Media

Career Edge and AMCTO partner to launch the next generation of municipal leaders

TORONTO, June 8, 2015 - Career Edge and the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) have joined forces to connect municipalities across Ontario with new graduates (GRDs), graduates with disabilities (GWDs) and internationally qualified professionals (IQPs) who are striving to launch their career in municipal government.

A pilot program, AMCTO Edge, aims to help municipalities attract, recruit, and retain energetic and enthusiastic talent through Career Edge’s paid internship model, which offers GRDs, GWDs, and IQPs a distinct route to meaningful career-launching opportunities.

AMCTO Edge is intended to support municipalities’ succession planning strategies while ensuring diversity in the workforce, as Baby Boomers continue to leave the labour force en masse.  The program will offer talented GRDs, GWDs and IQPs the chance to gain practical experience in their field of study and areas of interest.

Through AMCTO Edge, experienced municipal managers will be provided with a way to transfer institutional knowledge to the next generation of professionals, through on-the-job-learning opportunities, to ensure the cost-effective continuance of Ontario’s government services and socio-economic infrastructure.

AMCTO is committed to helping Ontario’s municipalities plan for succession, while ensuring a diverse workforce, with entry and mid-level positions ­ through paid internships,” said Andy Koopmans, AMCTO’s Executive Director. “Paid internships are a critical component of our commitment to assisting the municipal sector in attracting and developing the next generation of municipal leaders.”

AMCTO Edge will offer paid internships in a wide range of municipal management and administrative roles including information technology (IT), administration, human resources, and engineering.

“Career Edge has maintained excellent relationships with employers in the municipal sector since 2002,” says Naguib Gouda, President of Career Edge. “Now we are proud to partner with AMCTO to provide municipalities across Ontario with access to qualified and energetic new graduates ­ including those with disabilities ­ and newcomers to Canada who strive for a fulfilling career in municipal government, through our unique and innovative paid internship programs” continued Gouda.

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About Career Edge
Established in 1996, Career Edge is a not-for-profit, self-sustaining social enterprise with a clear mandate to connect highly motivated, well-qualified candidates with employers of all types and sizes for career-launching opportunities, through paid internships.  More than half of all Career Edge interns are hired by their host employer at the end of their internship, and most of the rest launch their career elsewhere within six months.

About AMCTO
AMCTO represents excellence in local government management and leadership. AMCTO has provided education, accreditation, leadership, and implementation expertise for Ontario’s municipal professionals for over (75) years. With over 2,100 members working in municipalities across Ontario, AMCTO is Canada’s largest voluntary association of local government professionals, and the leading professional development organization for municipal administrative staff.

Media Contact:
Career Edge
Charmaine O’Connor
Manager, Marketing & Communications
coconnor@careeredge.ca  
Tel: (416) 977-3343 ext. 286
Fax: (416) 977-4090
For more information about Career Edge, please visit www.careeredge.ca 

Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario
Craig Wellington
Director, Programs & Services
cwellington@amcto.com
Tel: (905) 602-4294 ext. 224
Fax: (905) 602-4295
For more information about AMCTO, please visit www.amcto.com