High school students explore career opportunities at the Halifax Business and Youth Symposium

On November 14, the Halifax Partnership hosted a Business and Youth Symposium in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Education. More than 70 high school students and 20 businesses came together for a day of learning and career exploration at Pier 21.

Students were exposed to a range of industries and companies throughout the day to discover new careers and learn about possible career paths. According to one Grade 10 student, "the one-on-one conversations with people in different jobs was really valuable. The businesses were open minded to our questions, and they gave us a lot of great information.”

At the end of the day, the students left with new connections to the business community and a better understanding of the diverse career opportunities in Halifax. The businesses in attendance were inspired by these youth, who were eager to learn.

“I was impressed to see such a strong desire to connect and communicate from the students at the event, as well as teachers and business leaders,” says Megan Rutherford, Talent Acquisition Administrator at MUFG Investor Services. “The future development and sustainability of Halifax, as well as companies like MUFG, is dependent on our youth.”

The event was part of the Partnership’s Experiential Learning Initiative, which connects businesses and organizations with post-secondary students in Nova Scotia who are looking for work experience. Experiential learning provides businesses with the opportunity to assess students as potential employees, bring new energy and ideas to their business, and tackle ‘on the shelf’ or wish list projects.

To learn more about the Experiential Learning Initiative, contact Julie Weir.