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Career Edge Blog

Jul 30
Love0

Career Edge paid internship program aims to launch careers of Canadian Reservists

By Press Release

TORONTO, July 30, 2015

Career Edge launches paid internship program for Reservists with support
from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in partnership with the Department of
National Defense (DND).

Career Edge will receive close to $3M from ESDC to launch an important pilot project for the Canadian
Armed Forces (CAF) Reserves in three major geographic cities/regions yet to be determined. The project
is intended to help Reservists get the skills and experience needed to overcome barriers to meaningful
and sustainable employment within their communities, while continuing to serve their reserve unit.
Reservists play a critical role in Canada’s strategy to develop a diverse and qualified pool of military
personnel, yet many leave the force before completing their military training, when faced with limited job
opportunities within their civilian communities. Training for our Reservists represent a significant
investment in CAF; and with 130 reserve units across Canada, keeping active Reservists living and
working in their community is critically important to Canada’s national defense.

“Members of CAF represent a highly skilled talent pool, and this program gives them an ideal opportunity
to start working in their field,” says Jay Yakabowich, Director of Business Development at Career Edge,
and former Canadian Forces Reservist who served the Guns with the Royal Canadian Artillery, 10 Field
Regiment, 64th Field Battery located in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. “I know first-hand that these candidates
have the right skills and attitude to succeed in their chosen career path, while also serving their country.”

Through Career Edge’s paid internship program, employers can hire Reservists for various entry and mid-level internship positions to meet their staffing needs, as Reservists offer a plethora of transferable skills –
including but not limited to:
• Organization skills
• Problem solving and issue resolution
• Leadership
• Team work
• Resourcefulness
• Highly developed communication skills –
leveraging computer and wireless
technology
• Experience working in culturally diverse
environments

“We are honoured to join forces with ESDC and DND to help Canadian Reservists pursue their civilian
careers,” says Naguib Gouda, President of Career Edge. “The program symbolizes the federal
government’s commitment to the professional success of its Reservists, while representing a natural
progression for Career Edge, as we strive to launch more careers through paid internships.”

About Career Edge

Established in 1996, Career Edge is a not-for-profit, self-sustaining social enterprise with a clear mandate
to connect highly motivated, well-qualified candidates with employers of all types and sizes for careerlaunching opportunities, through paid internships. More than half of all Career Edge interns are hired by
their host employer at the end of their internship, and most of the rest launch their career elsewhere
within six months.

Media Contact:
Charmaine O’Connor
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Career Edge
coconnor@careeredge.ca
Tel: (416) 977-3343 ext. 286
Fax: (416) 977-4090
For more information about Career Edge, please visit www.careeredge.c

Jul 30
Love0

Business leaders and military personnel unite to launch Canadian Armed Forces

By Press Release

TORONTO, July 30, 2015

Career Edge launches paid internship program for Reservists with support
from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in partnership with the Department of
National Defense (DND).

Career Edge will receive close to $3M from ESDC to launch an important pilot project for the Canadian
Armed Forces (CAF) Reserves in three major geographic cities/regions yet to be determined. The project
is intended to help Reservists get the skills and experience needed to overcome barriers to meaningful
and sustainable employment within their communities, while continuing to serve their reserve unit.
Reservists play a critical role in Canada’s strategy to develop a diverse and qualified pool of military
personnel, yet many leave the force before completing their military training, when faced with limited job
opportunities within their civilian communities. Training for our Reservists represent a significant
investment in CAF; and with 130 reserve units across Canada, keeping active Reservists living and
working in their community is critically important to Canada’s national defense.

“Members of CAF represent a highly skilled talent pool, and this program gives them an ideal opportunity
to start working in their field,” says Jay Yakabowich, Director of Business Development at Career Edge,
and former Canadian Forces Reservist who served the Guns with the Royal Canadian Artillery, 10 Field
Regiment, 64th Field Battery located in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. “I know first-hand that these candidates
have the right skills and attitude to succeed in their chosen career path, while also serving their country.”

Through Career Edge’s paid internship program, employers can hire Reservists for various entry and mid-level internship positions to meet their staffing needs, as Reservists offer a plethora of transferable skills –
including but not limited to:
• Organization skills
• Problem solving and issue resolution
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Resourcefulness
• Highly developed communication skills –
leveraging computer and wireless
technology
• Experience working in culturally diverse
environments

“We are honoured to join forces with ESDC and DND to help Canadian Reservists pursue their civilian
careers,” says Naguib Gouda, President of Career Edge. “The program symbolizes the federal
government’s commitment to the professional success of its Reservists, while representing a natural
progression for Career Edge, as we strive to launch more careers through paid internships.”

About Career Edge

Established in 1996, Career Edge is a not-for-profit, self-sustaining social enterprise with a clear mandate
to connect highly motivated, well-qualified candidates with employers of all types and sizes for careerlaunching opportunities, through paid internships. More than half of all Career Edge interns are hired by
their host employer at the end of their internship, and most of the rest launch their career elsewhere
within six months.

Media Contact:
Charmaine O’Connor
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Career Edge
coconnor@careeredge.ca
Tel: (416) 977-3343 ext. 286
Fax: (416) 977-4090
For more information about Career Edge, please visit www.careeredge.c

Jul 21
Love4
team play

Teams that play together, stay together

By Workplace Culture

Studies have shown that greater employee engagement has a significant, positive influence on work quality and revenue, and company-sponsored team play or sports teams are a great way to make that happen.

The Toronto 2015 Pan Am games are in full swing and have captured the fervor of sports fans across the country, as they root for their favourite teams and athletes. In the corporate world, company leaders try to inspire the same level of fandom and engagement in the office, rather than the stadium.

Here are great benefits of how a team playing together can impact the company culture:

1. Teamwork:

Promoting team spirit in the office and on the field increases morale and camaraderie among employees, and unites them towards a common goal: winning. Whether looking to win a game or sign a new client, having a supportive team to share successes with makes the achievement all the more meaningful.

Additionally, teaming up to participate in a fun activity creates an excellent opportunity for networking and casual collaboration, which translates well to a business setting.

2. Coaching:

Behind every good team is a good coach. Coaches have a wealth of knowledge and a strong ability to effectively transfer it to their players. They also have a knack for assigning roles based on players’ strengths and abilities, and how those fit into a larger gameplay strategy.

Allowing employees to coach a team also develops their management skills, while building the confidence of each player when their talents are recognized.

3. Goals and Rewards:

Winning is usually the ultimate goal of most sports, but we’re not all Harlem Globetrotters. Setting realistic, achievable goals – for the team and individuals – and rewarding performance is vital to maintaining a high level of motivation. Whether it’s a gleaming golden trophy or a simple high five, recognition of a job well done is valued by employees, regardless of whether they scored the goal, made the assist, or delivered a solid defensive play.

4. Wellness:

Promoting physical activity through a company sports team fits nicely into corporate wellness programs. Better yet, healthy employees are typically more productive and have lower levels of absenteeism, resulting in higher performance on the job.

5. Retention:

Turnover rates drop dramatically when employees are engaged and feel proud of the company they work for. Giving employees the opportunity to fight for the home team will grow your internal fan base, and keep your star players from being drafted elsewhere.

Summer is a great time to encourage your employees to team up and get active. Whether the team play softball or ultimate Frisbee or cheers on their co-workers from the sidelines, team sports will help foster greater levels of engagement and grow team spirit within your company.

Need more champions on your team? Hire a Career Edge intern.

Jun 23
Love4

Shifting how we think about internships

By Employer

Internships have changed the way businesses attract and recruit talent, fundamentally replacing the entry-level jobs of yesteryear. This changing landscape inspired our most recent workshop, InternSHIFT, an informative and interactive discussion held earlier this month at the 2015 CACEE National Conference in Ottawa. Through this Town Hall Meeting style session, Naguib Gouda, President of Career Edge, led conference delegates through the changing internship landscape, while exploring how paid internships contribute to our economy and social infrastructure.

For those who were unable to attend the conference, we have assembled the key highlights from InternSHIFT below, starting with a quick pop quiz.

Read More

May 26
Love3

Get the Most Out of Your Summer Interns

By Employer

As the temperature outside rises, employers are warming up to the summer internship season; but four months doesn’t always leave much time to make a real dent in many of those seasonal projects.

There are plenty of articles that provide interns with tips to succeed during their internship, but there are also a few things that employers can do to create an environment that inspires optimal performance from their enthusiastic, highly motivated intern during their internship term.

Read More

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