Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Oct 18/99) - A new Web site designed to help Northerners find work is now up and running.

The site www.workinfonet.ca/northwin will now include several new links to federal and other provincial sites to help with links such as training and qualifications, jobs and recruiting and financial help.

Before this week the site did not have links to federal and provincial sites.

"What we're trying to do is help get people start to link to this site so that if Northerners are looking for work there's one easy place to go," said Linda Hayden, who is on the North Work Information Network board.

"We're part of an umbrella group with the Canada Work Info Net."

Linkages from the new Web site are organized around seven major categories for easy access: jobs, work and recruiting; occupations and careers; learning, education and training; labour market information; self-employment; workplace issues and supports and financial resources.

Hayden said the group held a meeting Oct. 12 in Yellowknife to try to draw some people who were in town for a different career development program that was being held Oct. 13-15.

"We're a pan-territorial organization with Nunavut and the NWT. We're a non-profit organization so we haven't split yet," Hayden said.

"What we're trying to do is put all the resources that you need if you're looking for work, or want to apply for a job, on the Internet."

The site also has a link to Northern News Services so people can see any job advertisements. There is also a link for community job information through the NWT Association of Municipalities. The site also links nationally and to provinces to help people who have broadened their job search.

"The Web site is part of this. What we're also trying to do is also develop the network of people who are interested in working together for career and labour market information," Hayden said.

"Right now, for example, Education Culture and Employment is putting on a career development conference but there are other groups out there who do this kind of thing."

As such, Hayden said the North WIN board members are touching base with others for joint projects and support.

"We've just been testing the waters and the Web site is the actual product but the people who make that product can be doing other things than the Web site and that's what North WIN is about."

Hayden said as a group, the board and any new members at the general meeting will discuss partnership possibilities and how they could link to the national organization and other WINs across the country.

"There's always funding out there for all kinds of human resource development activities and we just want to make sure that the kinds of things we want to do, we've got a network out there that says 'Yeah, this is important.'"