virtually.

  • February 2 | 9:00–11:00 AM

  • February 3 | 5:00–7:00 PM

Be Part of a More Inclusive Workforce

By participating, employers help reduce stigma, support reintegration, and contribute to safer, stronger local communities.

For more information, or to register contact Aaron Devine: aarond@futureworx.ca or call: 902-986-6005.

Funding and resources

Find funding and resources to help you hire the right people to help your business thrive.