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At NB-IRDT, we research priority issues in New Brunswick, like outmigration. We also dedicate resources to being part of the solution. This summer marked the inaugural run of our experiential student research program – Pathways to Professions. Through this and other such programs we are investing in the future workforce and future research capacity in New Brunswick.

In recent years, New Brunswick has seen many graduates and young workers move to other provinces for career opportunities. By providing students with workplace experience, skills development, and training in job readiness, Pathways to Professions aims to equip the next generation with the resources to find meaningful work here – in New Brunswick.

Pathways to Professions is an experiential learning program for undergraduate students interested in research at UNB. Participants are paid to work as part of a research team on projects that are tailored to match the needs of a community partner (this year, Planet Hatch). The students compiled reports and infographics while attending weekly workshops in research methods and workplace skills, and they presented their results to our partners, academics, and leaders in government and industry in New Brunswick.

As the summer months come to an end, so too does the 2020 Pathways to Professions.

Over the past 13 weeks, the participants have been working under the direction of Dr. Herb Emery (Director of AIPR, Vaughan Chair in Regional Economics) and Dr. Ted McDonald (Director of NB-IRDT) on two research projects:

• BoostNB - a dashboard of the province’s economic performance and indicators of progress over time. This year’s results can be viewed at BoostNB and report on topics such as real GDP growth, labour force participation, tourism expansion, business and consumer confidence, and more.

• PopNB - a picture of the population of New Brunswick, including who lives here and how the population and its characteristics changed over the years. This year's research topics include mobility, immigrant admission categories, and farm populations, among others.

Helping students embrace their full potential through workplace training, hands-on research, and connection with local businesses.

Increasingly, organizations are turning to data-driven research to inform their business decisions, but opportunities to develop these skills are not always provided in the classroom. This program fills a gap by:

• equipping students with real-world data expertise and training in applied research to increase their marketability in the workforce, and

• connecting students with researchers and local employers, increasing the likelihood of more NB students attaining meaningful work in New Brunswick.

Interested in learning more about how you can participate as a student, researcher, or community partner?

Email nb-irdttraining@unb.ca to find out more or request your copy of the 2020 Pathways to Professions Program in Review when it becomes available.