7. Location

 Is this a national initiative, or is its coverage limited to a particular region or locality? If so, please specify the region or locality covered.

Local – Fort McMurray, AB
8. Overview of Program Please give a brief description of the initiative, in one or two sentences.

This two year Summer Internship Program trains grade 11 and 12 students to work in a variety of areas including safety, teamwork, and relationship building. Students complete a career related work experience for six weeks, or more, in engineering, technology, power engineering, government, science, research, business, law, education, tourism, etc.
9. Why Developed / Problems / Issues Targeted What are the main aims or objectives of the initiative? Is it designed to address any particular problems or issues? If so, please specify what these are.
  • Promote the workplace as an extension of the classroom learning experience;
  • Provide youth with the opportunity to enroll in career programs, which provide a smooth transition to post-secondary education and/or employment;
  • Increase awareness and improving attitudes towards career alternatives in the local region; and,
  • Reduce or remove barriers and improve access to career experiences.

10. Key Features / Content

  • Innovative
  • Effective
  • Promising
 Please describe the main features of the program, focusing in particular on those aspects that are particularly innovative, effective or promising.

Students are given the chance to experience what it would be like to work in career related employment and at the same time receive high school credits for the hours worked. Students are paired with mentors in their area of interest and as integrated members of their departmental teams, have a direct opportunity to discover the many rewards this profession has to offer. Grade 11 students have the opportunity to participate in a second summer internship after their grade 12 year.

CCC’s Career Programs are intended to help students in grades 10 to 12 develop career direction, increase their employability potential, and promote a smooth transition from school to the workplace.

The programs have been designed in two parts –

  • Part 1 Job Readiness and Career Exploration and
  • Part 2 Career Related Work Experience.

Part 1 must be completed before a student is eligible for Part 2. Students will be selected for this program by meeting eligibility criteria. This helps teach the student about the importance of preparing for the goals you want to achieve. The Programs prepare students for employment, with specific attention to Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), Health Services, and Academic Technical/Professional opportunities. Job readiness and career exploration are key elements of this program. Resume Writing, Portfolio Building, Interview Skills and Mock Interviews are important highlights that, along with the use of career inventories, encourage students to identify their interests, values, aptitudes and abilities and relate them to the world of work.