Offering young graduates critical on-the-job experience while providing small and medium-sized enterprises with skilled personnel is the goal of the Government of Canada internship initiative in Northern Ontario. Since its inception more than three decades ago, FedNor’s youth internship initiative has helped create more than 1820 jobs for youth in Northern Ontario.
Today, the Honourable Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing–Timiskaming, revealed the details of a federal investment of $40,000 under the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) through FedNor to provide employment for a youth intern at the Temiskaming Art Gallery. The FedNor contribution will enable the Temiskaming Art Gallery to hire a Business Development Intern who will focus on increasing the gallery’s outreach to the Francophone and Indigenous communities using new digital platforms in both official languages.
Rota says, “This announcement will help provide a learning experience for a young Canadian, but it will also help the Temiskaming Art Gallery, an important community organization, expand its business and develop new, modern means of entering the marketplace. FedNor’s investments in youth internships will support strong Canadian economies today and tomorrow.”
In addition, the intern will enhance the gallery’s marketing efforts to increase its bilingual capacity. Specifically, the intern will create a new online gift shop to increase sales through Francophone, Indigenous, and newcomer artists and artisans selling their work through the gift shop (online and in person).
Executive Director/Curator of Temiskaming Art Gallery, Melissa La Porte says, “We at Temiskaming Art Gallery are proud to be where people can learn about and engage with culture through art, and a youth intern made possible by FedNor’s investment is going to help us expand our reach in the community and support art that brings vibrancy to our lives.”
Additional anticipated outcomes include enhanced promotion of the facility and services, enhanced automated client services, opportunities for additional events to be hosted by the Temiskaming Art Gallery, and the creation and maintenance of alliances and partnerships throughout the community.
Rota adds, “Investing in youth means investing in the future, and the Government of Canada is helping to create internship opportunities like helping young Canadians develop a wide range of skills and grow into future community leaders.”
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see examples of work found at the gallery below:
