FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2020
HALIFAX – The 2020 BEST (Building Employment Skills for Successful Transitions) Conference scheduled to take place this Saturday, March 14, has been cancelled. This difficult decision was taken to remove the risk of spreading of the COVID-19 virus in Nova Scotia.
The sold-out BEST Conference attracted over 350 international students. However, EduNova and the BEST Conference Planning Committee came to the decision to cancel the BEST Conference in keeping with the ‘risk informed decision-making for mass gatherings during the COVID-19 global outbreak’ released by the Government of Canada on March 10 and in consultation with the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
“It is with regret that we have had to make this difficult decision; however, we are committed to mitigating the risks involved in the spread of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed that COVID-19 is a pandemic,” said EduNova President and CEO Nicole Johnson-Morrison. “We will continue to follow the advice of the public health authorities to ensure the safety of staff, students and the general public.”
The BEST Conference is designed to provide pre-employment services, supports, and training for international students, giving them the tools, resources, and contacts needed to build successful careers and to position themselves in the Nova Scotian labour market. Preparing students increases the likelihood of them securing a job in Nova Scotia and ultimately staying in the province post-graduation. Despite this year’s BEST Conference cancellation, Nova Scotia is still committed to attracting and retaining international students and to building a province where newcomers are welcomed, celebrated and supported.
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FOR THE EDITOR
EduNova Co-operative Ltd. is a not-for-profit association of education and training providers based in Nova Scotia, Canada. EduNova’s membership includes all ten universities, the 14-campus community college—NSCC, public K-12 schools through the Nova Scotia International Student Program (NSISP), private K-12 schools and private language schools. EduNova’s mandate is to coordinate the international marketing efforts and student retention initiatives of Nova Scotia’s education and training sector.
Established in 2004, EduNova has over 15 years of experience in organizing and managing provincial and federal trade missions, recruitment trips and familiarization tours, agent/counsellor events, and other student attraction and retention initiatives. For more information about EduNova, please visit www.studynovascotia.ca.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Contact: Jane Gaffney, Communications and Projects Coordinator
Email: jane@edunova.ca
Phone: 1-902-377-5483