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Employability Programs
In order to help students gain experience and increase their job-readiness, Career Services encourages students to get involved in its employability skills development programs. These programs help students meet industry professionals, develop in-demand transferable skills, test their knowledge, and make connections between classroom learning and real-world workplace requirements. Enhancing students’ employability skills allows them to gain a better understanding of the knowledge, skills, and educational requirements they may need to achieve their career goals.
Campus Recruitment Packages
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The Campus Recruitment Packages were designed to provide employer partners with a range of options to best support their recruitment needs, while also ensuring effective engagement for students and new grads with recruiting employers. Here is a look at the current packages:
Featured Job
Featured Jobs allow employers to promote their organization along with a specific job opportunity. This package includes prominent placement of the employer logo and job opportunity on the main student page of mySuccess, as well as promo on Career Services’ social media channels leading up to the application deadline.
Event Promotion
This package is designed to promote an organization and their unique career event more broadly to Carleton students. It includes a post on the mySuccess events calendar, as well as promotion of the event across Career Services’ social media channels leading up to the event.
Recruitment Information Session
This package offers employers a full range of supports to recruit Carleton talent to their organization. With this package, the Career Services team works closely with employers to plan the event and showcase the organization to Carleton students and new grads. The team promotes the employer through various avenues, including targeting
By the Numbers
11 students in specific faculties and programs, and more broadly across Career Services’ social media channels.
Grad School Information Session
This package allows educational institutions to promote their master’s, Ph.D., diploma, and professional training and certification programs to a targeted group of students.
Recruitment Information Sessions
This year, Career Services expanded its Recruitment Information Sessions, providing the option for employers to choose between virtual and in-person events. This flexible approach has provided employers with the opportunity to choose the format that works best for their organization, and the Career Services team provides professional guidance to assist with their selection. In addition to virtual and in-person sessions, employers have also had the option of on-campus booths, which have been a successful alternative for niche and high-volume-opportunity employers who are looking to attract walk-by traffic.
Highlights from 2022-2023
Canada Revenue Agency: Hosted two virtual recruitment information sessions to discuss their employment opportunities in IT for current students, new graduates, and alumni. One session was a general session for students and the other session prioritized attendance for students with disabilities. In total, the events had 225 students in attendance.
Cavanagh Construction: Hosted an in-person recruitment information session for the first time to promote their internships, co-op, and new grad opportunities to Civil and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering students. The event had 85 students in attendance. Cavanagh collected digital resumes through a QR code during the event.
City of Ottawa: Hosted a virtual recruitment information session to discuss their co-op and summer employment opportunities. The event had 148 students in attendance.
Kinaxis: Hosted an in-person recruitment information session to discuss their co-op, internships, and new graduate career opportunities. The event had 375 students in attendance.
PCL Construction Parliament Centre Block Tour: In honour of Women in Construction Week, PCL Construction hosted a site tour for 15 female Carleton students in Architecture and Civil and Mechanical Engineering. The goal was to promote PCL career opportunities, offer a chance to network with women in various divisions of the company, and highlight the scope of this historic construction project.
Act To Employ
The ACT to Employ program continues to grow every term. In 2022 and early 2023, ACT to Employ added to its number of program registrants, community and campus-based employer partners, and successful student placements. ACT to Employ staff continue to provide holistic support to employer partners and to Carleton students with disabilities.
The ACT to Employ team continues to be flexible with a hybrid model, providing student support in person and virtually, depending on individual students’ needs. Students continue to receive support throughout the application process, the interview stage, and during placement. As employers continue to navigate post-pandemic changes, ACT to Employ continues to encourage the creation of inclusive opportunities that emphasize accessible practices and include flexible work arrangements.
This year, the ACT to Employ Student Counsellor introduced the ACT to Employ Resource Hub through Brightspace. A series of career development modules based on Career Services’ Career Competencies, the Hub provides resources and information about professionalism, communication, career documents, disclosure, accommodations, and more, to all ACT to Employ participants.
The ACT to Employ team took part in a number of events this year:
Presented at the Ontario Staffing Council’s Annual Symposium and at an Inter-University Disability Issues Association meeting.
“ACT to Employ is an absolute game changer for students with disabilities. Prior to meeting with their team, I fully believed that I was incapable of a path in academia, doubting my competence and skill set. ACT to employ showed such genuine support, care, and interest, immediately connecting me to a job that has been nothing short of transformational. It is their support from the very beginning that pushed me to break through my self-limits and set myself on a much brighter path for the future. Thanks to this team, I have gained unique opportunities, connected and worked with inspirational people, and gained invaluable skills and knowledge that I will continue to use throughout my career/life.
Attended the Cannexus 2022 Conference.
Facilitated employer presentations to various government departments and connected with other Canadian postsecondary institutions.
ACT to Employ Placements
During ACT to Employ’s fourth year as a standalone program, awareness of – and interest in – the program continued to increase. Through a combination of remote and campusbased subsidized placements and external positions, ACT to Employ successfully supported 310 student work placements from May 2022 to April 2023. This was an increase of more than 80 placements from the previous year.
Spring/Summer 2022
Positions Supported: 115
Most Placements: Paul Menton Centre, Office of Risk Management, Registrar’s Office, Service Canada
Fall 2022
Positions Supported: 104
Most Placements: Department of Recreation and Athletics, Office of Risk Management, Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Winter 2023
Positions Supported: 91
Most Placements: Paul Menton Centre, Student Experience Office, Department of Recreation and Athletics, Registrar’s Office, Office of Risk Management
International Internship Program
International internships provide students with the opportunity to work internationally for academic credit. Internships are an excellent way for students to gain realworld experience, develop industry contacts, and build their professional resumes to market themselves for future career opportunities, all while experiencing life in a new country and culture.
The International Internship Program is open to all undergraduate students, but is also an instrumental piece in satisfying the International Experience Requirement for students in the Bachelor of Global and International Studies (BGInS) program. While students from all academic backgrounds are recruited to participate in international internships, there is also a separate course dedicated to students in the BGInS program.
This past year, while continuing to navigate changes related to the pandemic, the International Internship team worked with established global partners to provide both in-person and virtual internships. This allowed students to gain international work experience while adhering to local public health restrictions.
The virtual internship option was first launched in summer 2020 and has continued to be a rewarding experiential learning opportunity for Carleton students who are interested in gaining degree-related international work experience and academic credit, but need or want to work remotely. Students shared that they appreciated the flexibility and accessibility the virtual program offers. This is a unique option for students to obtain experience and credit at a lower cost, reducing the financial barrier to participation. Because of this success, virtual internships are now offered throughout the academic year in addition to the traditional in-country programming in the summer.
In May 2022, the team prepared for the first in-person student travel since the start of the pandemic. The International Internship Program then successfully oversaw the safe travel of a cohort of BGInS students who went to nine countries. This involved adhering to new policies and procedures put in place by the university and Government of Canada. The team was able to adapt to these new standards and, working with global partners, effectively communicate them to students. Even when the policies were changing rapidly due to new developments in the pandemic landscape, the team made sure students were equipped to travel and received support throughout the travel period, to ensure student success during the internship experience.
Highlights from 2022-2023
Explored new recruitment and outreach options, including Instagram Reels, to provide information to students regarding internship opportunities and processes, and to answer questions.
Developed and facilitated the first Student Committee Focus Group to obtain critical feedback from program participants and reflect on future improvements.
Hosted information sessions and attended class talks to review the program with students.
Engaged internship and campus partners in new ways to connect in person and virtually, resulting in stronger collaborations, an increased sense of community, and a more holistic approach to internship programming.
Signed continuing agreements with trusted global partners, thus strengthening relationships and maintaining the commitment to providing quality programs and opportunities to Carleton students.
“I did my 8-week virtual internship placement in the summer of 2022 with Dongsung Bio Pharmaceutical. This company is based in Seoul, South Korea, their main research being the treatment of pancreatic cancer through the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT). To preface, I signed up for this internship to get more experience in the research field, but this opportunity ended up offering me so much more than just a reference on my resume. I’m going into my third year of Biology and Biotechnology and looking forward, I wanted my career to be on the research side of science. This internship gave me insight on what my career may look like and how research is done out in the field. Even though my internship was virtual, it did not limit my experience whatsoever. I completed many science research-based tasks such as looking into surgical procedures, methods of treatment, statistical analysis of experiments, and brainstormed new techniques that may increase the efficacy of treatments. Not only did I gain insight on a potential future career, but I was also offered to travel for work in the future, thus opening up more possibilities. This internship allowed me to explore my career in research and helped me understand what my interests are. I also learned a lot through scientific articles and speaking with my supervisor about the progress of their research over the years. I had the opportunity to gain new skills and improve on skills to apply them to both school and future work placements. My internship was a great experience for me, and through it, I forged meaningful connections with people in the company. I would highly recommend doing a virtual internship, you will not regret it.”
– Nadine Kamm-Ramirez, International Internship Program participant
Secured $500K in Student Funding from Global Skills and Opportunities Program
The Global Skills Opportunity program is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, and jointly administered by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada. This program is designed to encourage and enable low-income students, students with disabilities, and Indigenous students to participate in meaningful study and work abroad programming. For summer 2022, fall 2022, winter 2023, and summer 2023, a total of 93 in-person and virtual internship participants were provided with additional funding through the Global Skills Opportunity program.
Job Shadow Program
Job Shadow is a career exploration program that allows thirdand fourth-year Bachelor of Arts students in the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences and Public Affairs, and third- and fourth-year Bachelor of Science students, to meet with an employer (a Job Shadow Mentor) one-on-one or in small groups. The Job Shadow Program runs in the fall and winter terms for BA students and in the winter term for Science students.
This program gives students the opportunity to connect with a mentor and learn more about their own career field of interest, ask questions, and gain valuable advice on how they can enter the field. Many students and mentors maintain their professional relationships long after they have completed the program.
During 2022-2023, the Job Shadow Program functioned in person and virtually. Having the two options gave greater flexibility to both the mentor and the student. Compared to the last academic year, the BA area had a 182% increase in mentor-student matches. Science experienced a 53% increase in mentor-student matches.
Job Shadow Statistics
Job Shadow Bachelor of Arts (Fall)
48 Mentors registered
108 Students registered
83 Matches
Job Shadow Bachelor of Arts (Winter)
54 Mentors registered
125 Students registered
79 Matches
Job Shadow Bachelor of Science (Winter)
23 Mentors registered
116 Students registered
49 Matches
In-class Job Shadow
60 Students participating from 3rd year Transitions to Careers course
35 Students participating from 3rd year English course
25 Students participating from 3rd year Professional Writing Course
New Job Shadow Mentors
The following organizations participated in the Job Shadow Program as mentors for the first time in 2022-2023.
Abbott Point of Care
Aird & Berlis LLP
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Canadian Fuels Association
Canadian Heritage
Centrepointe Professional Services
Community Safety and Well Being Branch, Ottawa Police Service
Cornerstone Psychology Ottawa
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
Employment and Social Development Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada
FINTRAC Canada
“These types of experiences are certainly beneficial for students to experience…learning/knowing how to interact with a professional in a formal setting is an incredibly important, irreplaceable skill that cannot be replaced by a degree. Also, learning about a specific career from someone who is currently working in that career allows for students to make an informed decision on whether it is a suitable career path for them.”
– Avienda Glazer, 3rd year Criminology and Criminal Justice
Goulbourn Museum
Hicks Adams
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Indigenous Services Canada
Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada
Jumping Elephants
Kyndryl
LiveWorkPlay
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Montreal Road Animal Hospital
National Capital Commission
Newborn Screening Ontario, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Ottawa Anxiety and Trauma Clinic
Public Health Agency of Canada
Sex Assault Child Abuse Unit, Ottawa Police Service
Sicotte Guilbault LLP
The Ottawa Hospital
TripArc
Warner Brothers Discovery
Work Study Program
The Work Study Program is a financial aid program funded by Carleton University that provides part-time, on-campus employment opportunities for undergraduate students in financial need. The number of students able to participate in Work Study is limited to the number of positions the university can fund.
As the university was planning for a safe and gradual return to campus for the 2022-2023 academic year, Work Study positions were made flexible to provide hiring departments an opportunity to plan for their specific needs, while following Public Health guidelines and government regulations to ensure the health and safety of the community. As such, Work Study positions could continue to be virtual or could be in-person positions on campus.
A total of 483 Work Study jobs were posted and 184 students were hired in positions as part of the 2022-2023 program.
483
Work Study jobs posted
184
Students hired for 2022-2023 Work Study Program
