Today we received a beautiful thank-you card from Eric, our intern at Kraft whom we recently blogged about.
I think the note speaks for itself:
At Career Edge Organization, we not only “talk the talk,” we transcribe the talk too.
For over ten years now our Ability Edge program has worked with incredible employers in Canada to provide paid internship opportunities for recent graduates with disabilities. We have worked with a number of employers to provide expertise in sourcing and accommodating persons with disabilities.
Given our mandate and the nature of what we do, we promote inclusivity in the workplace any opportunity we get. The same goes for our Alumni Network Committee.
You may recall, earlier this year we formed a committee of dedicated former interns to meet quarterly and steer the direction of activities and programs for our “Alumni Network” of former interns.
One of our most active committee members presented us with a learning opportunity when she requested accommodation for our quarterly meetings.
As a deaf person, participating and contributing in meetings would have been a challenge for her without accommodation. I had worked with ASL interpreters in the past and immediately assumed this would be the appropriate accommodation.
Lesson #1 – each individual has unique needs and one solution cannot be applied to everyone! For this particular situation, the committee member informed that computerized note-taking would be best.
After a little bit of searching, I came across a company called WordWrap. The Toronto-based firm offers a wide range of services specializing in computerized, onsite note taking and real-time transcription for a variety of sectors. The friendly staff understood our unique needs right away and offered affordable solutions for our meetings so that all can participate to their full potential.
The note-taker did an excellent job and we will continue to work with WordWrap in the future. As an added perk, all of us benefited from the thorough and detailed notes they took which means none of us will need to take minutes for the rest of the year!
Most importantly, the alumnus who requested the service has been an enormous asset to our committee. For a small, negligible cost, we have gained invaluable knowledge, insight and commitment from her.
By guest contributor, Paula Calderon, Client Relations Manager/Applicant Screener
There is often a misconception that Career Edge Organization is a government funded agency that places people in internships. This may not be surprising given the successful partnership between the Ontario Government and Career Edge Organization and the number of Career Bridge interns who have been placed in the Ontario Public Service Internship Program for Internationally Trained Individuals and the presence of the Career Bridge logo and links on the government’s public websites.
Career Edge Organization is in fact a national, private, self-sustaining not for profit organization that connects qualified talent and Canadian employers. A large number of employers from the private, public and non-profit sectors have accessed qualified talent through Career Edge Organization’s three paid internship programs.
So, how do the Government of Ontario and Career Edge Organization partner to implement the Career Bridge program across the Ontario Public Service?
The Ontario Public Service Internship Program for Internationally Trained Individuals (OPS ITI Program) is an innovative internship program specifically for professional newcomers to Canada, so that they can earn valuable Canadian work experience in their related career fields within the Ontario Public Service (OPS).
Through this important bridging program, the Ontario government is fulfilling its commitment to helping ITIs integrate into the Ontario labour market, enabling them to contribute to the provincial economy.
Since 2006, Career Edge Organization through its Career Bridge program has supported the implementation of the OPS ITI Program. As a Host Organization for Career Bridge interns, the Ontario Government has to date placed over 400 internationally qualified individuals in the OPS ITI Program across Ontario. YNPS, HR Ontario currently administers the program across the OPS in various ministries and regions in the province. OPS managers have access to a pool of pre-screened, qualified Career Bridge registrants to select candidates for the internship program. Under the program, Career Edge Organization administers the interns’ payroll during the internship period.
The OPS ITI Program’s goals and objectives are to:
- Promote OPS as an employer of first choice by providing newcomers with the skills, knowledge and coaching/mentorship that will assist them in securing employment in their field.
- Support the Government of Ontario’s commitment to maximize bridging programs by providing a coordinated enterprise-wide approach to increasing access to Canadian work experience for newcomers in Ontario.
- Contribute to a welcoming community/work environment that promotes diversity.
- Help OPS to gain an increased understanding of settlement issues and barriers faced by newcomers to Ontario.
- To be an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible organization.
And from my perspective, most importantly…
- To demonstrate government leadership in the recognition and support of internationally trained individuals in labour market integration by providing short-term work experience in the OPS.
Not only is OPS demonstrating leadership, but it is also proving first-hand that the Career Bridge Program provides an excellent opportunity for Internationally Qualified Professionals to demonstrate their value and skills while gaining meaningful work experience, which they can leverage to full time employment in their field. It is clear that an internship can be the perfect bridge to employment.
In the last three years, surveys have shown that over 75% of Career Bridge interns within the OPS ITI Program have secured employment in their field within six months of completing their internship.
This success should be a call to action for the entire business community to follow the Government of Ontario’s example of utilizing this valuable resource to fulfill their recruitment needs, as they help grow and sustain our economy.
Next week, Career Edge Organization will be sending out our latest issue of CareerBulletin, our quarterly e-Newsletter for interns, alumni, partners and host employers.
In this month’s issues, the topic of “organizational fit” has emerged as a central theme (in addition to the theme of “sweets” given our recent successes with Kraft and Lindt!). It is natural for us to talk about “fit” because that concept is such an integral part of what we do here.
Whether through our Career Edge, Ability Edge or Career Bridge paid internship programs, we offer meaningful work opportunities for recent graduates, recent graduates with disabilities and internationally qualified professionals. We only work with the best employers in Canada to ensure that both the individual and the organization are set up for success. In each case, this means finding the best fit possible.
In this coming issue of CareerBulletin, read the full story about our intern at Lindt. You will also find great tips on hiring for fit, and research that helps us understand the benefits.
Not on our mailing list? Stay in the loop and subscribe today. (Rest assured, we won’t hand out your email address or personal information to any third party.)
Continuing on the recent theme of “sweet success,” Career Edge Organization paid a visit to Lindt & Sprungli Canada’s downtown Toronto head office. Lindt & Sprungli are behind some of the most delicious chocolates on the market and, judging by what we saw, the work environment is equally delicious.
First of all, chocolate was everywhere. At the front reception desk (where most organizations keep mints and business cards) are individually wrapped Lindor truffles. Nothing says “Welcome!” like truffles. But what immediately stood out to us was the energy – everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there.
Lindt & Sprungli recently become a Host Employer to Career Edge Organization internships. They recently hired a Career Edge intern, Anitha, who is a recent York University graduate now working in their marketing department. Anitha has worked out so well that we decided to feature her and the host organization as “success stories” in our upcoming e-Newsletter, CareerBulletin.
It is clear that the key to this success story has been fit – Anitha’s values, personality and work habits are a perfect match with Lindt’s organizational culture. This idea of fit will be the central theme in our upcoming newsletter, set to go out next week.
If you are not already on our subscribers’ list, you can quickly and easily sign up online here: http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/Subscribe.aspx?m=23416
Each quarterly issue features success stories, polls, tips and news related to employment, HR and diversity in Canada. Each issue also features a personal letter from our President & CEO, Anne Lamont.
Many thanks to Lindt for being so welcoming this morning and BIG thanks from the team for the chocolate you sent back!