Employment Opportunity – Economic Development Analyst
Are you a dynamic, progressive, business-minded team-player with a passion for supporting community and economic development? We have a unique opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join the Economic Development Cowichan group in the newly created role of Economic Development Analyst. Click here for the full job posting and job description or visit the CVRD Careers website at cvrd.bc.ca/jobs
The Buy Local Cowichan website is now live!
Be sure and register your business, to reach the thousands of locals looking to spend locally, and help Cowichan recover from COVID-19. Businesses can input a description of products, services, hours and contact information. Buylocalcowichan.ca
WorkBC Cowichan: Job Matching Service for Essential Service Providers
WorkBC Cowichan has been working with Duncan Mayor, Michelle Staples, and other community organizations to come up with a solution to help essential service providers address their hiring needs during COVID-19. They have created a Job Matching Service to help employers quickly access qualified job seekers. They can refer qualified job seekers to apply to open positions or make direct referrals to employers, depending on their current hiring practises. Weed out unqualified applicants by reaching out to WorkBC Cowichan first. Simply fill out and submit the form on their website and WorkBC will begin the Job Matching process for your business. The WorkBC Centre for Duncan, Ladysmith and Lake Cowichan is open virtually and providing all services over the phone, by video or through online messaging.
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Below you will find recent announcements, updates and resources to support business May 22 – 28, 2020.
Please note links and information are changing frequently. Check your resources often and revisit links to view updated information.
- Connecting people with jobs in BC’s agricultural sector – May 28
- BC extends state of emergency for further two weeks – May 27
- BC hazelnut growers encouraged to apply for renewal funding – May 27
- WorkSafeBC announces additional support for employers impacted by COVID-19 – May 26
- Business Resilience Services (BRS) Launches – May 26
- Province supports tourism marketing organizations to be ready for recovery – May 25
Transition to Recovery Phase
- Best Practices for Re-Opening your Business–WorkSafeBC: Advice for re-opening your business and keeping staff safe.
- Industry Resources for Re-Opening: Links to resources and guidance to specific industries.
- How to Create a Safety Plan for Re-Opening: Assess business readiness for re-opening and minimize risk.
- BC’s Restart Plan lays out a series of steps that we will take together to protect people and ensure that our province can come back from COVID-19 stronger than before.
Federal Government Support
- Business Resilience Service (BRS) Launches: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has announced the launch of the new Business Resilience Service (BRS). This program allows business owners to connect with experienced business advisors from across Canada for guidance on which government relief programs are most appropriate to apply for, and how to respond and reshape amid uncertain times. For more information check their website.
- Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance is Open for Applications: Commercial property owners with small business tenants can now apply for CECRA. Under this program, small businesses that have experienced a 70% decline in pre-COVID revenues may be eligible for rent reductions. CECRA offers unsecured, forgivable loans to commercial property owners to reduce rent by 75% for impacted small business owners. The loans will cover 50% of the monthly gross rent and the remaining 50% would be paid by the property owner and tenant. Property owners must offer a minimum of a 75% rent reduction for the months of April, May, and June 2020. Apply online.
Provincial Government Support
- WorkSafeBC announces additional support for employers impacted by COVID-19: WorkSafeBC is waiving premiums for employers who are approved to receive the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) for furloughed workers (employees on leave with full or partial pay). This change will be retroactive to the March 15, 2020 start date and continue for the duration of the CEWS program. Eligible employers will need to maintain documentation to identify workers that were furloughed as a result of this provincial health emergency.
- Hazelnut Renewal Program Open for Applications: This program provides funding to remove infected trees to mitigate the spread of Eastern Filbert Blight and to incentivize the planting of new disease-resistant hazelnut trees in BC. They are accepting applications from May 27, to September 15, 2020 for fall planting/removal. For complete eligibility criteria, including a list of resistant EFB Hazelnut varieties, please consult the 2020/21 BC Hazelnut Renewal Program Requirements.
- Temporary Expanded Service Area Authorization: Policy Directive 20-13 Permits food primary, liquor primary and manufacturer licensees to temporarily expand their service areas until October 31, 2020 at no charge.
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To keep businesses informed and up-to-date Economic Development Cowichan has compiled a COVID-19 Business Resource guide. Visit here to view essential links.
