September was a busy month for Career Edge. We had the privilege of attending many events hosted by our partners in the business community, and explored new ways to achieve our shared mandate of putting diverse, qualified talent to work.
Since launching the Canadian Armed Forces Reservists Paid Internship Program, we have had the opportunity to visit Reservists at the companies where they are completing their internships, and have heard nothing but good things, from the Reservists and their employers alike.
Some of the reservists who have secured sustainable internship opportunities through Career Edge’s CAF Reservists’ Paid Internship Program. From left: Roy L., Craig S., Andres L.
Our employer partners have shared with us how impressed they are with their interns’ performance, and are looking for other opportunities to have more Reservists join their teams. The good news is, September is one of the best months to start hiring Reservists.
Many Primary reservists attend training courses through the summer months, and after spending a few weeks away at Canadian Forces training centres, Reservists return in September, ready to work in corporate civilian occupations that allow them to leverage the portable skills they have augmented through their training, such as leadership, communications, teamwork, and time management.
If you’re looking for Reservists to join your team, contact us.
Last time on InternSHIFT, we introduced our newest internship program for Canadian Armed Forces Reservists, speaking to various stakeholders who all share the common goal of helping Reservists launch their civilian careers in Canada.
For Episode 2, we were inspired to look at Generation Y from a few different angles after reading a 24 Hours Toronto article that upheld the perception that new grads have a weak work ethic, poor attendance, and are just not ready for the workforce.
For recent grads, these stereotypes can thwart their attempts to secure employment, as some employers – like those mentioned in the article – are less inclined to bring GenY/Millennial employees on board.
But this issue is not new. In fact, it’s the reason Career Edge exists. So we invited a few subject matter experts to join us for this episode to talk about the skills and benefits that GenY DOES bring to the workforce, and the ways employers can unlock talents that are often overshadowed by stereotypes:
- Lisa Leitch: Sales Strategist, Trainer & Coach with Teneo Results helps us understand Millennials’ working style, and how new grads can be groomed for a career in sales
- R. Brian Robson: Project Manager for Ryerson University’s ADaPT program speaks to the type of education and training that new grads are bringing to the digital economy
- Our Intern of the Year Sunny Vykunthan – joined by his mentor Liz Carreiro – shares his experience as a new grad working at RBC, while outlining the aspects of his internship that contributed to his success
Our partner, ACCES Employment recently announced the launch of a new Online Job Search Centre that will provide job seekers with self-serve resources including webinars, articles, interactive games, and videos. The resources draw from ACCES Employment’s experience helping jobseekers and newcomers to Canada to successfully find work in the current Canadian job market. The Centre is organized into six topic areas including: Resumes, Interview Preparation, Networking, The Canadian Job Market, Career Self-Assessment, and Workplace Success. The Centre is generously supported through a (CAD) $1.4 million grant from Accenture (2016) and contributes to the project’s larger goal which is to create an end-to-end online services platform at ACCES Employment that will provide job search services and programs to more than 56,000 new Canadians seeking employment over the next two years.
Career Edge’s Achievement Awards recognize the success of accomplished individuals and leading organizations that partner with us to provide meaningful employment opportunities, helping us to launch more careers in Canada. We also salute our interns and the people behind them – the mentors who help enhance the internship experience.
This year, we took a personalized approach and celebrated the Achievement Awards through various events held over the months of May and June, in partnership with the winners and finalists. We also recognized the organizations and individuals who have demonstrated leadership and cultivated innovative employment solutions, allowing more people to make an investment in their career.