BNB Presentation to: Fredericton Chapter HRANB

1. BNB Presentation to:Fredericton ChapterHRANB Thursday, March 29, 2007

2. BNB Direction • Create new jobs: rural & urban • Maintain jobs: urban & rural • Work with PSET&L and ContactNB to promote investment in skills and training focusing on up-skilling in sales, marketing, management and customer service

3. Restigouche Chaleur North West Peninsula Miramichi Grand Falls Kent Greater Moncton Carleton Southeast Central NB Fundy Fredericton Charlotte Saint John Customer Contact Centre Sub-Clusters Bathurst:11 sites, 1108 jobs Employment by Region Miramichi:6 sites, 867 jobs Rural NB: 27 sites; 1871 jobs Greater Moncton: 41 sites; 6495 jobs Fredericton: 18 sites;3538 jobs Saint John: 23 sites 5796 jobs Customer Contact Centres - 104 companies - 20,600 jobs Represents 100 jobs

4. BNB - OBJECTIVES • To update the sub-sector strategies/capabilities • To complete leadership team development • To develop a marketing/branding/awareness campaign to enhance the image of KI industry • To expand management/leadership/sales and marketing skills • To expand the use of KI in traditional sectors

5. Priority Issues & Actions • Issues- Cdn. ‘do not call’ legislation, workforce availability & cabotage, PST, public transportation, day care availability, etc. • Update provincial strategy “From growth to maintenance mode”: • Skills enhancement - Sales, Management, Customer Service; • Move existing centers to higher knowledge added (tier 1 to tier 3); • Strengthen the Industry Image by working with ContactNB; • Broaden available workforce, i.e. youth, re-career, aboriginals (PSET&L);

6. Business Expansion and Innovation • For information on becoming export-ready, technology adoption and commercialization, implementing research and development, the latest in industry trends and technological advances, and potential business opportunities within the manufacturing, resources and knowledge industries, contact our Business Development Team.

7. Technology Adoption and Commercialization Program • The TAC program is financial assistance for manufacturers, processors and selected services firms in support of technological innovation and pre-commercial product development.

8. Program Goals: • The Program is intended to encourage the adoption of improved technologies and processes by offsetting some of the direct costs associated with identifying and securing such technologies and processes. • This Program provides financial assistance up to 40% of eligible costs, to a maximum of $15,000. • Current criteria are under review:

9. Current eligible criteria: • Specialized software and communications costs directly associated with the project. • Software development cost associated with a project. • Licensing and joint venture research and negotiating costs. • Patent and intellectual property research and protection costs. • Market and technical intelligence gathering and interpretation. • Costs associated with the acquisition of specialized knowledge. • Specialized product and service testing to validate product or market readiness • E-Business enablement costs relating to training, software, consultation. • Risk sharing with industry (proponent), ACOA and/or Industry Canada in financing

10. Current eligible criteria: • Commercialisation of a new product or process. • Promote and encourage ‘First User Risk Reduction'. • Direct costs for conferences, technical shows, plant visits, etc. to obtain knowledge of competitive technologies, processes and products. • Quality assurance programs and certification of products. • In-house technical training programs by a third party. • Development and implementation of a website. • Design and printing of brochures for new export products.

11. For additional information, please contact : • Business New BrunswickBusiness Development DivisionP. O. Box 6000Fredericton , NB E3B 5H1Tel: (506) 453-2727Fax: (506) 457-7282