SUMMERSIDE – On Friday, MP Robert Morrissey, announced the federal government’s latest contribution to RDÉE P.E.I., funding for a new paid internship program that will help integrate postsecondary graduates into the work force.
Objectif Carrière Î.-P.-É. was established with the $329,066 contribution from the Career Focus Strategy under the federal government’s Youth Employment Strategy.
“The program is aimed at young adults under 30 years of age who, ideally, can express themselves in French and who would be interested in returning or staying on Prince Edward Island to build their career,” said Bonnie Gallant, executive director of RDÉE P.E.I., the provincial francophone economic development council.
Unlike RDÉE P.E.I.’s PERCÉ internship program, Objectif Carrière Î.-P.-É is designed to raise awareness of Island post-secondary graduates about the economic and cultural wealth and possibilities of their region and to show them that it is possible to make a life and career for themselves on the Island. Objectif Carrière Î.-P.-É. also operates year-round.
It offers participants the opportunity to gain work experience in their field of study and discover employers and employment opportunities available on P.E.I.
The program will run until May 2019 with 28 participants in total. Each individual will have a maximum of 24 weeks in the program.
Pierre Gallant, spokesperson for the Francophone Chamber of Commerce said the program is a great step for the future.
“It’s something that we see a need for on P.E.I. it will give opportunities to graduates as well as employers. It’s another market we can tap into to grow business and the economy on P.E.I.”
How it works:
Participants will have a week of orientation featuring a series of testimonials and site visits. They will meet key stakeholders from anglophone and francophone communities.
They will also be provided information on various organizations that can help them establish a business or provide them with information one the steps to be taken to settle on P.E.I.
The search for an internship location is then conducted in partnership with program co-ordinator Carol Richard.
Participants are directed towards employers working in their field of study, with the objective to offer participant new career skills and experiences that will be required in their career. They will also have the opportunity to build a new network of people who work in their field.
The program will also support employers by providing them with a skilled employee and a reimbursement of a portion of the participant’s salary for the duration of the internship. Employers will be encouraged to permanently hire the employee once the internship period is completed.
For more information or to fill out the required application form, go to http://objectifcarriereipe.ca/home.
