By: Dylan Kelly, Youth Intern
At RCT, we believe in realizing the potential of our youth, giving them the opportunity to develop and expand their skills through our Technical Work Experience Internship program, an initiative of the Computers for Schools Plus program. We provide paid work experience to 55 interns per year for youth aged 16-30.
We not only understand the value that young people bring to our company but also the immeasurable value of real work experience starting from a young age.
For a better understanding of the type of experience youth interns gain at RCT, we asked Dylan Kelly a few questions about his time as an intern with us.
I studied in Ottawa at Carleton University where I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. During that time, I gained diverse work experience through my co-op placements with Public Services and Procurement Canada as well as the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. More recently I have worked as a Warehouse Supervisor at Blade Air. I decided to seek employment with RCT to gain experience within the non-profit sector, in particular to have a direct positive impact within various communities.
In my role at RCT, I have been working directly with one of the Community Engagement Leads. I have received quality guidance on the position, while also giving me the tools required to conduct various elements of the job independently. Working with the Lead also gives me the opportunity to participate in meeting clients who are excited at the prospect of what our programs can do for them and the clients they serve.
I have been given the opportunity to attend a wide range of meetings that cover the production, sales and administration side, giving me a proper scope of the organization’s functionality. This has given me great insight into the goals for the organization as well as the means by which the various teams work together to meet those objectives. I have also been included in additional projects such as eNewsletters and the St. Lawrence ReMarket event exposing me to the community, allowing me to directly see the impact RCT has.
The Youth Internship program has provided the opportunity to further enhance my software skills by using software such as Microsoft Excel. Additionally, it has allowed me the chance to manage a large quantity of correspondence with a variety of partners, which has only improved my knowledge and experience of business vernacular and professionalism when dealing with such clients.