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Career Edge Blog

Sep 23
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Career Edge Organization to lead panel at the 2011 Recruitment Innovation Summit, Oct 26 & 27

By Events & Holidays

Paula_CalderonRecognizing our expertise in the areas of employment and diversity, Career Edge Organization was invited by Richard Matthews and the organizers of the annual HRNG (Human Resources Networking Group) Recruitment Innovations Summit to assemble a panel of employers to talk about hiring diverse talent.

Our panel, “Global Markets, World-Class Talent: Building a Diverse Workforce,” will include representatives from RBC, St. Michale’s Hospital, the City of Toronto and George Kelk Corporation, and will be moderated by our own Paula Calderon.

This is a must-attend event for HR professionals and business decision-makers – we participated last year and were highly impressed with the level of professionalism and engagement of participants. To learn more about this event, or to register, I encourage you to visit the event website: http://www.hrng.ca/Conference2011/events.php

Sep 21
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What Makes an Internship a Success? 4 Things Employers Should Know

By Recruitment

Internships seem to be a perennial “hot topic,” resurfacing every fall in conjunction with “back-to-school” time. Prompted by growing youth unemployment in Canada and increasing controversy about unpaid internships around the globe, the topic was featured on a recent episode of CBC Radio’s “The Sunday Edition” with Michael Enright.

Click here to listen to the program

Click here to go directly to the “4 Keys to a Successful Internship”

Read More

Sep 06
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Employing people with disabilities: “Leading with Action”

By Uncategorized

As an active member of JOIN (Job Opportunity Information Network), a network of community agencies of the Greater Toronto Area assisting persons with disabilities in finding and maintaining employment, Career Edge Organization is working collaboratively with 25 member agencies to help connect employers with pre-screened, career-minded Canadian college and university graduates with self-declared disabilities. Our Ability Edge paid internships provide meaningful work experience for persons with disabilities while guiding employers through the recruiting, hiring and integrating process.

Ability Edge Program currently has over 600 active registrants in the areas of Business (29%), Arts/Humanities (35%), Information Technology (13%), Engineering (2%) and Health/Sciences (9%).

Career Edge Organization is one of the key sponsors of JOIN’s 8th Annual Employer Conference, “Leading with Action” taking place November 21-22, 2011. Please note that the “Early Bird Rate” (discount) for registration ends September 15th.

Highlights of JOIN’s 8th Annual Employer Conference, Leading with Action includes:

  • Global Business Leadership Network Summit for senior business leaders
  • Networking opportunities
  • Interactive workshops facilitated by industry leaders, subject experts and diversity-related practitioners
  • Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA): impacts on business in 2012 and onwards
  • 2011 Employer and Entrepreneur Awards
  • Keynote presenters, entertainers and special guests

People with disabilities are an underutilized and well educated labor force that can add a wealth of skills and diversity to the workplace. Yet the gap between people with disabilities and the greater population in terms of employment rate is still wide. Consider the facts:

  • Employment rate of persons with disabilities (ages 25-54): 51%  vs. Employment rate of general population, ages 25-54: 81% (Stats Canada 2001 PALS)
  • Post secondary education rate of persons with disabilities is 52% – quite comparable to the non-disabled population (59%) (Earnings and Employment Trends Dec 2003 – BC Stats)

So employers are subsequently missing out on the benefits that this diverse and qualified group has to offer.

JOIN’s Employer Conference, “Leading with Action,” will address these and many other issues. Learn about best practices for disability inclusion; get the tools to be a leader in this field.We hope to see you there!

Aug 18
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Canada’s changing labour force: Where will we be in 20 years?

By Uncategorized

In a hot-off-the-press study from Statistics Canada, a number of “projection scenarios” were used to get a glimpse of the Canadian labour force – twenty years into the future.

The first projection suggested that our labour force will grow slowly, to between 20.5 and 22.5 million by 2031 (from approximately 18.5 million, currently). The reason for this sluggish growth is the inevitable retirement of baby boomers. Overall “participation rate” (% of total population that is in the labour force) is actually expected to decline.

The study also predicts that within ten years, a record-setting one in four workers will be 55 years of age or older.

Cultural diversity is also expected to increase, according to Stats Can. By 2031, a third of our labour force may be “foreign born.”

So, what does this mean for employers?

Quite simply, it means that change is on the horizon, and Canadian employers that consider the trends in their strategic planning will be best prepared to compete in this increasingly dynamic and global market.

The data makes a great case for employing youth. Investing in entry level talent today can help foster the middle management and senior leaders of tomorrow. Twenty years from now, today’s Career Edge interns will represent skilled and experienced workers that will play a crucial role in filling the gap created by a mass baby boomer exodus.
Trends towards an increasingly foreign labour force means that employers that are not adequately equipped to recruit and retain internationally qualified professionals will be missing out on a third of Canada’s available talent.

Time will only tell whether the images conjured in Stats Canada’s crystal ball will come to life. In the mean time, Career Edge Organization’s host employers are getting proactive, drawing upon our tools, resources and top talent to address both short-term and long-term needs.

Aug 08
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Survey: “Canadian CEOs expect challenges in recruiting and integrating younger workers”

By Uncategorized

According to Canadian HR Reporter, “75 per cent of Canadian CEOs expect challenges in recruiting and integrating younger workers, compared to just 54 per cent of their global counterparts.”

A survey of 1,201 CEOs worldwide, conducted by PwC (and recently feature in a Canadian HR Reporter article) found that Canadian CEOs are also more focused on recruiting and retaining older workers than their global counterparts.

The explanation for this is twofold: as most employers are well aware, Canada’s population is aging. The article points out that Career Edge Organization Host Employer BMO Bank of Montreal has over 46,000 employees who are “experienced workers,” and the bank continues to invest in programs to ensure continued retention. Examples include mentoring programs and flexible work arrangements as well as ongoing training and professional development.

BMO is not alone. 83 per cent of the Canadian CEOs surveyed expect that a key concern in coming years will be the limited supply of skilled candidates – compared to 66 per cent globally.

Many of Career Edge Organization’s host employers are thinking “outside-the-box” to address the issue of retirement and looming skills shortages that have been on the horizon for several years now. While strategies include programs to retain older workers, employers are also building new talent pipeline, and considering untapped talent pools.

Canada is very fortunate to be a destination of choice for internationally qualified professionals – immigrants who bring experience, education and skills to the table, as well as the added benefit of unique and diverse perspectives.

Looking at our Career Bridge paid internship program’s talent pool, it’s hard to imagine any shortage of skills. Consider the stats:

  • Over 60 per cent of our registrants have a Masters degree or higher
  • 80% have at least five years of relevant work experience
  • 51% have been in the workforce for at least 10 years
  • The majority are bilingual – with strong English business communication skills as well as other languages that can help companies compete globally as well as better serve diverse customers locally

Employers looking to develop the skills of younger or less experienced workers turn to our Career Edge and Ability Edge paid internship programs, for recent graduates and grads with disabilities, respectively. This employers are long-term thinkers with sustainability in mind. And it works! Some of our original Career Edge interns from 1996 are now still with their Host organizations, in leadership roles.

The PwC survey is a positive sign that organizational leaders are recognizing the potential talent management challenges that lie ahead, and we’re happy to share solutions and best practices.

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