2024-03-06
Canada's ocean economy has tremendous growth potential – it is on track to create 20,000 new jobs in the next five to seven years. Yet the growth of the sector needs to be matched by an expanded workforce of skilled Canadians to fill these new jobs. The Ocean Cluster and its innovation ecosystem aim to help build awareness and capacity to ensure that the future ocean workforce is equipped with the skills necessary to step into these jobs, perform them at the highest level possible, and in doing so, enable the sector to reach its goal of creating a $220 billion ocean economy in Canada by 2035.
The Ocean Cluster is providing support to build an increasingly diverse and larger ocean workforce through a number of activities. It is supporting the Ocean Allies project – which is seeking to inspire, engage, employ, and continuously support a diverse workforce through research, training, and support. This project is leveraging the data collected to continue to look for ocean employment opportunities for equity-seeking groups.
The Ocean Cluster is also supporting projects aimed at upskilling and reskilling talent and creating job opportunities in the ocean economy, such as the Blue Futures Pathways Project. This project aims to connect youth (aged 18 to 30) from equity-seeking groups across Canada with education, employment, and funding opportunities that inspire and support them in developing a successful career in the emerging Sustainable Blue Economy. As of March 2022, the project has facilitated 130 youth internships and 90 youth mentorship opportunities. The project includes the creation of a digital platform called "the PORT" that has engaged almost 1,000 youth from equity-seeking groups in the ocean economy, opening up possibilities for education, internships and careers.
Ocean Cluster
Programs supporting workforce development:
Ocean Allies
- Partners:
- Pisces Research Project Management, BioNB, Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia (OTCNS), Synapse PEI, PanGeo SubSea Inc., Irving Shipbuilding, Assembly of First Nations, Invest Nova Scotia, Mitacs, Oceans Advance, Huntsman Marine Centre, Upswing Consulting Solutions
- Location:
- Halifax, Nova Scotia
Blue Futures Pathways
- Partners:
- Students on Ice Foundation, Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), ECO Canada
- Location:
- Ottawa, Ontario