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Jul 28
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The many monikers of Canada’s August long weekend

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Most Canadians are well versed in the stories of Christmas and Easter, and we all know that Canada Day recognizes the birthday of our nation. But for many, the first-Monday-of-August long weekend (often referred to on calendars as “Civic Holiday”) is shrouded in mystery and, at times, confusion.

Let us clear the air on this one.

A long time ago there was a lengthy and dreary gap between Canada Day and Labour Day where no holiday occurred. The first Monday of August, occurring right in the middle between the two, seemed like the perfect place for a summer holiday.

But there is more to it than that. Few know that what is most widely known as “Civic Holiday” actually has ties to the abolition of slavery which officially took place on August 1, 1834. Some communities across Canada call this “Emancipation Day.”

Many Ontarians would be surprised to learn that “Civic Holiday” is not the official name of our optional Monday off, and that it is only a statutory holiday in Nunavut and Northwest Territories.

Across Canada, the day is known as “British Columbia Day,” “New Brunswick Day” or “Saskatchewan Day,” depending on where you are. Alberta calls it “Heritage Day,” and in Nova Scotia and PEI, they celebrate “Natal Day.”

In Ontario, the holiday has many aliases. It began in 1869 when Toronto City Council marked it as a “day of recreation.” Later on, Burlington recognized the Monday as “Joseph Brant Day,” while Brantford, Oshawa, Ottawa and Sarnia all followed suit with names of their own (Founders’ Day, McLaughlin Day, Colonel By Day, and Alexander Mackenzie Day, respectively). Municipalities across Ontario have a range of local names for the holiday honouring different historical figures, yet most Ontario workplaces simply go with “Civic Holiday”.

Today, Toronto’s official name for the first-Monday-of-August long weekend is “Simcoe Day,” and it coincides with Toronto’s annual Caribana festival. And although many organizations give employees the day off (Career Edge Organization included), this Monday is not a “statutory holiday” nor is it recognized or mentioned in Ontario’s Employment Standards Act.

So this Monday, as you enjoy your “freedom” from the office, take a moment to reflect on what it means to have freedom in Canada. Remember that, contrary to popular belief, this holiday is more than just an extra day in cottage country.

Jul 08
Love3

Compliance Manual: Accessibility Standards for Customer Service in Ontario

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Career Edge Organization prides itself on being informed and up-to-date on important issues pertaining to Human Resources, employment, diversity and inclusion. The more we know, the better we can help the hundreds of host employers we work with create meaningful work opportunities for recent grads, grads with disabilities and internationally qualified professionals.

This is why our Market Development and Client Relations Specialist, Jessica Kudlats, recently attended a session on AODA (an acronym for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)  legislation held at the Toronto Board of Trade.

The purpose of the session was to explain the Act, specifically Customer service standard and compliance obligations. Most employers are already up to speed, but still there are many who are surprised to learn that as of January 1, 2012, all businesses in Ontario will be required to comply.

While this piece of legislation focuses on customers, employers are finding that by making their businesses more accessible and accommodating, they are able to attract more top talent than ever before.

Through our blog and online resources, we will do our part to ensure that employers are informed of what is required, but we will also share stories of success from both employers and persons with disabilities. In the mean time, here is a link to the Government of Ontario’s Compliance Manual on Accessibility Standards for Customer Service.

Jun 24
Love4

Interactive map: Youth Unemployment in Canada

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At the height of the recession, youth in Canada faced nearly double the unemployment rate as the general population. We reported this in October 2009, in our blog post, “Vital Signs Weak for Youth Employment.”

Today, as Canada continues to rebound from its economic woes, it seems that Canadian youth have been left behind.

Craig Alexander, chief economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank, told the Globe that the youth job market is running about one to 1½ years behind the adult job market. “The hope would be that they would actually stay in the educational system and develop greater skills that would then later help them when the labour market improves, but the evidence is not strong that that is happening,” he said.

The Canadian employment market is improving – there were 22,300 new jobs created last month alone, according to a Statistics Canada report released earlier this week.  But while overall unemployment fell to 7.4 % last month, unemployment for Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 was still as high as nearly 14%.

Click the map image to go directly to the Globe and Mail’s interactive online map, displaying youth unemployment rates across Canada.

Why hire recent grads?

Career Edge Organization host employers who work with our Career Edge and Ability Edge paid internship programs know first-hand the value of hiring youth. Career Edge Organization attracts career-minded, recent graduates from Canadian universities and colleges who are seeking real-world work experience through meaningful, entry-level paid internships with reputable companies that recognize the benefits of their energy, fresh perspectives and newly acquired skills.

To learn more about how you can help put Canadian grads to work, visit our website, www.careeredge.ca.

May 27
Love4

Study reveals “the role and future of HR” from the perspective of Canadian CEOs

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Some have said that HR professionals are not fully appreciated or valued in Canadian organizations, but the results of a recent study show just the opposite.

The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), in partnership with Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions, conducted in-person and telephone interviews with twenty CEOs from a cross-section of Canadian organizations. Questions centered on the value HR brings to the business, major human capital challenges as well as what they look for in a Chief Human Resource Officer.

CEOs believe that senior HR executives have done a good job working as a partner during the last few years, but going forward they expect them to couple their HR skills with a much deeper understanding of the business.

Excerpt from “The Role and Future of HR: The CEO’s Perspective”

But while CEOs called HR executives “trusted confidants who add value,” there was also the sense that HR strategies needed to have a stronger link to the overall business strategies of the organization.

The study also revealed that CEOs feel HR leaders need to show more assertion in the boardroom. One stated ,”HR issues get ignored in the heat of the battle.”

Do you think HR leaders are assertive enough in having their voices heard? Let us know what you think!

Click here to read the full report.

Apr 29
Love4

It’s easy being green: 5 Tips to green your workplace

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By guest contributor, Sydney Helland, Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Career Edge Organization

 

Last Friday, April 22nd Canadians across the country mobilized to celebrate Earth Day 2011 by raising awareness about the importance of going green.

Since 1970, this environmental movement has been inspiring individuals and organizations to show their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, and Canadian employers have been no exception.

In recognition of Earth Day 2011, Canada’s Top 100 Employers released the results of its 2011 Canada’s Greenest Employers competition. The Canadian employers that received this special designation have demonstrated exceptional leadership in creating a workplace culture of environmental awareness while developing earth-friendly initiatives. Career Edge Organization would like to congratulate all those who made the cut!

If you’re wondering what you and/or your organization can do to lessen your footprint on the earth and to join this professional group of environmental stewards, check out the following Top 5 Ways to Green Your Workplace!

  1. Green your commute: Using personal motor vehicles to get to work puts an incredible strain on the environment through the consumption of billions of gallons of gas each year. We can alleviate this strain by carpooling, taking public transit, cycling or walking.
    Tip: The Shadow eBike – the world’s first wireless, electric bicycle – is certainly on the cutting edge of green commuting, plus it’s designed, developed and assembled in Canada!
  2. Go paperless: Reducing the amount of paper used in the typical office can be difficult, but any attempt to reduce, reuse, and recycle paper can have an impact. 
    Tip:     You can help save paper quite simply by printing double-sided, purchasing paper made with post-consumer content, and reusing scrap paper from the blue bin for notes. If you use a vendor for paper shredding, contact them to find out about their recycling programs.
  3. Digitize: Although hard copies are required in particular situations, consider going digital whenever possible. 
    Tip:     A filing cabinet full of paper archives can often be replaced by a 350GB digital hard drive.
  4. Conserve energy: There are hundreds of small energy suckers hidden around offices, and it’s easy to address them once you know where to look. The clock on the break room microwave, computer monitors, printers, photocopiers, television screens and media players all use energy even when they aren’t actively being used. 
    Tip:     By plugging most office electronics into power bars, you can cut the power and save energy with the push of a button at the end of the day.
  5. Green your lunch: Coffee cups, plastic water bottles, Styrofoam take-away containers, and food packaging of all kinds are polluting our world constantly. 
    Tip:     Switch to reusable or compostable food and beverage containers as much as possible. By using a personal water bottle, coffee tumbler and food containers for your daily lunches and snacks you will significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

Do you have eco-friendly ideas of your own? Please share them with us so we can all pitch in toward a greener Canadian work culture!

Mar 10
Love4

Practical tips for employers working with immigrants

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Contributed post by Md. Salah Uddin, Workplace Inclusion Specialist for Persons with Disabilities at Career Edge Organization, and Internationally Qualified Professional

Internationally qualified professionals need to quickly learn the ins and outs of the Canadian workplace culture within a short period of time if they want to survive and explore their career in Canada. Luckily there are many different resources available here to provide this kind of support.

But inclusion is always a two way process, and there are some important things employers can be aware of to make the process better.

I myself am a newcomer, having recently immigrated to Canada from Bangladesh. Internationally qualified professionals like myself can play an important role in educating employers on how to work with us, so here are a few practical tips:

  • Recognize individuals are complex and unique. Avoid comments (good or bad) rooted in overgeneralizations about race/gender/culture.
  • Learn to pronounce all of the names correctly. People love to hear their names correctly.
  • Do not “under or overprotect”. Like under protection, overprotection is not welcomed by most of the immigrants. Always verify your behaviour with the key question “Am I treating the person with dignity and respect?”
  • Avoid highly idiomatic English. e.g. “once in a blue moon,” “between a rock and a hard place” or “get out of here!” as they may be taken literally!
  • Make your speeches audible and visible together. When you talk, try to put together something in writing or visuals.
  • Use diverse examples rather than ones which assume a particular background or experience.
  • Don’t assume that people who don’t talk don’t know the facts. “Showing off” is taboo in many parts of the world.
  • Avoid any type of humour that denigrates anyone. A surprisingly large number of jokes involve putting down people who are different in some way and who may already feel marginal because of those differences.

That’s all from my side. Hope you’ll continue from where I stop. Let’s learn and teach together!

Mar 03
Love4

Career Edge Organization 2010/11 Achievement Awards

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Career Edge Organization Recognizes Innovative Public, Private and Non-Profit Sector Organizations for Embracing Untapped Canadian Knowledge Workers at the 2010/11 Achievement Awards

 

Days after the Oscars in Hollywood, Career Edge Organization (CEO) rolled out its red carpet to honour leading Canadian employers for their innovative approach to recruiting and hiring diverse and highly qualified but often untapped knowledge workers. Their partnerships with CEO have helped them uncover coveted talent to build diverse and inclusive workplaces that reflects Canada’s contemporary society.

Hundreds of senior executives, human resources professionals and former interns of CEO’s paid internship programs gathered at the Toronto Board of Trade last night (Tuesday, March 2) to celebrate the annual CEO Achievement Awards and the organization’s 15 years of success in connecting employers with diverse, qualified talent. At the core of the celebration were compelling human stories of struggle, opportunity and triumph.

At Issue

Canada’s workforce is changing – an aging population, the arrival of skilled immigrants, and a new generation of university and college graduates, commonly known as Gen Y, entering the workforce – pushing Canadian employers to seek new ways to engage appropriate knowledge workers to meet the burgeoning skills shortage.

Leading employers understand that many of their traditional hiring practices no longer enable them to take full advantage of the evolving talent pool. They also know that to ensure business success they need a workforce that represents the diverse markets they serve.

The Solution

Through CEO’s three highly innovative programs – Career Edge for recent college and university graduates, Ability Edge for graduates with disabilities and Career Bridge for internationally qualified professionals – employers can engage a diverse group of trained knowledge workers with different levels of skills and experience through paid internships to meet their short and long term hiring needs.

The results create an optimum situation. The paid internships provide opportunities for employers to engage career-minded candidates to bolster their existing workforces in exchange for the often demanded Canadian experience to help launch the careers of these individuals.

By 2011, more than 1,200 leading Canadian employers have partnered with CEO and provided meaningful work opportunities to over 10,000 paid interns. Many organizations continue to groom these interns after the completion of the program to become future managers of their organizations.

The 2010/11 Achievement Award winners

Career Edge Organization Leadership Award

Bell Canada: http://www.bell.ca/home/

Career Edge Organization Program Awards

Career Edge Program Awards: http://www.achievementawards.ca/video/

 

    • Large Enterprise: Bell
    • Medium Enterprise: First National Financial LP
    • Small Enterprise: Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

 

 

Ability Edge Program Award: http://www.achievementawards.ca/video/

  • RBC

Career Bridge Program Awards: http://www.achievementawards.ca/video/

  • Private Sector: RBC
  • Public Sector, Large Enterprise: Government of Ontario
  • Public Sector, Small/Medium Enterprise: City of Toronto

Most Valued Internship Experience (MoVIE) Award: http://www.achievementawards.ca/video/

Winner: OPS Internship for Internationally Trained Individuals, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Ontario http://www.ontario.ca/en/your_government/009848.html

Intern and Mentor Awards (and videos!):

  • Mentor of the Year (sponsored by Manulife Financial): Denise Sarazin, Bell Canada

  • Intern of the Year – Career Edge Program (sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group): Ikram Ataullah, BMO Financial Group

  • Intern of the Year – Ability Edge Program (sponsored by Scotiabank): Fenella Chiu, Loblaw Companies Limited

    • Intern of the Year – Career Bridge Program (sponsored by RBC): Beatrice Reitano, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Government of Ontario

For a complete list of finalists, photos, videos and additional information about the Career Edge Organization Achievement Awards, visit www.achievementawards.ca.

Career Edge Organization would like to extend a HUGE thank you to our sponsors, vendors, host employers, alumni, interns, partner organizations, board members, staff and everyone who attended last night’s event. It was a spectacular event, all thanks to you.

Feb 18
Love4

Our resident Gen Y expert rocks NATCON

By Uncategorized

Yesterday, Janice Rudkowski of Career Edge Organization was at the Conference Board of Canada’s “National Consultation on Career Development and Workforce Learning” (better known as NATCON) educating over 50 employers and workplace education program developers on Millennials, the tech-savvy cohort of twenty-somethings that are entering and changing the Canadian workforce.

Working with hundreds employers on grad hiring strategies since 1996, Career Edge Organization has a comprehensive understanding of Gen Y and has been a driving force behind new Canadian Gen Y research in recent years. Like many of us, Janice is well aware of the stereotypes and myths about Gen Y in the workplace. Rather than rehash the same old rhetoric, Janice brought a fresh perspective using research-based stats and information to shed new light on a dynamic issue.

Drawing upon research from our recent Gen Y study, as well as real life case studies from over 10,000
successfully launched careers, this workshop aims to identify what workplace culture actually means,
the impact it has on grads‘ career planning, as well as the kinds of research they do and the opinions
they seek to select their employers of choice. Participants will leave this session with practical, up-todate tools and insights to immediately influence their organization‘s Gen Y and to improve diversity
recruitment strategies.

Drawing upon research from our recent Gen Y study, as well as real life case studies from over 10,000 successfully launched careers, our workshop helped to identify what workplace culture actually means, the impact it has on grads’ career planning, as well as the kinds of research they do and the opinions they seek to select their employers of choice. Participants were given practical, up-todate tools and insights to immediately influence their organization‘s Gen Y and to improve diversity recruitment strategies.

Hoping for an intimate and engaged audience of 25 people, we were delighted to see room fill, so much that 20 extra chairs were needed! Without a doubt, Janice’s session was the most popular and well-attended workshop at NATCON, a strong reflection of the appetite that exists for fresh information on this topic.

Many thanks to all who attended, as well as the Conference Board of Canada for planning and executing a great event. So you guys at NATCON next year!

Feb 11
Love3

HRPA 2011 Conference & Tradeshow explores the HR and business trends of our time

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Prolific filmmaker Frank Capra once said, “Don’t follow trends, start trends.” Capra was an innovation leader in his time and today his advice holds as true as ever.

At the same time, current and emerging trends are not to be ignored if you and your business want to keep up with the competition – whether you’re competing for customers or for top talent.

This was the focus of HRPA’s 2011 Annual Conference & Trade Show, “identifying and capitalizing on the trends – demographic, economic, and technological – that are revolutionizing the workplace…”

Of course, Career Edge Organization was right there at the centre of the action! Once again, as we did last year, we came, we saw and we conferenced. While our team took turns talking to HR professionals at our booth at the trade show, we also had the opportunity to attend the conference workshops and sessions, which boasted an impressive list of world-class speakers and experts including best-selling author and Emmy-nominated media visionary Leonard Brody and Dan Pink who is also a best-selling author as well as past chief speechwriter to former US Vice President Al Gore.

The conference was guided along by an energetic Master of Ceremony, Mike Lipkin who is president of Environics/Lipkin, a leading Canadian research and motivation company.

One of my favourite sessions of the event was Simon Sinek’s Thursday morning keynote, entitled “Start With Why.”

The focus of his presentation was on how organizations can advance not only as businesses/service-providers but also as employers by placing less emphasis on what they do or how they do it, and more on why they exist – reinforcing that if people believe in what you are trying to accomplish, they will follow you. My favourite line was Simon’s reference to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famously inspirational speech, pointing out “It wasn’t called the ‘I have a plan’ speech.”

He used Apple as a prime example of this trend in action, both in the loyalty of their consumers as well as their ability to attract top talent. Simon believes the key to Apple’s success is not just innovative products, but what the “apple” symbol represents for many.

I think this speech really resonated with us because at Career Edge Organization, our vision and mandate is the very thing that drives what we do. As a self-funded not-for-profit organization, we have a small but mighty team of people here dedicated to our cause. This is why we’re so good at what we do, which is ultimately providing employers with diverse, qualified top talent.

As we recently launched our own brand’s new refreshed look, we hope that our kaleidoscope-inspired logo will be for us with the “apple” is for, well, Apple. That is, a symbol for what we stand for, believe in and represent.

Speaking of our new look, the folks behind our new, modern design, Tamm+Kit Communications, also had a booth at the HRPA trade show which they shared with TalentOyster. There, they debuted an inventive marketing piece shared three ways by TalentOyster, Tamm+Kit and Career Edge Organization promoting diversity hiring. Tamm specializes in employer branding and recruitment advertising, with a unique expertise in workplace diversity, while TalentOyster is an online multicultural employment portal and community connecting more than 5,000,000 households across Canada in 11 languages! Together, we brought a powerful and important message to the HRPA trade show.

It was a great fit with a conference whose recurring theme was built around innovation and more specifically, trends. With the recession shrinking in our rearview mirrors and a looming skills shortage on the horizon, innovative techniques for tapping the hidden, diverse talent market is the way of the future, and along with our valued host employers, Career Edge Organization is at the forefront of this trend.

We would like to thank the HRPA for having us year after year at this event, as well as all of the wonderful people who visited our booth at the trade show. We hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did!

Feb 02
Love3

As viewed through the lens of a kaleidoscope: Career Edge Organization launches a brand new look!

By Uncategorized

By: Janice Rudkowski
Director, Marketing & Communications

Of all the trade shows and conferences that we attend throughout the year, it’s the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) annual conference that is definitely the most anticipated amongst the Career Edge Organization team. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to showcase our organization for 3 full days, and we also participate as conference attendees allowing each member of our team to take advantage of professional development and continuous learning opportunities.

The HRPA Annual Conference and Trade Show is one of the largest HR events in North America and we have participated as exhibitors annually in order to raise our profile in the HR community as well as network with host or potential host employers, post-secondary institutions and partner organizations. The trade show is also an opportunity to learn about innovative new HR services and opportunities. Human Resources professionals, practitioners and students from across the country, spanning diverse ages, backgrounds, specialties and sectors participate in the Tradeshow, and attend the Conference.

This year, we leveraged the popularity of the show to unveil our newly re-freshed Career Edge Organization brand identity! Our new and modernized brand aesthetic is being introduced at an opportune time when we celebrate two very important milestones: not only has Career Edge Organization been in business for 15 years, but we also recently reached and surpassed 10,000 internships.

The exercise to develop and design a new brand identity is never easy – it takes time and patience but most importantly it takes a strong understanding of the current brand and vision of the organization. We enlisted the help of a very talented team at Tamm+Kit Communications, a creative design agency based in Toronto who specialize in employer branding and recruitment advertising, to collaborate with us on this re-branding journey.

The overall inspiration for our new brand identity was the concept of a kaleidoscope because it’s a word and image that is the embodiment of what our organization represents: diversity, vibrancy, authenticity, movement and change. We envisioned the concept of a kaleidoscope to visually represent the wide array of high quality talent within our paid internship programs, and we believe its characteristics are reflective of our value proposition and renewed approach to, and outlook on, our business moving forward.

What resulted was a fresh, dynamic and modern brand logo and identity and refined messaging to support our outreach and communications to our wide range of stakeholders while representing our leadership role in our industry.

Over the next few months, we will be rolling out our new brand identity – across all of our online and offline communication channels while gradually retiring our “old” brand system.

If you are planning to attend the HRPA 2011 annual conference please feel free to stop by our booth #643 to say hello and experience our new brand firsthand.

It’s an exciting time at Career Edge Organization! We will continue to look forward, and be inspired by diversity, innovation and authenticity as we embark on new opportunities and leverage our newly re-freshed Career Edge Organization brand!

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