A one-year anniversary celebration for the Community Concierge program took place at Trent University on Friday March 24, with nearly 200 guests in attendance.
The Community Concierge program is an innovative, cross-municipality program that connects Trent graduates with career opportunities throughout the City of Kawartha Lakes and the City and County of Peterborough. The program is supported by $822,392 in funding through the Skills Development Fund which is an Employment Ontario program funded in part by the provincial and federal governments.
The program was created with the dual purpose of helping recent Trent graduates enter the job market, while supporting local and rural employers to fill skilled worker vacancies.
In Kawartha Lakes, 36 organizations signed multi-year cooperation agreements as part of the program, yielding 1,500 Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) placements for upper-year students to help transition them to local, full-time employment upon graduation.
"It is terrific to see local businesses making new connections, or formalizing existing relationships, with Trent University. Kawartha Lakes is going to benefit from students joining into our communities while they learn," said Rebecca Mustard, Manager of Economic Development.
"The benefits of this program will be evident for years to come. It is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when educators, the private sector and all levels of government work together. We are looking forward to Trent students, and graduates, living and working in Kawartha Lakes," added Mayor Doug Elmslie.
From left to right Kelly Maloney (Kawartha Lakes Economic Development Officer), Lisa Handley (Kawartha Dairy), Laurie Scott, MPP (Haliburton Kawartha Lakes Brock) , Dr. Leo Groarke (President and Vice Chancellor Trent University), Mayor Doug Elmslie (Kawartha Lakes), Rebecca Mustard (Kawartha Lakes Manager of Economic Development
