Air Canada Plans to Create 227 New Jobs in Saint John
SAINT JOHN – Air Canada is creating up to 227 full-time jobs over the next five years by expanding its business services centre, the senior vice-president of regional markets and government relations announced Monday in Saint John.
“Since its opening in 1996, our contact centre in Saint John has provided excellent service to our customers, both English and French, due to the quality of the workforce in New Brunswick,” said Kevin C. Howlett in a release. “We are pleased to increase even further our presence and offer more job opportunities, contributing to the local economy with the support of Opportunities NB and the provincial government.”
The airline’s Saint John centre currently employs 273 people. The new jobs are expected to be for business service agents.
The provincial government is providing $1.5 million funding in the form of payroll rebates, which are performance-based and disbursed annually to a company only when it has created and maintained the jobs during the year of the claim. The company must provide proof of salary levels and employment.
“It is great to see a business like Air Canada invest and grow in New Brunswick because we have such a strong workforce to offer,” said Premier Brian Gallant at the Monday announcement. “The business services centre industry employs thousands of New Brunswickers and offers interesting career opportunities for New Brunswickers.”
In its release, the province said the business services centre sector employs 18,000 people and contributes an estimated $1 billion to the province’s GDP annually.