The positive impact individuals have in shaping Canada’s bio-economy is evident. BioTalent Canada is sharing their stories to help others realize the benefits of adopting IDEA into their workplace.
Since Resilience acquired its facility in Mississauga last year, the company has been busy expanding production and attracting new customers, including the Government of Canada. But the expansion has highlighted the need for more right-skilled talent to complete the work, an issue affecting all of Canada’s bio-pharmaceutical industry.
University of Toronto student Melissa Renn took part in the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) when she was looking for an internship to complete her Master’s in Engineering. She had her eyes set on the medical device industry and Picomole piqued her interest. Since joining Picomole, Melissa has been instrumental in the implementation of a quality management system that enabled the company to seek ISO 13485 certification and to implement effective design controls, greatly improving the quality of its product design.
When COVID-19 struck, Ensero Solutions was in the middle of a massive remediation project at the former Mount Nansen gold and silver mine in the Yukon. With budgets constrained and the company needing more capacity in the field, Chief People Officer Mitch Strom leapt at the chance to bring on two skilled young workers through the BioTalent Canada Science and Technology Internship Program – Green Jobs.
Of all the places Kristofer Fequet thought he might find a job after graduating from university, back home in Quebec’s remote Lower North Shore wasn’t one of them. But the push to build a local bio-economy combined with a Career Starter wage subsidy paved the way for him to put his degree to work right where he grew up — and to contribute to the revitalization of his home town.
When hands-on summer programming got shut down by COVID-19 restrictions, Water Rangers’ new hire Juno Garrah took the outdoors online and helped the organization reach a wider audience than ever before. It was the first of many impacts she’s had since joining the non-profit with the help of BioTalent Canada’s Science Horizons Youth Internship Program.
Sometimes the benefits of a wage subsidy go far beyond what anyone imagined. Just ask Jasmine Sollen. Hired straight after graduating from the University of Guelph thanks to a BioTalent Canada Career Starter subsidy, she’s led the development of a potentially lifesaving technology: a COVID-19 antigen test that’s fuelled the growth of a Canadian bio-economy startup.
Montreal start-up LyonLeaf Cannabis Inc. (LyonLeaf) has grown a lot since originally applying to Health Canada for a standard cannabis cultivation and processing license in 2017, but COVID-19 threw some shade over the potential growth. LyonLeaf’s management team began to worry about the company’s ability to ramp-up operations. McGill University’s Career Centre advised them to reach out to BioTalent Canada and apply to its Career Starter program, through which LyonLeaf was able to welcome a quality hire: Cedric Hirou.
Enter Outbreaker Solutions’ SWPP participant and University of Alberta student Paramita Chaudhuri Basu. She was brought on to help with business development. She did that and then some. Paramita played an active role in planning and executing marketing initiatives that have built awareness of Outbreaker Solutions.
The overarching goal at Atlantic Cancer Research Institute (ACRI) is to better understand and detect cancer. The institute works hard to develop the analytical tools needed by others to pursue collective goals on a global scale. A major component to the success of ACRI, and the cancer research industry as a whole, is its ability to identify, recruit and develop highly skilled research professionals to ensure the continuation of this important work. As a non-profit organization, ACRI relies on programs like SWPP—and the funds that come along with it—to attract young, talented minds like EmmaRae.
Things were running smoothly. 3DQue was earning a solid reputation in its industry. Then COVID-19 happened, and Steph and Mateo were met with a company-altering decision. They were approached by the federal government with an opportunity that would alter the fortunes of this young start-up—and even change how it classified itself. The federal government wanted 3DQue to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) and swabs. There were two big obstacles ahead for Steph and Mateo and the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) was the solution to 3DQue’s dilemma.
