Career Starts Intern Helps Recruit Foster Families in Bridgewater

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION--Career Starts Intern Helps Recruit Foster Families in Bridgewater

When Melissa Zwicker graduated from university, she had all kinds of ideas about how to use her bachelor of business administration degree. The provincial government's Career Starts internship program was one of her first options to gain experience in her chosen field.

"I realized that this position would give me the experience that I needed to get for my career in marketing," said Ms. Zwicker. "And the more diversified experience I can get, the better suited I am for future job positions."

Through Career Starts, the Acadia graduate is designing a marketing strategy to recruit new foster families in Western Nova Scotia for the Department of Community Services. Her position as marketing strategist is in the department's foster care unit in Bridgewater.

Career Starts gives 16 post-secondary graduates an opportunity to work in the civil service. Internships run for 49 weeks and begin each spring or summer. The interns work in departments, agencies, boards and commissions across Nova Scotia.

Each intern is assigned a mentor, who acts as a guide during the internship. The intern also receives a comprehensive training schedule focusing on employability skills and career development.

"The Career Starts program helps us to recruit and attract young people to the public service," said Ernest Fage, Minister of the Public Service Commission. "The program also helps recent graduates make the transition from academia to the work world."

Internships are available in policy development, financial/business planning, communications, human resources, computing and systems, technology, health and social sciences, and natural sciences and agriculture.

Career Starts began in 1998 with eight job placements. More information about the program is available of the Public Service Commission's Web site, at www.gov.ns.ca/psc .