There is a need for passionate, educated, hard-working youth in Northern B.C.’s local government and economic development sectors. Communities around northern B.C. all face a similar challenge: there is a lot to do and not enough people do it all. Northern Development’s internship program helps develop the leadership and management skills of new graduates through hands-on work experience. But, most importantly, the program results in a lasting legacy of capacity to help build a stronger north.
For the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, Northern Development’s internship program not only works as succession planning, but also as a valuable tool for finding employees who are committed to the region.
“Attracting skilled workers into our northern local government offices has always been a challenge. Northern Development Internship Programs are an excellent path for developing skills and identifying people committed to the success of the region,” said Bob Marcellin, the Chief Administrative Officer with the Regional District of Kitimt-Stikine.
Since 2009, 93% of Northern Development interns found jobs in the region either during or immediately following their internship. This success rate shows that there is a need for talented young minds, and a willingness among the region’s university graduates to stay and work in the region.
Said Marcellin: “For the Regional District, the program enabled us to manage the workload and provided more options when considering employee succession. We are extremely pleased to report four former interns of Northern Development have become full-time employees of this Regional District.”
