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Start Your Term Event

GC Students and The Federal Youth Network (FYN) are pleased to invite you to the 2024 Summer Start Term event that brings together all Government of Canada (GC) students. This session, entitled "Start Your Term", will inform you about onboarding tools, your employment conditions and the multitude of resources to take advantage of your student contract, such as networking.

Event details

Date and time: June 5-6, 2024
Registration deadline: June 3, 11:45 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Virtual event on Zoom Events
Audience: Student workers within the federal public service
Link to register

Day 1
Schedule	Session
1:00 to 1:45 (ET)	Start Your Term with GC Students This session will inform you about your integration tools, your conditions of employment and the multitude of your resources to take advantage of your student contract, such as networking.
1:45 to 2:00 (ET)	Presentation from the Public Service Commission Learn about Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD) and Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO)
2:10 to 3:00 (ET)	Ask Us Anything Do you have questions or would you like to learn more about a subject related to your student job? Ask your toughest questions at our power panel: there's no holding back.

Useful Resources

📅 Past Events

Schedule	Session	Speakers
1:00 to 1:50 (ET)	Welcome to the Government of Canada (GC) This is an ideal session for new students to the Government of Canada (GC). You will find a host of resources there to ensure your onboarding into your new job.	Audrey-Anne Racine Alexa Iachelli
2:00 to 2:40 (ET)	Start Your Term with GC Students This session will aim to inform you about your integration tools, your conditions of employment and the multitude of your resources to take advantage of your student contract, such as networking. Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD) and Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO)	Priyanka Sharma Karl Alary
2:45 to 3:15 (ET)	Ask Us Anything Do you have questions or would you like to learn more about a subject related to your student job? Ask your toughest questions at our power panel: there's no holding back.	Monica Chevalier Ashwini Hemmady Amber Little Karl Alary
3:15 to 4:15 (ET)	Virtual Networking Evening Put into practice the tips and tricks you will learn during the day by participating in the virtual networking evening to meet GC students and leaders of youth networks and student networks!

Name	Biography
Winter Term 2023
Priyanka Sharma	GC Students Co-Chair and Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada Priyanka Sharma (Elle/She/Her) works as an Advisor for the Diversity Outreach, Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (DORRA) Team at Employment and Social Development Canada (EDSC) and mainly focuses her time on the Deputy Minister University Champion (DMUC) Initiative, student recruitment events and other projects regarding the recruitment, retention and advancement of students and employees. She is the National Student Ambassador at ESDC and acting co-chair of GC Students. Priyanka joined the Federal Public Service as a student in 2019 and bridged into a full time position in 2020. She began her career at National Defence (DND) where she had the opportunity to develop and support the Student Onboarding Program. In mid 2021 she moved over to ESDC and with her passion for recruitment and advancement of students, she has continued to work with student onboarding. On her spare time, she loves to bake desserts and pastries, watch movies and go on outdoor adventures (in the summer).
Audrey-Anne Racine	GC Students Co-Chair and Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada Audrey-Anne Racine (Elle/She/Her) works as a Human Resources Advisor for the Diversity Outreach, Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (DORRA) Team at Employment and Social Development Canada (EDSC) and her tasks are mainly focused on the needs of the students. She is the National Student Ambassador at ESDC and co-chair of GC Students under the Federal Youth Network (FYN). Audrey-Anne completed a bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources in 2020 and a master's degree in Project Management in 2023 from the Université du Québec en Outaouais. She got her first public service job as a student in 2019, then went through the student bridging process in May 2021. She strongly believes in collaboration and interdepartmental teamwork and her greatest motivation at work is to help future generations of Government of Canada (GC) workers and employees gain access to and demystify human resource concepts.
Karl Alary	Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel and Public Service Renewal at the Privy Council Office (PCO), GC Students Event Manager Karl Alary (il/he/him) works as an administrative assistant in the Office of the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, Senior Personnel and Public Service Renewal at the Privy Council Office (PCO) under the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) where he supports the administration of Governor in Council appointment processes. Karl completed a college studies diploma in the province of Quebec in 2020 and is now pursuing a Bachelor of commerce and law in the national capital region. Since 2018, his passion for public administration and governance has brought him to work in various departments including Parks Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in addition of being involved with community organizations. Fun fact about him: the Constitutional Acts, 1867 to 1982 are his favourite readings.
Fall Term 2022
Priyanka Sharma	GC Students Co-Chair and Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada Priyanka Sharma (Elle/She/Her) works as an Advisor for the Diversity Outreach, Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (DORRA) Team at Employment and Social Development Canada (EDSC) and mainly focuses her time on the Deputy Minister University Champion (DMUC) Initiative, student recruitment events and other projects regarding the recruitment, retention and advancement of students and employees. She is the National Student Ambassador at ESDC and acting co-chair of GC Students. Priyanka joined the Federal Public Service as a student in 2019 and bridged into a full time position in 2020. She began her career at National Defence (DND) where she had the opportunity to develop and support the Student Onboarding Program. In mid 2021 she moved over to ESDC and with her passion for recruitment and advancement of students, she has continued to work with student onboarding. On her spare time, she loves to bake desserts and pastries, watch movies and go on outdoor adventures (in the summer).
Jennifer MacDougall	Senior Manager of Events and Partnership, Federal Youth Network Jennifer is a CONNECTOR of people and ideas! She believes that through collaboration and networking anything is possible. She strives to encourage those who have big ideas to challenge the status quo and find their place in the GC. After over a decade in supporting interdepartmental learning across Canada, Jennifer joined the Free Agent Program to ensure she could use her talents to support those who need it, when they need it. Currently, she is the Senior Manager of Events and Partnerships at the Federal Youth Network where she works tirelessly to break down silos, seek efficiencies, and foster innovation so that new employees have access to the tools and resources they need to be successful in their current and future roles.
Kevin Moreno	Human Resources Advisor, Infrastructure Canada Kevin Moreno put in place the Student Hub at Infrastructure Canada (INFC) in 2019. His main focus is on student hiring, student experience and building bonds of trust with Canadian universities and colleges so that INFC is a department of choice for students applying. His main role is also to ensure student retention to help students develop professionally. He joined the federal public service as a term employee in the 2016 Census and moved to an indeterminate position in 2018. He began his career at Statistics Canada (StatCan) where he had the opportunity to gain a great deal of experience as a supervisor on the 2016 Census call center team. He then applied in a Human Resources Advisor process at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) where he started his HR career in 2018. In his spare time, he does CrossFit, drinks coffee and loves to go hiking with his dog.
Summer semester 2022
Véronic M. Gachignac	Human Resources Advisor, Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO), Public Service Commission Véronic Mageau-Gachignac is Kanien’kehà: ka from the Mohawk Community of Kanehsatà: ke, Oka (QC). She works at the Public Service Commission (PSC) at the Indigenous Centre of Expertise (ICoE) as a Human Resources Advisor and an alumna of the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO) which she now led. Previously, Véro worked at Natural Resources Canada as an advisor between Indigenous communities and the Federal government on the Transmountain pipeline and at Finance Canada while still a student. Véro holds a B.Com in Finances and International Management from the École de Gestion Telfer, as well as a joint honours in public administration and science policy from the University of Ottawa, where she was involved in the École de Gestion Telfer's student association as the Vice President of Project Development and Commandites, while also working with the Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs and Mashkawaziwogamig. Véro cofounded the Indigenous Federal Employee Network (IFEN) while still a student, in addition to being heavily involved with many indigenous networks and organizations. Véro has also developed intercultural training programs in partnership with university professors and federal government agencies. Giving back to communities is close to Véro's heart, which is why he has committed himself to supporting Indigenous.
Camila Das Gupta	Human Resources Advisor, Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD), Public Service Commission of Canada Camila Das Gupta is a Human Resources Advisor with the Public Service Commission. She currently works in the Diversity & Inclusion Centre of Expertise and is responsible for program implementation for the Employment Opportunities for Students with Disabilities. She has an educational background in Human Resource Management as well as International Development and Sustainability. Camila has a multi-faceted background as a first-generation Canadian born and raised in Halifax with two immigrant parents, one from India and one from Argentina. She believes that we can live in a discrimination-free world someday and does her best to reflect that in her everyday actions. Camila has found a fulfilling career path within the Federal Public Service and takes pride in introducing students to the options available to them during their student employment and after graduation.
Joshua Frame	National Chair, Federal Youth Network, and Associate Faculty, Canada School of Public Service Joshua started his public service career in Ottawa in the Canada Revenue Agency and has held roles in management, project management, budgeting and service renewal over the last 10 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from York University and has lived in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Honolulu over the past 15 years. In his spare time Joshua participates in triathlons and running and cycling events across Canada and the United States. He became the National Chair of the Federal Youth Network (FYN) in November 2016 and has been shaping the FYN to be a driver of innovation, regional engagement and career development, with regular webcasts on topics such as the Free Agent Program and the GC Talent Cloud, and in-person learning events such as Career Boot Camp 2018 and 2019. In March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joshua helped to launch the FYN Virtual Learning Series that provides 1-3 webcasts per week, and has hosted over 75 webcasts from March to November 2020 and was recognized with the Canada School of Public Service’s Award of Excellence in Innovation for this project.
Elisabeth Martin	Human Resources Advisor, Shared Services Canada Elisabeth (Liz) Martin joined the federal public service more than 10 years ago. Her pronouns are she/her/elle. Liz lives in British Columbia. She is an active member of various networks such as the Federal Black Employee Caucus (FBEC) and the Anti-Racism Ambassador Network (ARAN). Her mantra is “purpose over popularity”. Her three favorite words are “why?” and “why not?” Elisabeth believes in introspective work. She advocates for an increased regional visibility and mental wellness particularly for the BIPOC communities.
Gina Wilson	Deputy Minister, Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, Women and Gender Equality and Youth Gina Wilson rejoined Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) as Deputy Minister on September 1, 2021. She previously served as Deputy Minister of WAGE from 2017 to 2019, where she led the establishment of WAGE as a new department, ensured that GBA Plus was fully instituted in government, and served as the first Chair of the federal Indigenous Women’s Circle. Gina was in the role of Deputy Minister, Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, and Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Canadian Heritage, to which she was appointed on January 27, 2020, and where she oversaw the release of Canada’s first-ever State of Youth Report; engaged Canadians in a series of round tables and summits on anti-racism; lead the co-development of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Action Plan; and launched the development of a Canada-wide LGBTQ2 Action Plan. She is also currently the Deputy Minister Champion for Indigenous Federal Employees. In 2019, Gina was appointed as Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada, and Senior Advisor to the Privy Council. She joined the Federal Government in 1996 and held several senior executive positions at several departments, including the Privy Council Office, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada and the Correctional Service of Canada. Gina is Algonquin and began her career in her First Nation community of Kitigan-Zibi as Executive Director of Health and Social Services. She was also CEO of the Assembly of First Nations. Gina is the recipient of the 2020 Indspire Award for her leadership and her lifelong work on Indigenous issues and support for Indigenous employees. Gina holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa. She has three beautiful children – Dylan, Kayla and Royce – and treasures her granddaughter, Charlotte.
Christiane Fox	Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services Canada Christiane Fox was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services in September 2020. She is also the Deputy Minister Champion of the Federal Youth Network. Prior to her appointment, Christiane had been the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs since November 2019, and the Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth from June 2017 to November 2019. She also held several positions at the Privy Council Office, including Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Communications and Consultations, Director of Operations, Policy, in the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Relations Secretariat, and Director General of Communications. Christiane started her career as a Communications Advisor at Industry Canada, now Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, where she worked in Communications, and in Science Policy. She also spent a year with the Competition Policy Review Secretariat, as the Director of Communications and Consultations. Christiane has a BA in Mass Communications and Psychology from Carleton University, and is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s Masters Certificate Program in Public Administration.
Audrey-Anne Racine	Human Resources Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada and GC Students Co-Chair Audrey-Anne Racine (Elle/She/Her) works as a Human Resources Advisor for the Diversity Outreach, Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (DORRA) Team at Employment and Social Development Canada (EDSC) and her tasks are mainly focused on the needs of the students. She is the National Student Ambassador at ESDC and co-chair of GC Students. Audrey-Anne completed her bachelor's degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources in 2020 and is in the process of obtaining a master's degree in project management from the Université du Québec en Outaouais. She got her first public service job as a student in 2019, then went through the student bridging process in May 2021. Some fun facts about Audrey-Anne: we nickname this former swimmer A2, her cat is called Toupie and she always mixes between the word Tuesday and Thursday.
Tabassum Khan	Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisor, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada Tabassum is the Outreach and Events Director for the Muslim Federal Employees Network (MFEN) and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Tabassum lives in Ottawa in the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg people. Tabassum is a Canadian Muslim woman of South Asian heritage, she has experience leading and implementing various Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) grassroots initiative in her organization as the co-chair of the Multiculturalism Stream and a member of the Inclusion Network. In her work at MFEN she has moderated GC-wide events and publicly spoke on topics related to Muslim Canadians (i.e. allyship, impacts of Islamophobia, intersectionality, and more). Her layers include woman, mother, partner, daughter, sister, and immigrant. Through her Project Management journey, Joint Honours Degree in Criminology and Women’s Studies as well as lived-experience, she has always been vocal about social justice, actively partakes in organizing committees and is involved in various extracurricular initiatives (i.e. President - UNICEF uOttawa). Her passion and dedication to bringing sustainable positive changes has reinforced her commitment to create an inclusive, welcoming and safe environment for all public servants.
Jennifer Thorne	Public Service Renewal at Privy Council Office Jennifer has worked for the Public Service of Canada for over 20 years where she has developed expertise in policy, program management, communications, engagement, governance and client service. An executive for over 10 years, she has held positions in multiple departments. She has been working at the Privy Council Office since 2015, and has been a full-time virtual employee with the Public Service Renewal Secretariat since 2018, living and working in Mont-Tremblant.
Alexandra Scott	Human Resources Advisor, Public Service Commission Alexandra holds a degree in Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa. She has been working in the federal public service for 6 years and is currently employed as a Human Resources Advisor in a development program at the Public Service Commission of Canada. Alexandra works in recruitment and will be able to provide you with tips and tricks to apply for jobs on the GCJobs platform!
Samantha Prosper	Student for National Indigenous Student Circle (NISC) at the Public Service Commission (PSC) My name is Sam Prosper. I am a student working at the Public Service Commission, with the Indigenous Centre of Expertise. I have been in this position for almost a year and a half and am a co-lead of a student network called the National Indigenous Student Circle. I have an undergrad in social sciences with focuses in psychology and communications. And I am currently in a Master of Arts in counselling psychology and will be starting my practicum this fall. I have had both ends of the spectrum in terms of work experience within the government so I am excited to answer any questions that you have.
Rubina Boucher	Service Client Benefit Officer, Service Canada Rubina’s story begins in 1906, when her ancestors journeyed to Canada in hopes of a promising future for their family and friends. Over 100 years later, she as a racialized woman is still working towards their dream. A vision, which embodies a space where everyone BELONGS. Rubina believes we all have a role to play in making our communities thrive; therefore, she is active in both her community and workplace. She is an adjudicator with Service Canada, chair of Canada Employment & Immigration Union (CEIU) Ontario’s Racialized Action Committee, Learning Disabilities Assocoation of Windsor-Essex County (LDAWE) board member and founder/co-developer of the Racialized Women Belonging (RWB) on Gcconnex. Rubina has a Bachelor of Arts, Masters of Arts in Community Studies, Certificate in Disability Management and is completing her Social Work degree.
Summer semester 2021
Davy Sabourin	Senior Program Analyst, Public Outreach and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement; Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Branch; and Co-Chair, LGBTQ2+ Committee, Department of Canadian Heritage Davy Sabourin (pronouns: he/him/his), of Jamaican and French-Canadian heritage, is an award-winning federal public servant and human rights advocate. Born in Montreal, he spent more than 10 years in Canada's capital region (Ottawa-Gatineau) before returning to Montreal in March 2021. Before joining the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat with Canadian Heritage in August 2020, he worked in privacy law compliance at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for almost five years. Starting as an Intake Officer for two years (FSWEP student), he made his way up to assuming the role of Senior Investigator, during which he led complex investigations under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, including in the areas of facial recognition and artificial intelligence. Most notably, he led and was part of the joint team that investigated Cadillac Fairview’s use of facial recognition technology in digital information kiosks. During his last year at the OPC, Davy acted as Strategic Advisor and Business Intelligence Officer to the Deputy Commissioner of Compliance, in addition to his investigative duties. He was also responsible for the establishment of the OPC’s Young Professionals Network. Prior to joining the Public Service, Davy worked in Ottawa as a Mental Health and Addictions Counselor. In his pastime, Davy is a human rights advocate who, through his community involvement fulfills his passion for being an educator, connector and bridge-builder between individuals, groups and communities, particularly on 2SLGBTQ+ issues, anti-racism, and mental health. Until very recently, he was the Chairperson of Capital Pride, one of Canada's largest Pride organizations serving Ottawa-Gatineau. He remains actively involved in his communities in Ottawa-Gatineau and Montreal. Davy has received the United Way's Community Builder Award in February of 2021, and the inaugural Wellness and Inclusivity Award of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada in 2019. As a former Army Cadet, Davy has received the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence for displaying excellence in citizenship outside of the Cadet program, and the prestigious Lord Strathcona Medal. Davy holds a college degree in Police Foundations, a college post-diploma in Mental Health and Addictions, as well as a Bachelor of Social Sciences, in the fields of Conflict Studies and Human Rights, and Social Work. He is currently undertaking a Master in Public Administration at the École nationale d'administration publique.
Patrick Borbey	President of the Public Service Commission Patrick Borbey was appointed President of the Public Service Commission in May 2017. Prior to that, he was Associate Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage since July 2014, where he oversaw the departmental mandate for Sport Canada, and worked closely with the National Capital Commission and the six National Museums. Patrick has held a number of positions of significant responsibility, including as President of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor); Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials; Chair of the Arctic Council; Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Treaties and Aboriginal Government; Assistant Deputy Minister of Northern Affairs; Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services at both the Privy Council Office and Health Canada; and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch at Health Canada. Patrick was also Director General of Communications at Transport Canada, of International Cultural Relations at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, of Strategy and Plans at Parks Canada and of Finance at both the former Department of Communications and the Department of Canadian Heritage. He has also held senior positions at the Department of Labour and at Industry Canada. Originally from Elliot Lake in Northern Ontario, Patrick holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (concentration in Political Science) and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. He has also been a long-time minor hockey coach.
Gina Wilson	Deputy Minister, Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, and Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage Gina Wilson is Algonquin and began her career in her First Nation community of Kitigan-Zibi as Executive Director of Health and Social Services and as Director of the WanakiTreatment Centre. Ms. Wilson was a Senior Manager with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) when she joined the Federal Government in 1996 and for five years served as Director General, Aboriginal Affairs at Correctional Service Canada. Ms. Wilson was appointed in 2006 as Assistant Deputy Minister with Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada, then Assistant Deputy Minister of Emergency Management and Regional Operations at Public Safety Canada in 2011-2013. In 2014, she became Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Treaties and Aboriginal Government at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Ms. Wilson was then appointed as Associate Deputy Minister at Employment and Social Development Canada in March. From 2015 to 2017, she was Associate Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada where she led files such as cannabis legislation, firearms and criminal justice reform. Ms. Wilson was appointed as Deputy Minister for Women and Gender Equality on May 23, 2017, where she led the creation of the new department and worked toward ensuring that GBA+ became fully instituted in government. In 2019, Gina was appointed as Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada and returned to the Department for the third time. In January 2020, Gina assumes a leadership role on government-wide initiatives related to youth, LGBTQ2, anti-racism, multiculturalism and indigenous knowledge. She supports Canadian Heritage as a Senior Associate Deputy Minister while also focusing on her role as Deputy Minister, Diversity and Inclusion and Youth. Gina Wilson has for several years played an important leadership role as Deputy Minister Champion of Federal Indigenous employees. She spearheaded a frequently cited report entitled Many Voices, One Mind and established a Knowledge Circle on Indigenous Inclusion. Both initiatives aimed at ensuring lasting change and progress for Indigenous representation in the federal public service. Gina is the recipient of the 2020 Indspire Award for life-long leadership and life-long work on Indigenous issues and supporting Indigenous employees. Gina has three beautiful children, Dylan, Kayla and Royce and treasures her granddaughter Charlotte.
Maddie Budding	Strategic Coordinator, Young Professionals Network (YPN), Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Canadian Coast Guard Maddie Budding is so excited to be speaking at today’s summit! She is a fourth-year International Development student at the University of Ottawa, and got her job with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the co-op stream. Currently managing part-time work as Strategic Coordinator for DFO’s Your Professional Network (YPN) and full-time studies, Maddie spends whatever free time she has either planning virtual hangouts with friends and family or obsessively reading her horoscope. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or just want to chat!

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