The Fish Plant Worker Employment Support Program is a provincially funded, targeted program focused on creating short-term employment for workers from fish plants designated by Government as permanently closed. Workers can also avail of employment counselling and supports provided by the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.
Eligible workers are employed by local governments and community organizations to work on projects that contribute to tourism development, economic development, community/ municipal infrastructure or community services. The program provides workers with a maximum of one fourteen-week rotation (560 hours) less any insurable hours of employment they have already earned during the current year for the purpose of establishing Employment Insurance benefits.
The Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development also provides the Fish Plant Workers Employment Assistance Program for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. This program provides new entrepreneurs and expanding small businesses with funding to employ fish plant workers negatively affected by the closure of a fish plant. More information is available on the Innovation, Trade and Rural Development website.