Looking forward: Five more years of research on post-secondary education, training and labour in NB
Author: NB-IRDT Staff
Posted on Jul 20, 2023
Category: DataNB
NB-IRDT is not a government organization, but we are proud to support our provincial government by providing data-informed evidence that can help guide policy discussions and decisions. A new 5-year research contract with the NB Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) is allowing us to keep doing just that.
Since NB-IRDT’s official launch back in 2015, the Government of New Brunswick has supported our research endeavours, transferring de-identified data and commissioning research projects that have allowed us to grow and expand our research capacity. From 2018 to 2023, we embarked on our first 5-year partnership with PETL, which resulted in the transfer of 25 linkable administrative data sets to NB-IRDT. Our researchers, in turn, used these data to complete 27 research reports for PETL, with topics ranging from the NB economy and labour market to population dynamics, immigration, education and training programs, social policy, and more.
According to PETL Deputy Minister, Dan Mills, “NB-IRDT has shown, time and time again, the ability to provide critical data which informs the provincial government in its decision-making process. The timely and topical information the government receives from NB-IRDT greatly contributes to its ability to make changes that positively impact New Brunswickers. The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour is pleased to partner with NB-IRDT for another five years.”
NB-IRDT Director, Dr. Ted McDonald, is using this opportunity to expand the scope of research projects based on PETL priority areas: “Our research program with PETL aims to support the province’s policy development by providing a firm evidence base on which to evaluate program impact. In addition to our regular series of reports on the retention and mobility of post-secondary graduates in NB and immigrants moving to NB, we will also be undertaking more targeted studies, including for example, the retention and mobility of NB nurses and teachers, the social and economic benefits of libraries, and a study on the take-up and outcomes of experiential learning programs in post-secondary institutions.”