Nova Scotia Diversity Recruitment and Career Development Program

This program is a Nova Scotian initiative designed to provide candidates from diverse communities of Nova Scotia with an opportunity to develop the career skills required to become police officers with the RCMP. Because Nova Scotia has the largest indigenous Black population in Canada it was selected to implement the program as a pilot project in April 2002. As the first of its kind in Canada, the Recruitment and Career Development program remains an important benchmark.

DRCDP focussed on academic/physical skills upgrading and improvement of interview skills in preparation for the RCMP's entrance tests and suitability interview. The program received almost 100 applications from members of Nova Scotia's Black community. From this pool 25 successful candidates were chosen and 17 would go on to successfully pass the RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT) or RCMP Telecoms Operators Aptitude Test (TOAT). As part of ADPS commitment to the federal Embracing Change initiative, candidates who were not successful in becoming employees of the Force were assisted to find suitable positions elsewhere within the federal family.

Though the program no longer exists in its original form, Nova Scotia's ADPS continues to work with applicants to develop their academic, physical and personal skills in preparation for RCMP admission. We are pleased with the success this initative has met with and will continue to assist visible minority and aboriginal applicants.