WELLINGTON – July 12, 2018 – “Between now and November, we’ll be able to accept a dozen more interns into our Objectif carrière Î.-P.-É. (PEI Career Focus) program, which is aimed at French-speaking people aged 30 years or under who have completed postsecondary studies and who are now ready to launch their career,” says Carol Richard, coordinator of this RDÉE Prince Edward Island initiative.

“We’ll begin internships for groups of participants in September and November, so we’re encouraging all those who are interested to contact us immediately so that we can start the process of finding them a work placement and together determine when they’ll be able to begin,” explains the coordinator. “Those who wait too late to sign up might end up not getting a spot at all.”

All those who are interested are urged to sign up as soon as possible by filling in the application form on the bilingual web site www.objectifcarriereipe.ca/home.

These paid internships, offered for a maximum of 24 weeks, seek to integrate new college and university graduates into a career, preferably related to their field of studies. The program provides a financial incentive to employers to help pay a portion of the intern’s salary.

To be eligible, one must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or have a refugee status; applicants must also have the legal right to work on PEI, according to provincial laws and regulations. Those who receive employment insurance benefits are not eligible.

Richard notes that since last fall, the RDÉE has been able to accept 16 participants into the program. Some are currently working in their internships in fields as varied as electricity, health, forest engineering, sociology, anthropology, audio engineering and production, computer sciences, graphic design, kinesiology and early childhood education; other participants are in the job search stages.

This program was established thanks to funding from the Career Focus program, which is part of the federal government’s Youth Employment Strategy. The RDÉE is seeking to recruit young adults who can speak French and who are interested in returning to or in staying on PEI to live and work. This program, much like its PERCÉ cousin, hopes to help repatriate young Islanders.

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CUTLINE: Chantal Arsenault of Richmond is currently working in an Objectif carrière Î.-P.-É. internship with the Jardin des étoiles early childhood centre in Summmerside while Megan Llewellyn of Rocky Point is working at Keep Moving Physio in Cornwall. RDÉE PEI is hoping to recruit a dozen more interns between now and November.

 

For more information:

Stéphane Blanchard
Youth Development Officer
RDÉE Prince Edward Island
(902) 370-7333, Ext. 402
stephane@rdeeipe.org

Carol Richard
Coordinator
Objectif carrière Î.-P.-É. Program
(902) 854-3439, Ext. 224
carol@rdeeipe.org