Development Day! November 23, 2016
Posted on November 16, 2016
The Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE), in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) and Big Data Alliance of Nova Scotia are hosting a development day for students and teachers across the province on Wednesday, November 23rd. Our Ocean Playground is a full day hands-on, experiential learning opportunity focused on helping our students and teachers to build deeper learning connections with our oceans. The day integrates technology, explores innovation, and promotes entrepreneurship by focusing on the growing importance of oceans in our lives and in our world.
Supported by funding from Irving Shipyards Inc. (ISI) and the Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia (OTCNS), IORE has developed a Teacher Professional Development program for this event. This professional development day will focus on building the confidence and competence of middle school teachers in the delivery of experiential ocean education, and will help to profile and raise awareness of the regional industry and its various sectors. The workshop topics include;
- marine renewable energy
- marine optics and acoustics
- aquaculture
- and shipbuilding and boatbuilding
Teachers will have a chance to participate in interactive investigations relating to these key ocean sectors in our province, led by regional experts from industry and academia. These workshop investigations will link science, technology, engineering and math, with concepts relating to the ocean economy and ecology, careers, innovation & entrepreneurship, and local communities.
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OUR OCEAN PLAYGROUND – Education Day 2016
Posted on October 6, 2016
GRADE 7–8 TEACHER DEVELOPMENT DAY: EXPERIENTIAL OCEAN EDUCATION
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 | Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre 1800 Argyle Street, Halifax Nova Scotia
Be part of an exciting event focusing on experiential ocean education. You will have a chance to participate in interactive investigations relating to 4 key ocean sectors in our province, led by regional experts from industry and academia. Participate in hands-on experiences that will link science, technology, engineering and math, with concepts relating to the ocean economy and ecology, careers, innovation & entrepreneurship, and local communities.
Aquaculture
All types of farming rely on a good understanding of lifecycles and ecosystems. Learn more about the controlled farming of freshwater and marine fish and aquatic plants, and gain insight into how this growing industry is contributing to the economy of small coastal communities across our region. (French/English)
Marine Renewable Energy
All movement is energy. Find out how energy is being harnessed from tides, waves and currents. Meet local innovators who are on the cutting edge of this technology, and build efficient turbines that best balance the need to capture energy with the interests of preserving aquatic ecosystems. (English)
Marine Optics and Acoustics
Explore how sight & sound and the behaviour of light and sound waves behave and vary in marine environments. Understand how local researchers and innovators use this science to develop technologies that help us to see and hear throughout the ocean – and see how this information helps to inform activities relating to ecology, the economy, and global societies. (English)
Shipbuilding and Boat Building
Investigate how the properties of materials and ocean water influence the design and construction of marine vessels. Explore cutting-edge technologies and careers that are emerging from these booming sectors, and discuss the impact on communities and the economy across the province. (French/English)
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Mitacs grant helps StFX, IORE look at career perceptions of Nova Scotia middle school students
Posted on September 20, 2016
A new research study from the Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE) and the StFX Faculty of Education is looking to shed light on the career perceptions and intentions of Nova Scotia junior high school students, including perceptions on several emerging regional sectors.
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Marine People Partnership Report Highlights Strategies for the Long Term Success of Canada’s Shipbuilding Industry
Posted on June 28, 2016
HALIFAX, NS – June 27, 2016 – The Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE), in partnership with Irving Shipbuilding Inc., released today the results of a Marine People Partnership report intended to inform the development of a sustainable national marine industry workforce.
The Marine People Partnership report addresses the challenges, needs and opportunities for strategic workforce development in the greater marine industry, which includes shipbuilding and ship repair sectors, as well as the companies that directly and indirectly support them.
IORE developed the report with funding received through Irving Shipbuilding’s Value Proposition commitment under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). NSS is designed to create a future of certainty for Canada’s shipbuilding industry and the companies that support it.
The Marine People Partnership report identifies six priority areas that comprise common challenges to workforce development in the marine industry, nationally, including:
- The history of boom and bust;
- The socialization and normalizing of workforce mobility;
- Social and systemic challenges to attracting talent in skilled trades;
- Developing essential skills, workplace skills and 21st century competencies;
- Developing workforce capability among under represented workers; and,
- Developing management and leadership capability.
In addition to the priority areas, the report also examines issues relating to workforce development in skilled trades and technology roles, in unionized environments, and of professionals.
The report identifies 25 recommendations to address the priority areas including:
- Improving career literacy among young people and their parents;
- Integrating more 21st century competencies into apprenticeship and technology training;
- Developing more in-house training for customized marine oriented skills and knowledge;
- Engaging unions to help actively build a stronger learning culture; and,
- Improving the ocean literacy of our young people by building interest, engagement, awareness and knowledge base.
Since being selected in 2011 as Canada’s Combatant Shipbuilder under the NSS, Irving Shipbuilding has undertaken a number of initiatives to develop the workforce responsible for Canada’s future fleet.
The Irving Shipbuilding Centre of Excellence has been established in partnership with the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) to develop academic curriculum and state of the art training facilities for marine industry trades.
To enhance ocean literacy and awareness of careers in the shipbuilding industry among youth and their parents, the Irving Shipbuilding Centre of Excellence offers shipbuilding summer camps to youth across Nova Scotia in partnership with SuperNOVA, and offers school outreach including a shipbuilding activity day in grade six classrooms.
Irving has established partnerships with industry, union, Government and community organizations to offer education, apprenticeship and career opportunities to underrepresented workers through programs such as Women Unlimited, Pathways to Shipbuilding and the NSCC Centre of Excellence Bursary Program. As identified in the report, women, Aboriginal Canadians, visible minorities and people with disabilities have largely been underrepresented in shipbuilding, and Irving Shipbuilding is working to change that.
Irving has also recruited shipbuilders from the most established global shipbuilding leaders to help mentor, lead and train the Irving Shipbuilding workforce, which is over 95% Canadian workers, in modern shipbuilding techniques and establish Halifax as a shipbuilding centre of excellence, while cultivating domestic talent and experience. Currently, over 1,200 skilled trades and professionals are employed with Irving with that number expected to double during the peak of the NSS project.
The full Marine People Partnership Report is available for download here <LINK TBC>
Information on Irving Shipbuilding’s workforce development initiatives is available at www.shipsforcanada.ca
Quotes:
“A strong, sustainable marine industry and workforce puts Canadian shipbuilding at the forefront of innovation and longevity. Our people are our greatest resource and a proper strategy to develop and grow our workforce is critical to ensure Canadians benefit from the good paying, stable jobs created through the National Shipbuilding Strategy. By developing our workforce, we can assure we deliver the best value to Canada.”
Kevin McCoy, President, Irving Shipbuilding Inc
“For young people to become interested in a career in a particular industry, they need to have awareness of it. The National Shipbuilding Strategy will bring predictability and stability to the marine industry and build confidence that this is an industry worth investing in in terms of workforce development and infrastructure. If there is one great outcome of the NSS, it is elevating the profile of the marine industry and the opportunities within it.”
Dr. Sherry Scully, Director of Learning and Organizational Development, IORE
About the Marine People Partnership
The Marine People Partnership (MPP) was established to explore workforce development issues and advise on a national human resource development strategy. Conceived from Irving Shipbuilding’s Value Proposition commitment under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, the objective of the MPP is to propose objective and relevant recommendations aimed at overcoming challenges to developing a highly trained, skilled and available workforce.
About IORE
Ocean expertise abounds on Canada’s east coast. In Nova Scotia alone, ocean-related activity generates $5 billion in revenue and produces 60,000 jobs – 14 per cent of provincial employment. More than 10 per cent of all researchers in Atlantic Canada are focused on oceans. And an increasing number of private sector companies are discovering new economic opportunities in key ocean-related sectors. The Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE) exists to align these assets to benefit the region and the marine science and marine technology sectors. By brokering partnerships among industry, universities, government and private institutions, IORE is working to enhance both the competitiveness of ocean industries and our knowledge base.
About Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) is part of the J.D. Irving, Limited Group of companies which includes operations in Agriculture, Construction & Equipment, Consumer Products, Energy, Food, Forestry & Forestry Products, Retail & Distribution, Transportation & Logistics, and Shipbuilding & Industrial Fabrication. ISI’s primary site is Halifax Shipyard, with four other locations in the Maritime Provinces. ISI was selected in 2011 as Canada’s Combatant Shipbuilder under the merit-based National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) and is in the early stages of a 30-year military shipbuilding program. To date ISI has awarded over $1 billion in NSS contracts to over 200 Canadian companies creating over 9,000 direct and indirect jobs.
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2015 Call For Canada-Brazil OS&T Research Proposals
Posted on March 10, 2015
Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE) is pleased to announce that a call for proposals in support of joint research projects in Ocean Sciences and Technology has been issued by the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the Foundation for Research Support of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS). The call and program will be administered by Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE) in Nova Scotia, Canada and FAPERGS in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Proposals are sought for research projects in any area of ocean sciences and technology, including biological, physical and chemical oceanography, marine biology, marine geology and geophysics, interdisciplinary ocean sciences, marine (bio-) technology, and marine aquaculture. Proposed activities should have a duration of two years, and have a maximum budget of C$12,500 per year / C$25,000 total (for Nova Scotian activities) plus R$30,000 per year / R$60,000 total (for Brazilian activities). The involvement of graduate students (Masters and/or PhD) and postdoctoral fellows is permitted and encouraged.
Eligible researchers in Rio Grande do Sul will be those who are linked to graduate programs in the field of ocean sciences and technology accredited by CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel). Eligible researchers in Nova Scotia will be those who are linked to university graduate programs in the field of ocean sciences and technology, within universities that are recognized by the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education.
The call document, with full details of this opportunity, is available at: http://iore.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NS-FAPERGS-Call-for-Proposals.pdf. Application instructions for Nova Scotian applicants are available at: http://iore.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NS-FAPERGS-Instructions-for-Proposals-FINAL.pdf.
The deadline for applications is April 24, 2015, and questions related to this Call may be referred to:
Jim Hanlon, Chief Executive Officer
Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE)
E-mail: jim.hanlon@iore.ca
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