Jul 26, 2010
Langara College welcomes $100,000 in additional funding from Industry Canada's Small Business Internship Program (SBIP). The College will be the sole delivery agent for SBIP's Career Focus Stream of the Youth Employment Strategy in BC. The funding is in addition to the $150,000 received earlier this year from SBIP to develop post-secondary student internships and will be used to develop e-business internship opportunities for recent graduates.
"We're very excited about expanding the program to include recent grads, especially after the success of the original SBIP for students returning to school," said Kevin Rolston, Instructor, Co-operative Education Department. "There is such a great pool of talent at the post-secondary level. Programs like SBIP really allow us to showcase the depth of graduate talent and skills available to employers."
Langara's involvement streamlines the process by making it easier for businesses to identify and access funding they need to move ahead with cutting-edge e-commerce projects. The College can help employers find talent at Langara or at any of the other post-secondary institutions in the province. Through the program, recent graduates get the opportunity to build career-related work experience, while employers receive access to a skilled job-ready workforce.
Through SBIP, eligible businesses can receive financial support to hire a recent post-secondary graduate intern to work on e-business projects. The program will reimburse 50% of the eligible wages and related expenses, such as statutory employee benefits, up to a total of 420 hours of full-time work. The goal is to improve the intake of small and medium-sized businesses in the e-business arena by providing support to actively market on-line, and improve competitiveness by upgrading e-business practices.
SBIP is administered through the Langara College Co-operative Education Department. All recent post-secondary graduates who are legally entitled to work in Canada, not in receipt of employment insurance benefits, and between 15-30 years of age inclusive, are eligible.
Langara College, located in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada, provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies programs and courses to more than 20,000 students annually. The College's expansive academic breadth and depth allows students to choose their own educational path. The College offers three bachelor's degrees as well as a comprehensive variety of associate degrees, diplomas, certificates, and citations.
Media contact:
Ian Humphreys, Ph.D.
Director, Communications & Marketing Services
Langara College
604-323-5671
news@langara.bc.ca