NEADS Conference 2004 Right On! Information Session

1. NEADS Conference 2004 Right On! Information Session Presented by Jennifer Dillon Ability Edge Coordinator November 2004

2. Introduction • Pilot internships developed with • Canadian Bankers Association • Original and ongoing funding through HRDC • Initial internships available in 6 cities – Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax • Now available nationally through range of Canadian employers (host organizations)

3. Program • Provides 6- to 12-month internships • for university, college or high school graduates with disabilities • Developed and operated by Career Edge, Canada’s national youth internship program • Graduates apply online to internships at leading Canadian companies - www.abilityedge.ca • Interns earn a monthly stipend of $1,666.67 • Interns supported with accommodations

4. Our Partners • Over 700 Canadian employers, university/college career centres and special needs offices • HRDC and community agencies such as: • Canadian Hearing Society • Canadian National Institute for the Blind • Canadian Paraplegic Association • Line 1000 • Link Up • CCRW - WORKink • The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada • Ontario March of Dimes • Ability Edge interns and alumni

5. Eligibility • Person with a disability • A High School, College or University graduate • No career related work experience • Eligible to work in Canada; and • Not previously been a Career Edge intern

6. Advantages • Less competition • Access to both Ability Edge and Career Edge internship opportunities • Targeted programs focused on the recruitment of people with disabilities • Host organization knowledgeable in workplace accommodations and • diversity issues more…

7. Advantages • On-line application process • Intern opportunities across many industry sectors • Interns gain experience at top employers • Supportive Career Edge Staff available for website assistance and information • Interns develop professional network for future • Opens door to full-time employment

8. Intern Positions • More than 50 internship opportunities now available across Canada. • Intern positions include: • Business Analyst • Financial Services Representative • Human Resources Officer • Voluntary / Mandatory Corporate Action Administrator • Personal Banking Officer Trainee • Environment Health & Safety Coordinator • Customer Representative • Subsidiary and Liquidity Analyst

9. Testimonial I am a person with a disability and I completed a 12-month Ability Edge internship in the Greater Vancouver Area with BMO. I was a Portfolio Monitoring Officer intern and my main responsibilities were to calculate margins, communicate the margin information to Commercial Account Managers and customers, and complete the final task of updating the respective margin information onto the Bank of Montreal organizational computer. I was offered a full-time position with The Bank of Montreal as a Portfolio Monitoring Officer on August 17, 2004. Upon graduating from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, I thought it would be quite easy to get a job. I was lacking one thing though, the work experience, and soon learned that a degree means little unless one has the work experience to go along with it. In addition, being physically challenged and having no work experience, companies did not really want to take a chance on me not knowing how much accommodations I would need to do the job. Ability Edge has helped me achieve this giving me the experience I needed in my chosen field and has given me the self-confidence that tells me: “Yes I can do the work required in a full time job”. - Colin Stoll, Ability Edge Intern

10. Results Host Organizations 10 Interns placed 170 Employment within 2-3 months 73% Hired full-time by Host 60% As of October, 2004 Career Edge Program Results Over 6000 interns placed by more than 900 host companies since 1996

11. A Career Edge Program Contact us and start your career today www.abilityedge.ca