Queen’s program hopes to solve the work-experience paradox for grads

The Queen’s Career Apprenticeship: Kingston Program is looking to pair 40 soon-to-be graduates of arts and humanities programs with local employers, hoping to give them easier access to launch their career, while easing some of the risk for employers. It all started with an idea in 2017, and the program launched their 2020 project at an event on November 13, 2019.

Since its inception, the program has launched 28 careers in Kingston and has brought more than $1.5 million in payroll to Kingston, which is the first community to host a program like this, though other schools are taking notes and working with Rottenberg to launch similar programs in their communities.

“There’s a lot of apprenticeships in the world — it’s standard in trades, science, engineering, math — and the government is investing in these types of apprenticeships. But for arts and humanities, this is quite new,” said Donna Gillespie, CEO of Kingston Economic Development Corporation of the program. “We all had our first job. We all had mentors and learned as we went,” she added, speaking to the importance of on-the-job learning through a program like this.

Employers wanting to participate in the program can reach out to Nour Mazloum with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation for more information. Graduating Queen’s students in arts and humanities can learn more at the QCAK website.

Read the full story here in the Kingstonist.