Enterprise Saint John wants to help create 900 new jobs and launch 90 new businesses over the next three years.
Those are some of the goals included in the agency’s three-year strategic plan, which was presented to Saint John’s growth committee last week.
CEO Ron Gaudet told our newsroom the plan is important to help address the serious issues facing our region.
“The underpinning is the fact that greater Saint John has not been growing at a stellar rate, that it has some structural challenges in terms of an outmigration and in terms of business growth,” Gaudet said.
The plan has four focus areas: workforce development, business investment and innovation, entrepreneurship development, and marketing the region.
Gaudet said he believes the plan is achievable — if ESJ, municipalities, other levels of government and key partners work together.
“We need to have a concerted effort, a focused effort around increasing our labour force, retaining our youth, and being very, very intentional about how we message to the outside world,” he said.
Gaudet said they plan to roll out the plan sometime in January.
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Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
(Photo: Enterprise Saint John/submitted)
