JDI Interns Like Knowing They Have ‘Careers In Motion’ When They Graduate
The Maritimes is in the middle of a labour shortage that doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon. While the region’s universities are pulling in talented young people from all over the world, keeping them here once they graduate can be a challenge.
Talk to the ones that do stay and a common thread quickly emerges: if they have a solid job lined up when they graduate, they’re much more likely to stay.
The region’s smartest employers have recognized this and are finding innovative ways to hook young grads before they leave.
One of the biggest success stories is JDI’s Transportation and Logistics Division. The organization’s Careers In Motion program attracts co-op students from the country’s best universities by giving them face time with top executives and fully immersing them in their companies’ work. Many have such good experiences with the program they end up staying.
Kristin Henderson, Divisional Director of HR with the transportation division, says part of the appeal is the diversity of options interns get once they come on board.
JDI’s Transportation and Logistics Division includes 10 different companies, and interns can work across operations, human resources, finances, analytics, and more.
Last year, the organization hired more than a third of the students it brought on through the program.
Obed Obeng-Asante is one of those hires. Obeng-Asante is an international student who took part in the Careers In Motion program while earning a business degree at UNB.
He finished school in December but had already spun his internship into a job by the time he was finished. He says the Maritimes offered a lot in terms of affordability and natural beauty, but that the job offer is what ultimately kept him here.
“If I had my way, and I do, I would be here, and that’s why I’m here,” he says.
Rachel Farwell is another Careers In Motion participant, who is back for a second year this summer.
Farwell grew up in New Brunswick but left when she earned a spot on the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University) basketball team.
For many, a ticket to Toronto would be enough to entice them away from the Maritimes for good, but Farwell says she plans to return once she graduates.
“Stepping outside of my apartment in Toronto directly into another building isn’t really my dream,” she says.
While the Maritimes’ fresh air and natural beauty are nice, Farwell admits they probably wouldn’t be enough to draw her back. But knowing she had an exciting career opportunity waiting for her here would.
It’s part of why she’s been so happy with her internships at JDI’s Transportation and Logistics division. Farwell says her two summers with the organization have opened her eyes to career possibilities at home.
“The experience has been fantastic so far. I feel like my work provides value, which is something that was very important to me; I didn’t just want to be a floater who would have stuff dumped on them,” she says.
“I really feel like now I get to take leadership over my projects; I get to have an influence on how they perform and what outcomes they can deliver. I genuinely feel like they are invested in the students and believe in their projects.”
Obeng-Asante says he had a similar experience during his internship. That surprised him because in similar positions you can end up feeling like an afterthought.
“I’ll be honest, some co-ops are very structured: you go in and your manager gives you a long-term project. And then there’s some that you just go and you’re not sure what you’re doing,” he said. “At JDI it was never just, let’s bring in a student and they’re sitting around daydreaming all day.”
Obeng-Asante said he was proud of the work he did during his internship and felt like he had legitimately helped the company.
“Imagine if I can walk away from my coop and say, ‘this is what I did and this is how it helped the business—these are the KPIs that I achieved,’” he said.
“It’s a bit rare to find a coop program that’s well-structured that way.”
Like Farwell, Obeng-Asante says having an exciting career waiting for him when he finished school made his decision to stay in the Maritimes much easier.
“I see myself here in the Maritimes; I see myself here with JDI. One, it’s a great company to work for, two, it’s a fast, diverse company. It’s incredible what they’ve been able to build, and the ability to move from one role to another within the business really helps,” he says.
“Having opportunities is just like standing at a bus stop. Buses come and go, the only difference is, at the bus stop you know when next when the next bus is coming. Internships like Careers In Motion makes me feel like I know when the bus is coming.”
This story was sponsored by J.D. Irving, Limited.