As the end of the school year nears, university and college students are being given an end-of term gift just in time for summer break: thousands of paid internship opportunities.
It’s all part of a major push by a team of visionaries at not-for-profit national innovation organization Mitacs, who are working tirelessly to place student interns in positions across the province and country. The initiative follows a Statistics Canada report showing an all-time low ratio in unemployment-to-job vacancy across Canada, indicating there are currently more available jobs than there are workers to fill them.
“Last year, we provided around 6,000 paid internship opportunities in Ontario across all fields and demand is set to grow this year,” said John Hepburn, Mitacs CEO. “We work with a range of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies, to non-profits and government agencies, but with a particular focus on small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
Across Ontario, thousands of SMEs in key sectors of the economy, including AI, advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle technology, healthcare, mining, and quantum technology need access to talent and knowhow in order to innovate and grow. That’s where Mitacs comes in.
Mitacs internships are designed to address the specific R&D and innovation needs of the businesses they support – giving those businesses access to the expertise found in postsecondary institutions across the province. In turn, interns learn vital workplace skills.
“Not only will this initiative help address the province’s labour crunch, but it will also sharpen the skills of students, making them more marketable for future jobs,” Hepburn said, adding that another significant bonus is that it will boost Canada’s lagging innovation record, which is believed to have led to sluggish economic growth even before COVID-19 hit.
Since the start of the pandemic, Mitacs — which acts as a “matchmaker” between post-secondary schools, SMEs, and other organizations — has placed tens of thousands of students in internships in a wide range of industries in Ontario and across the country. Now, the drive is on to accelerate opportunities for students – the leaders of tomorrow, with more than 20,000 internships available across the country.
“Hands-on work experience for university and college students and recent graduates through internships is key to giving them real-life problem-solving skills that are critical for the future workforce and which they just can’t get in the classroom,” said Hepburn. “It’s a win-win for students, industry and Ontario’s prosperity as a whole.”
Hepburn pointed to a recent survey by Mitacs that shows students lack confidence in certain skills identified as key for organizations. For example, whereas organizations see critical thinking and problem-solving skills as essential for innovation, only 43 percent of students surveyed feel very confident in this skill. According to the study, some of the lowest levels of student confidence are in team management (19 percent) and project management (24 percent).
“Confidence comes with experience and practice in honing skills — all of which students report gaining through internships,” Hepburn said. “Fortunately, organizations today are hungry for top talent and, with a labour shortage, are eager to provide students with growth opportunities. As a result, we’re beefing up our efforts to place as many interns as possible in needed positions.”
Mitacs internships — which are supported by the provincial and federal governments — are paid opportunities for students. Organizations receive partial funding to compensate interns. For more information, visit mitacs.ca.
SOURCE Gail Bergman PR
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