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Career Internship Program

CIP

Overview

The Career Internship Program at Windsor Park Collegiate (WPC) is an innovative partnership program designed to build transferable skills in youth, and to better prepare them for an economy that demands a variety of skills and the ability to move between different jobs. CIP’s 3 R’s for the high school experience– to engage relevant curriculum, participate in real experiences, and be responsive to the needs of the world beyond high school – prepares students for successful high school transitions.

Objectives

  • To integrate general and university entrance high school academic courses with dynamic business partner-student experiences to shape high school into the most relevant four-year experience possible
  • To expand and re-invigorate the original CIP model initiated in 1995 to meet the needs of a new target market high school group at Windsor Park Collegiate
  • To offer innovative career curricula to all students at WPC, but, in particular, to average learners, whose grade averages hover between 50-75 %, and for whom specializing program rarely exists
  • To build the academic and employability skills of a high school population that includes a significant Aboriginal presence, and which mirrors Winnipeg’s future workforce demographic
  • To respond to the needs of Canada’s labour force needs in a diversity of industries and fields

Key Partnership Activities

  1. Me Files Personal Portfolio. Unique student portfolios – special passions, activities, and philosophies – that express their journeys in self-awareness.
  2. Transferable Skills Workshops. Workshops about resumes/cover letters, interview strategies, entrepreneurship, technical communication, and others.
  3. Mentor Talks. One-on-one talks between partners and students.
  4. Industry Presentations. Small group hands-on simulations with grade 9-12 students involving skills and knowledge in specific industries.
  5. Volunteer Experiences. Community experiences with not-for-profit partners.
  6. Three-Eight week Internships. 3-8 week internship experiences in May and June.
  7. Two-Day Job Shadow Experiences. Two-day job shadow experiences with organizations, companies, or professional associations in Winnipeg.
  8. Writing of Business Plans. Business plan-writing about a product, service, event, or concept that addresses a need, want, challenge, or frustration in the world.
  9. Manitoba Theatre Centre Productions. Includes the viewing of M.T.C. productions at the main stage on Market Avenue.
  10. ME-Treat Workshops. CIP students help to organize and implement six day-long retreats for all grade 9-11 students at the Monterey Centre.
  11. Toastmasters Training. CIP students complete Toastmasters training to build presentation and oral skills.
  12. Junior Achievement. All students are encouraged to join the J.A. team to build leadership, accounting, marketing, and creativity skills.

Originality and Innovation

  • Input from Grassroots Stakeholders. CIP teachers, parents, companies, not-for-profit organizations, professional associations and the Provincial Dept. of Education, Citizenship, and Youth input in many aspects of the program, including active participation in a CIP Advisory Committee.
  • Volume and Diversity of Partners. CIP’s partner base exceeds 200 each year, with representatives from virtually every industry and field.
  • School-Wide Employability Focus. An emphasis on preparing students for life after high school.
  • Creative Partnerships. CIP’s diverse and creative activities build brainstorming and problem-solving skills, along with a range of experiences beyond the traditional curriculum.

Potential for Model

  • Awarded the 2007 Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) Promising Practice Distinction
  • Manitoba Dept. of Education, Citizenship, and Youth has approved five CIP courses for use by any high school in Manitoba, and is currently meeting with the CIP team to consider a province-wide application of the CIP model.
  • CIP is featured on 2007 C.M.E Advanced Manufacturing Website as one of Manitoba’s successful partnership programs and is featured in a 2006 C.M.E. publication as “one of the programs to watch” in partnership programming.
  • CIP activities have been featured in numerous trade publications, the Winnipeg Free Press, The Winnipeg Sun, and community newsletters.
  • CIP Process Models created by the CIP team – Creation/Innovation Entrepreneurship Pyramid© and The Diamond-Writer© for Technical Writing – are featured in senior provincial Math, English, and Business Courses.
  • CIP’s ME Files Personal Portfolio© Process is featured in Education, Citizenship, and Youth course, Language and Technical Communication 40S.
  • Over 900 CIP graduates continue to return to their high schools to share their stories.
  • CIP’s employability skills website – www.careerintern.ca – is used in English and Math courses at the grade 12 level.

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