Search LMInews

When Just-Eat Canada Inc., an online food ordering website, needed additional staff last year for its rapidly expanding operations across Canada, it launched an internship program as a screening tool for new talent. “Some of the characteristics we look for are hard to read from a résumé, so we thought an internship program would be a great way to staff up,” says Antonio da Luz, national sales director with Just-Eat Canada in Toronto. “It works as a feeder system, almost like a recruitment process for full-time positions.” Bringing on interns can be a win-win strategy for small- and medium-sized businesses looking for fresh talent. As well as providing needed help at peak times, internship programs – aimed at recent post-secondary graduates or those just finishing school – tend to attract high quality candidates looking for entry into competitive fields.

But while internships are generally seen as beneficial, there’s a darker side, with accusations that some companies abuse interns, seeing them as a source of free labour and giving them grunt work while shorting them on substantial hands-on experience. And a good internship program does more than provide cheap summer labour while regular employees are on vacation. Companies that provide a valuable learning experience, whether or not the stint ends in employment, can reap benefits in return. Intern programs can pay off hugely for employers. Investing in new employees is expensive, and internships can help ensure the right cultural fit, since the employer already knows how the intern works and interacts with staff.

...continued

In an effort to improve service delivery, the provincial Department of Child, Youth and Family Services will be hiring 29 new frontline social workers. The hiring is part of a larger strategy to improve worker retention and recruitment that includes the hiring of 70 social work students for paid work placements. The student placements will cost $475,300, which was included in the 2012 budget, said Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services Charlene Johnson. “Recent reviews had identified recruitment and retention as a challenge, and this is one initiative that will help with the long-term recruitment of new social workers in our province,” she said.

Student field placements allow future social workers to gain insight and experience while still in school, said Johnson, with the funding allowing for the hiring of 35 students per term. Students will be placed in the province’s four regions. Current staff are getting schooling of their own, with 200 staff recently completing 12 mandatory training sessions. The training will allow the department to improve the programs and services offered, said Johnson. “If our staff feel supported and confident in the work they do, they will be more likely to continue their commitment to this field as we work together to establish the best child protection system in the country.” The hiring of 29 new staff has been budgeted at $2.4 million. The new frontline positions include social work supervisors, social workers, social worker assistants and clerk typists.

The Government of Canada has announced a new measure to help students and their families access and afford post-secondary education and training. The income eligibility thresholds for part-time student loans and grants have been increased so more Canadians can pursue post-secondary education while working. Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, made the announcement today at the University of Western Ontario. “Our Government is delivering on our commitment to support part-time students by enabling more low- and middle-income Canadians to attend school while working,” said Minister Finley.

The Government of Canada will invest approximately $22.5 million over the next 10 years to increase accessibility for student financial assistance. It is projected that over 2,500 additional part-time students will be eligible for a Canada Student Loan in year one, rising to just under 8,000 in year five and ongoing. Nearly 500 additional part-time students will receive a Canada Student Grant in year one, rising to about 1,500 in year five and ongoing. This measure builds on steps the Government has already taken to increase accessibility to post-secondary education. At the beginning of this year, Canada’s Economic Action Plan eliminated in-study interest on part-time student loans so more Canadians can afford to balance work and school.

...continued

Maternity and parental benefits provided for the birth or adoption of a baby varies wildly from country to country. The United States is part of a very exclusive group – but not for the reasons you might suspect. It shares the spotlight with Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Liberia and Lesotho as one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t mandate some type of paid maternity leave for new mothers according to a study done by McGill University’s Institute for Health and Social Policy. In fact, when compared to its northern neighbour, the U.S. maternity leave policy is embarrassingly sparse. Here are some of the big differences between the two countries.

Canada - The Canadian government mandates both a leave and a benefits component, the latter being administered by provincial employment insurance plans. Depending on the length of employment history and the hours worked, new mothers can take between 17 and 52 weeks of leave from their jobs. Their employers are required to accept the employees back into their jobs, or the equivalent, at the end of the mandated leave at the same rate of pay with the same employment benefits.  United States - In the U.S., the picture for families-to-be is very different. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) signed into law in 1993 requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for several medical conditions, as well as the birth of a baby. If the mother has pre-birth complications, she may be able to take part of the leave under the medical component. Before the law was enacted, the U.S. had no laws requiring that employers provide any leave. There are still gaping holes in the FMLA, however. It exempts small employers, defined as those having fewer than 50 employees. Some states have their own version of the FMLA and have an even lower threshold for employer exemption.

...continued

A high school student from St. John’s has won a national award through Junior Achievement Canada. Judy Ou received the Peter Mansbridge Positive Change Award last Tuesday at a Canadian Business Hall of Fame gala dinner in Toronto. A youth scholarship awarded by Junior Achievement of Canada, it recognizes students who promote prosperity and positive change. A Grade 12 student at Prince of Wales Collegiate, Ou was part of a Junior Achievement company called Swollip that produced eco-friendly pillows. She first joined Junior Achievement’s company program in 2009.

“I like to take on new challenges, in order to reach new limits,” said Judy in a news release. “That’s why I was drawn to the company program. Through Junior Achievement, I was able to expand my horizons and discover new interests.” She also volunteers at her school and with the Janeway Children’s Hospital. Judy intends to one day become a medical doctor. “I aspire to become a doctor because I believe it will help our community prosper.” Junior Achievement Canada is the largest business education organization in Canada. It offers programs to students with assistance from business mentors.