News Release

CITY OF THUNDER BAY RECEIVES 2009 PASSPORT TO PROSPERITY EMPLOYER CHAMPION AWARD

Municipality recognized for outstanding development of school-work programs

TORONTO (April 28, 2009) – The City of Thunder Bay today received the 2009 Passport to Prosperity Employer Champion Award in recognition of its outstanding commitment to providing meaningful work experiences for local high school students.

"By providing valuable workplace experiences to high school students, these employers are helping young Ontarians make some of the most important decisions in life, including setting career goals and choosing what type of postsecondary education and training to pursue," said Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne.  "School-work partnerships are critical to boosting student achievement and helping more kids graduate."

In addition to offering mentoring and job shadowing opportunities, City of Thunder Bay also provides co-op placements so students can explore various fields and gain practical, hands on work experience in a variety of municipal government departments including Financial Services, Transportation and Works, and Corporate Services. In addition to supporting the students, the program also extends the City’s resources and allows the various departments to undertake new special projects with the added student staff.

“At the City of Thunder Bay, we are committed to promoting a clean, green, beautiful and healthy community that provides economic opportunity and respects diversity. The students who participate in our school-work programs help us deliver on this commitment by becoming an integral part of our workforce,” said Lisa Beckwick, staffing and development specialist, City of Thunder Bay. “We are extremely proud of the students who have chosen to lend us their enthusiasm, time and dedication.”

Now celebrating its tenth year, the Passport to Prosperity initiative continues to encourage Ontario employers to provide experiential learning opportunities for high school students. The City of Thunder Bay is among five Ontario employers who were honoured at the 2009 Passport to Prosperity Employer Forum and Champion Awards Ceremony held at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

“The City of Thunder Bay is an example of a forward-thinking leader that recognizes the value of experiential learning as an effective way to recruit, train and retain young workers,” said Tom Flanagan, co-chair of the Provincial Partnership Council.

“We applaud the dedication of the staff at the City of Thunder Bay in helping local students develop real-life work and leadership skills through dynamic assignments that best suit their educational backgrounds and learning styles,” added Jon Hamovitch, fellow co-chair of the Provincial Partnership Council.

Today, there are 26,000 employers in Ontario participating in experiential learning programs, but more are needed. Without the commitment and dedication of employers, including the Employer Champion Award winners, high school students would have limited opportunities to explore their career options and gain valuable training as they prepare for the working world.

About Passport to Prosperity
Now celebrating its tenth year, Passport to Prosperity is a province-wide initiative led by the Provincial Partnership Council (PPC) that encourages and supports Ontario employers in providing high school students with experiential learning opportunities. The PPC works closely with the Ontario Ministry of Education; the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities; and the Ontario Business Education Partnership, representing business-education councils and local training boards across the province.

For learn more about Passport to Prosperity, please visit www. Employer Registry.ca
For more information about the City of Thunder bay, please visit www.thunderbay.ca

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For more information please contact:
Martine Mangion
Hill & Knowlton
martine.mangion@hillandknowlton.ca
Phone: 416-413-4743