Soon-to-be entrepreneurs starting new businesses in the Charlottetown area will now find it easier to access information and support at the Canada/PEI Business Service Centre following changes announced today.
To improve its storefront delivery of services, federal and provincial partners joined together to announce that the Self Employment benefit will now be delivered on-site at the Business Service Centre on Fitzroy Street in Charlottetown by staff from Enterprise PEI.
George Proud, Member of Parliament for Hillsborough, and the Honourable Don MacKinnon, Minister of Development, signed the partnership agreement demonstrating their commitment to improving access to government programs and services by providing better access to the Self Employment benefit.
The Self Employment benefit is an initiative of the Canada-PEI Labour Market Development Agreement, a co-managed agreement between Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) and the PEI Department of Development. The Self Employment benefit provides eligible individuals with financial assistance for a fixed term while they are starting a new business, offering evaluations of business plan proposals, counselling and client assessments. Recommendations regarding Self Employment proposals are provided to HRDC and once accepted, the participants can access help in implementing business plans, technical advice, and other supports.
"I am very pleased to take part in the signing of this partnership during Small Business Week," said George Proud, Member of Parliament for Hillsborough. "The service partnership that we are signing today demonstrates federal and provincial support of small business which is essential to the development of a more dynamic regional economy."
"The government of Prince Edward Island recognizes the vital role of small business within the provincial economy," stated the Honourable Don MacKinnon, Minister of Development. "Partnerships such as this provide important support by making information, advice and various other programs and services more easily accessible to new entrepreneurs. Our goal is to provide Islanders with as much information, resources and support as possible when they walk through the door of the BSC."
The Canada/PEI Business Service Centre provides more than 30 client referrals to Enterprise PEI each month. Under the new agreement, those clients will be offered one-stop-shopping at the Business Service Centre, providing access to the resources needed for researching and implementing new business ideas. In 1998, the Canada/PEI Business Service Centre served 5,653 clients in person by telephone and electronic mail.
Partners in the Canada/PEI Business Service Centre include Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Industry Canada and Enterprise PEI. ACOA is the managing partner for the Canada/PEI BSC and Enterprise PEI is the agency responsible for the Government of Prince Edward Island's involvement in the centre.
For more information or to register for an orientation session for Self Employment, contact your local Human Resources Centre of Canada located in O'Leary, Summerside, Charlottetown, Montague, and Souris.
For more information, contact Brenda Beaton, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Planning, Human Resources Development Canada, (902) 566-7667; or Brian Schmeisser, Director of Corporate Affairs and Trade, ACOA PEI and Tourism, (902) 566-7422.