Rural-Urban Interaction in Newfoundland and Labrador: Project Update

Corner Brook, NLSarah-Patricia Breen

October 8, 2008

Overview

Timeline Summer 2008 Update

Data collected Preliminary results Relationship mapping Background paper

Researcher Updates David Freshwater – Active Labour Market strategies Alvin Simms– Functional Regions Analysis Rob Greenwood – National perspective Ryan Lane– Knowledge mobilization

Revised Timeline

Timeline

Phase I: May 07-May 08 Data collection Consultations Milestone I – Interim Report

I Phase II: May 08-May 09

Labour Market Attractiveness Index

Milestone II – Interim Report II

Phase III: May 08-October09 Sustainability Index Milestone III – Final Report

and Operational Tool Milestone IV - Community

Workshops Phase IV - Evaluation

Completed Functional Regions Analysis Regional Governance

Questionnaires Pilot Region Engagement Active Labour Market Paper Milestone I

Remaining Data collection ongoing Completion of Regional

Governance Background Paper

Phase II - IV

Activity Achievement

Summer 2008 Data Collection Questionnaires

Regional and Local NGOs Businesses

Pilot Region Profiles History, Economic, Social, Cultural,

Environmental Regional Asset Mapping

GPS & Photos Additional Data

Twillingate / New World Island Agency Directory

Summer 2008 Data Collection

Questionnaires: 18/31 (NGOs) 22/56 (Businesses)

Profile: complete Regional Asset

Mapping: data collected

Agency Directory

Questionnaires: 21/40 (NGOs) 17/37 (Businesses)

Profile: in progress Regional Asset

Mapping: data collected

Twillingate / New World Island

Labrador Straits

Preliminary Results - Questions

What area do you consider to be your region?

How optimistic do you feel about the future of your community?

What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing your organization / business today?

Preliminary Results – Q#1

Question #1 - Regions Businesses:

(#1)Notre Dame Bay, (#2) Twillingate /NWI, (#3) Central NL

NGOs: (#1) Twillingate NWI, (#2) Grand Falls-Gander-Twillingate Triangle, (#3) Tie - other

Question #1 - Regions Businesses: (#1)

Labrador Straits, (#2) Labrador Straits + Quebec Lower North Shore OR L’Anse au Clair to Cartwright

NGOs: (#1) Labrador Straits, (#2)Labrador Straits + Blanc Sablon, (#3) Tie - other

Twillingate / New World Island

Labrador Straits

Preliminary Results – Q#2

Question #2 - Future Businesses: 14/18

were optimistic or somewhat optimistic

NGOs: 13/17 were optimistic or somewhat optimistic

Question #2 - Future Businesses: 13/17

were optimistic or somewhat optimistic

NGOs: 13/15 were optimistic or somewhat optimistic

Twillingate / New World Island

Labrador Straits

Preliminary Results – Q#3

Question #3 - Challenges Businesses: increasing

costs, population change, finding and retaining skilled workers

NGOs: human resources issues (population change, volunteer numbers, retaining skilled workers) and organizational finance/costs/funding

Question #3 - Challenges Businesses: increasing

costs and finding and retaining skilled workers

NGOs: human resources issues (population change, volunteer numbers, retaining skilled workers) and organizational finance/costs/funding

Twillingate / New World Island

Labrador Straits

Relationship Mapping

Social Network Analysis Relationship Mapping Asset Mapping

Application for project

Examples

One example:

Kittiwake/Twillingate-New World Island agencies involved in similar labour market-related activities

Are they connected, collaborating, building on one another’s efforts? Are there gaps?

Background Paper

November 2008

Project Purpose Governance Overview Regional Governance Models in NL

Economic and Labour Market Development

Social Development Environment and Natural Resources Community Development Regional Services and Local Government Aboriginal Governance Political Boundaries

Emerging Trends in Governance Conclusion

Regional Governance: RDAsFall 2008

Est. 27 active RDAs, 13 have participated in project Highlights

Mandate: community economic development Half said boundaries are provincially designed 69% don’t have annual operating budget, 67%

generate revenue through administration fees and renting building space

Heavily reliant on volunteers 95% of RDAs collaborate with local organizations

Includes information sharing and project partnerships Accomplishments include: creation of economic

opportunities, improved social conditions, and labour market development

Challenges: funding and volunteers

Regional Governance: REDBs

Fall 2008 10/11 identified have identified distinct sub-regions

Key stakeholders: municipalities and businesses

Respondents indicate their regions are very or somewhat collaborative

9/11 have a mandate for labour market development, 2/11 indicate they are involved but all have activities in support of labour market development

Active Labour Market Policy: Implications for Local Labour Markets and Regional Development

Dr. David Freshwater

Dept. of Geography

Memorial University

Active Labour Market Policy Paper: Summary Literature Review Active Labour Market Policy (ALMP)

Efforts by government to alter workings of labour markets

Addresses structural unemployment problems 3 Approaches

Modify supply of labour Increase demand for labour Improve functioning of labour market

Examples of Implementing ALMP Job Matching Job Training Job Subsidies

Labour Market AnalysisDr. Alvin Simms

Jamie Ward (M.Sc. Candidate)

Dept. of Geography

Memorial University

Labour markets disappearing

Comparison of 2001 and 2006 Journey to Work Data:

Labour markets becoming more localized

When journey to work numbers are reduced to a minimum (e.g. 10 workers) a labour region will not be formed.

The employment concentration index (ECI) determines if employment in a particular industry ( e.g. fish processing) is concentrated in a few communities or shared among many communities throughout the region.

The employment dependency index (EDI) identifies how dependent a community , within a labour market region, is on a particular industry (e.g. fish processing)

High dependency on fish plant jobs in a majority of communities produces high to very high dispersion for the region suggesting that the jobs, regionally, are distributed amongst the communities fairly evenly. This analysis provides insight to employment dependencies within a region and the vulnerability of labour markets to fluctuations in a particular industry.

Revised Timeline

Remaining: November 2008 Data collection ongoing Completion of Regional Governance Background Paper Pilot Region Results Functional Regions Analysis Presentations: NL REDA, Provincial Cabinet Committee,

Federal-Regional Council Phase II: May 08-May 09

Labour Market Viability Model and Attractiveness Index Strategic Labour Market Planning Analysis Paper Milestone II – Interim Report II

Phase III: May 08-October09 Sustainability Index Formal integration of project components Milestone III – Final Report and Operational Tool Milestone IV - Community Workshops

Phase IV - Evaluation

Activity

Questions?

For copies of documents please e-mail requests to s.breen@mun.ca

October 8, 2008