July 31, 2015 – Charlottetown, PE – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
There are rewarding career and life opportunities here on Prince Edward Island, and that is exactly what
RDÉE Prince Edward Island has been promoting for more than a decade. In 2004, the francophone group implemented and delivered PERCÉ. This program’s objective is to repatriate Island Francophones and bilingual students pursuing their post-secondary education outside of PEI.
The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), today announced Government of Canada support for RDÉE’s 2015 summer employment program.
PERCÉ matches bilingual students with businesses and organizations for a 12-week summer work internship. The program’s goal is to help repatriate students and give them the opportunity to explore the job market on PEI, find permanent employment relative to their education, and re-establish roots in the province. PERCÉ has a successful track record of giving students valuable work experience opportunities to develop future contacts that could result in landing permanent jobs in PEI. The 2015 project has placed twenty-five Island university/college students across the province.
Quick Facts:
- The Government of Canada, through ACOA’s Business Development Program, is supporting this project with a contribution of $62,500.
- RDÉE Prince Edward Island inc. is a not-for-profit organization mandated to promote community development in the six Acadian and Francophone communities across the Island. RDÉE is an acronym for the Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité (Economic Development and Employability).
- The program kicked off in June with training and orientation. Participants took part in self-discovery exercises, learned new interview skills, and worked on preparing/updating resumes and cover letters, and met key role models in various fields. Placements are well underway with the programming wrapping up in September.
- In a survey of participants from 2004 to 2011, results show that PERCÉ has a retention rate is 82% of past participants that are currently working in or wanting to return to PEI.
Quotes:
“Our Government understands that youth can encounter difficulties entering the workforce after post-secondary studies, and we recognize that real-life work experiences can have a positive impact on employability. I am pleased to announce our Government’s support for RDÉE Prince Edward Island as it continues its valuable work, encouraging youth to choose to live and develop their careers on PEI and throughout Atlantic Canada.”
- The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
“PERCÉ IPÉ is first and foremost a program to raise the awareness to the provinces’ post-secondary students about the rich economic and cultural potential of their region and show them that it is possible to live and work right here in Prince Edward Island.”
- Ms. Bonnie Gallant, Executive Director, RDÉE Prince Edward Island Inc.
Associated Links:
Contacts:
Kelsie Corey
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of State
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-941-7241
Jana Parker
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-314-0874
Bonnie Gallant
Executive Director
RDÉE Prince Edward Island Inc.
902-854-3439, ext. 232
bonnie@rdeeipe.org
