The 2025 Cohort joined together for orientation in Prince George before moving to their host communities.
Wendy Okoye, Economic Development Coordinator, and other Northern Development staff have been busy travelling Northern B.C. to visit all of the Trust’s current interns in their host communities. This is a crucial touchpoint between Northern Development and the recent graduates to provide support and encouragement as the new professionals adjust to work and life in new places.
They have already visited Burns Lake, Telkwa, Smithers, Fraser Lake, and Quesnel. August will include visits to the people and communities of Fort St. John, Pouce Coupe, Tumbler Ridge, Clinton, Logan Lake, Lillooet, Terrace and Prince Rupert.
This builds upon the successful 2024 internship year where all three interns were permanently hired by their host community following the completion of their 12-month placement. The offer and acceptance of full-time positions is a strong indication of a strong relationship built over the term and an appreciation of the value and skills that the young professional brings to their host government and community.
The 2024 Internship year ended on April 30, 2025 and the cohort received the following positions:
- Adrian Smith: Planner – Development Services (Town of Smithers)
- Jasleen Kaur Parmar: Finance Clerk II (Village of Valemount)
- Jinhan Xiao: Financial Analyst (Lake Babine Nation)
To date, Northern Development has supported more than 150 internship placements, supporting communities by connecting talented, recent post-secondary graduates with host governments of First Nations, municipalities, and regional districts.
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