Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity/Testimonials
Overview | Information for Students | Testimonials |
Thomas Nowlin, Metis, Alberta
Holly Laforme, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, Ontario
Amber Letendre, Metis, Alberta
When I was in my fourth year of studies in health sciences, I took a one-year Federal Student Work Experience job with Indigenous Services Canada. My team brought me in to work on every file they touched, so I could get as much experience as possible. The variety of work and ability to help advance Indigenous rights and issues convinced me to pursue a career in the federal public service.
My advice to students? Dive into the work, don’t wait to be asked. Put in the effort to get noticed: do quality work and network with everyone you meet to the best of your ability. My advice for managers: create a specific student onboarding guide and include links to Indigenous programming and networks. Being a new student in the federal public service is overwhelming. I compiled an onboarding guide for the students coming after me. It contained links to all the possible resources a student could use, like GCconnex, student wiki pages and healing lodges, as well a list of popular acronyms and our department’s scope and mission. |
Camille Forbes, Metis, Manitoba
I’ve worked as a student in the Federal Student Work Experience Program since June 2019. I’ve had six different jobs in various departments like Indigenous Services Canada, Environment and Climate Change and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. The jobs I’ve liked best are those where I’m part of a passionate group that is making positive steps forward in working with Indigenous people. I like being part of the change that is happening right now.
I’ve also applied what I learn in my jobs to my university studies in environmental sciences. I did a project on how to improve the drinking water in a First Nation community using the research and knowledge from my student jobs. |