FREE Roundtable: People, Place, and Productivity
Building the Future Workforce in Rural & Coastal Nova Scotia
Location: In-Person: Sydney, Nova Scotia and Online: Live virtual participation available
Format: Hybrid facilitated roundtable (in-person + virtual)
Host: Nick Beynon, CEO, CPHR Nova Scotia
Duration: 2 hours
Event Overview
What does it really take to build a resilient, engaged workforce in rural and coastal communities?
Join CPHR Nova Scotia for an intimate, HR roundtable in Sydney, Cape Breton (online) that brings together HR leaders, people managers, and decision‑makers to explore how place, purpose, and productivity intersect in today’s labour market.
This session is not a presentation or a panel. It’s a leadership conversation, grounded in real experience, local context, and shared problem‑solving, focused on the unique workforce opportunities and challenges facing Cape Breton and similar regions across Nova Scotia.
Why Attend?
Employers in rural and coastal communities are navigating:
- Tight labour markets and evolving employee expectations
- Retention challenges driven by mobility, housing, and lifestyle choices
- A growing need to connect work to meaning, flexibility, and community impact
This roundtable creates space to step back from day‑to‑day pressures and engage in strategic dialogue with peers who understand the realities of leading people outside major urban centres.
What You’ll Explore
Through guided discussion, participants will explore questions such as:
- What truly attracts and keeps people working and living in Cape Breton/rural Nova Scotia?
- How are organizations rethinking roles, flexibility, and career pathways in smaller labour markets?
- What does “meaningful work” look like for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce here?
- How can HR and people leaders influence not just organizations, but communities?
Key Takeaways
Participants will leave with:
- Fresh perspectives on talent attraction and retention in rural and coastal contexts
- Practical insights drawn from peers across sectors
- A clearer understanding of how HR can act as a strategic voice in workforce and community sustainability
- Connections with leaders facing similar challenges and opportunities
Format & Experience
- Virtual and small in person, facilitated roundtable to encourage open and candid dialogue
- Short framing remarks to set context and provoke thinking
- Two guided discussion rounds, with time to surface insights and shared themes
- Designed for conversation, reflection, and peer learning - not lectures or sales pitches
Who Should Attend
- HR leaders and practitioners
- Executives and senior leaders
- People managers and organizational decision‑makers
- Public, private, and not-for‑profit sector employers
(Space is limited to ensure a meaningful discussion experience.)
About the Host
Nick Beynon is the CEO of CPHR Nova Scotia and a passionate advocate for the strategic role of HR in shaping strong organizations and communities. With a deep understanding of provincial workforce trends and the realities facing employers across Nova Scotia, Nick brings a thoughtful, facilitative approach to leadership conversations that matter.
Registration Details
FREE Event but in-person seating is limited. Early registration is encouraged.
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