Grads in Canada / RBC Launches New Internship For Recent College and University Graduates

With almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of recent post-secondary graduates surveyed saying a lack of experience is a barrier to securing their first job, RBC today announced the RBC Career Launch Program™, a multi-year investment in providing recent college and university graduates with career experience to help strengthen their future employability.

A one-year internship for recent college and university graduates aged 24 and under, the RBC Career Launch Program combines formal learning, mentorship and professional networking opportunities with practical hands-on business and community experience that will equip participants with the necessary ingredients to help them build their resume and launch their career.

“Starting your career with a degree or diploma in hand, but without experience, is like trying to unlock a door with a key that doesn\’t fit,\” says Zabeen Hirji, Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC. “This program is designed to equip youth with the critical workplace skills and practical hands-on experience employers are looking for. In addition, it fosters the growth and guidance they need through learning, mentorship and networking that prepares them for this new stage of life.”

The new national survey of recent college and university graduates, commissioned by RBC and conducted by Ipsos Reid, revealed that among those who graduated within the last year, four-in-ten (40 per cent) are still looking for a job. In addition, almost half (44 per cent) of youth who graduated in the past five years who have found jobs, do not consider the jobs to be a career. This reinforces the importance of providing recent graduates with opportunities to gain the skills and experience needed to bridge the gap between school and career-life. The survey also found that nearly half (48 per cent) of recent Canadian graduates say applicable job experience helped them start their career.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via Breaking the ‘No Experience – No Job Cycle’: RBC Launches New Internship For Recent College and University Graduates – Press Release – Digital Journal.