An Island man has begun a career providing high–tech services to the marine industry, thanks to a job placement through the Graduate Mentorship Program.
Chris Hughes completed a diploma in Information Systems in 2011 and began work at MarineNav in 2013 on a 12-month mentorship. He has remained with the company working on electronics, customer service, and design. Recently he is learning how to build Remote Operated vehicles for MarineNav’s underwater search, inspection and recovery work.
“The Graduate Mentorship Program was established to support Island youth in acquiring skills and work experience in jobs on Prince Edward Island,” said Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Richard Brown.
“MarineNav offered Chris Hughes the chance to gain hands-on experience in the world of marine technology. Now MarineNave has gained a promising new employee and Prince Edward Island has seen a truly unique company expand its operation. This kind of outcome benefits the employee, the company and the Island economy as a whole.”
Since it was introduced in 2012, the Graduate Mentorship Program has provided opportunities for 280 graduates in sectors such as information technology, business administration, sales, marketing and the construction trades. The program helps employers by paying a portion of the new hires’ salaries for up to 12 months.
Vera Myshrall, financial controller of MarineNav, said the Graduate Mentorship Program allowed their company leeway to start with the basics and bring their new hire up to speed in a demanding field.
“The Graduate Mentorship Program allowed us to take a person with some knowledge in the field and expand upon it,” she said. “It gave the employee the opportunity to achieve their career goals by receiving the guidance they need to grow as professionals and individuals. The Graduate Mentorship Program supported this employee to become part of the full time team at MarineNav while remaining in the area where he wants to live. “
Chris Hughes said he was pleased to have the chance to take the skills he learned at college and apply them in the workplace.
“Before the GMP program, I applied for so many computer and networking jobs and wasn’t successful even with my education and previous experience. The GMP program provided me with full-time work and extended my knowledge into other fields,” he said.
Employers and job seekers interested in the Graduate Mentorship Program can find information on it and other employment-related programs at skillspei.com
The Graduate Mentorship Program is supported in whole or part by the Government of Canada through the Labour Market Development Agreement and the Canada Jobs Fund.