Building healthy and vibrant communities requires strategic investments in education, skills-development, and attracting newcomers to our province.  Our government’s leadership through Budget 2023 in these areas is punctuated by expanding early learning opportunities, improving student outcomes, and supporting the most accessible post-secondary education system in Canada.

Early Learning

Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in creating access to affordable child care, having moved to $10 a day more than two years ahead of schedule.  Budget 2023 investments will sustain our progress and target the creation of 700 new child care spaces this year.  Budget 2023 investments include:

• $64 million to increase wages for early childhood educators through the implementation of a wage grid, which comes into effect on April 1 and is retroactive to January 1, 2023.
• Approximately $6 million for retention and recruitment initiatives.
• $2.7 million for student bursaries.
• $3.5 million to expand the Pre-Kindergarten Pilot Program and an additional $1.8 million to create new spaces.
• $200,000 to attract the return of trained early childhood educators to the sector.

K-12

For the second consecutive year – after 50 years of decline – the province’s school community is growing, with enrollment expected to reach more than 64,000 in September.  Our government is steadfast in its commitment to optimize the learning environment as it is a key contributor to an individual’s overall well-being.  Budget 2023 investments include:

• $12 million increase to the teaching services budget, bringing the total budget to just over$568 million.
• $2 million in additional funding to support French language education through the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction.
• $500,000 for a new model of computer-based testing.
• $25 million to maintain school-based reading specialists, teaching and learning assistants, teacher librarians, and English-as-a-second-language teachers.

Post-Secondary

Budget 2023 investments in post-secondary institutions reflect their importance in supporting the social and economic health of Newfoundland and Labrador.  With a cumulative investment of close to $500 million, our investments continue to focus on supporting community and workforce development in key areas such as health care, early learning, and the technology sector. Budget 2023 includes:

• $295 million for Memorial University’s core operating grant, and $58.4 million for the Faculty of Medicine. These investments continue to position Memorial University as one of the most heavily provincially-subsidized universities in Canada.
• More than $69 million for College of the North Atlantic’s operating grant.
• Almost $28 million for Student Financial Services.
• $2.2 million to double capacity in Memorial University’s Nurse Practitioner program.

Workforce Development

More than $140 million to assist residents with workforce development and training for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Youth Engagement

To help youth become active, engaged citizens who take pride in contributing to their communities, Budget 2023 includes:

• More than $2.5 million for the Community Youth Network to help improve youth well-being and to work with young people to find local services and programs.
• $451,000 for grants to youth organizations to provide not-for-profit youth-based or youth-serving organizations with project funding for youth engagement initiatives and activities.

Welcoming Newcomers

Population growth is accelerating at a rate not seen in half-a-century.  Provincial nominations for Permanent Residency grew by 60 per cent from 2021 – also a record year for immigration.  To build on our historic rate of population growth, Budget 2023 includes:

• $19.2 million for settlement supports, including those for Ukrainians.
• $2.2 million to accelerate progress on the goal of welcoming 5,100 newcomers annually by 2026.
• $1 million for nursing recruitment in India.
• $900,000 to continue upgrades and enhancements of an online application system to make it easier for potential newcomers to live and work in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Community-Based Organizations

Community-based organizations are valuable contributors to the social and economic well-being of our communities.  Last year’s $5 million increase to the more than $100 million in grants invested annually in these organizations will be carried forward through Budget 2023.