Below is the press release that was put out by OCRI today announcing the amazing news I received late yesterday. I am delighted about this 🙂
OTTAWA, ON, March 24, 2010 – TalentBridge, one of OCRI’s most popular youth engagement programs, has received the 2010 Employer Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in the area of recruitment from Hire Immigrants Ottawa. The presentation was made earlier today, during the Employer Council of Champions Summit at the National Arts Centre.
“In a very short time TalentBridge has delivered immediate results that benefit the student participants and the local small companies that get involved,” says Stephen Daze, Executive Director, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, OCRI. “It is certainly an honour to be recognized for excellence in the recruitment of skilled immigrants in the small size employer category. Award winning programs like TalentBridge will help ensure that Ontario remains at the forefront of the competition for global talent. The Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa were early supporters of this program and should be very proud of their commitment to youth.”
TalentBridge provides entrepreneurially-inclined post-secondary students, who are enrolled in technology and engineering programs, with a unique opportunity to develop sales, marketing and strategic business management skills. Students gain invaluable hands-on experience working with local companies in real world scenarios. To date, since July 2008, TalentBridge has hired 17 of Ottawa’s brightest post-secondary students, 10 of whom were new Canadians. Four more individuals, of which three are new or prospective Canadians, were also supported in a voluntary position with the program.
Manu Sharma, manager of the TalentBridge program and first generation Canadian himself, explains that the key success factor for a TalentBridge engagement is the singular focus on the professional development and social integration needs of the participant. “All of our TalentBridge participants are incredibly enthusiastic and creative individuals with their own unique vision of success and each one is committed to giving back to the community and staying involved with the program.”
Hire Immigrants Ottawa (HIO) is a community-based initiative that brings together employers, immigrant agencies and stakeholders to enhance employers’ ability to access the talents of skilled immigrants in the Ottawa area. The Employer Excellence Awards recognizes local public and private sector employers for their innovative recruitment and retention policies, and promising practices around the integration of skilled immigrants into their organizations.
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About OCRI:
Leading the way for Ottawa, OCRI is the city’s economic development agency. OCRI is the rallying point to bring business, education, research and talent together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa’s knowledge-based companies to thrive locally and compete globally. At OCRI we promote sustainable economic development to maintain our high quality of life. For more information on OCRI visit our website at www.ocri.ca and for more information on the Ottawa Region please visit www.ottawaregion.com. In 2010, Ottawa was named one of the world’s top seven intelligent communities by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).
For information contact:
Kim Cunningham
Manager, External Communications
OCRI
Tel: (613) 828-6274 x256
Cell: (613) 851-0768
Email: kcunningham@ocri.ca