News New guidelines released on internships


Mags Storey Ontario Editor


OTTAWA, ON—Unpaid interns must receive vocational training, shouldn’t do the work of employ- ees and can’t be promised future employment. Tose are some of the recent


stipulations issued by the Ontario Ministry of Labour on the legal- ity of using unpaid interns. Te new guidelines, “Internships in Ontario: What you need to know,” stress unpaid internships are intended to exchange time for on the job training. Last year, Crossroads Christian


Communications launched an internship program with a strong training component, aimed at helping recent graduates. “It’s very individualized,” says


Melissa McEachern, internship coordinator. “Each internship is highly suited to that individual and what their goals are. “Te key thing for us is the


interns aren’t replacing staff mem- bers. Tey are joining production teams which are already working, and which are already in place with the people we need. Ten they’re getting hands-on work experience by learning from that team.” She adds that Crossroads intern-


ships are also “values based” and include weekly sessions on charac- ter and leadership development. “Our interns are growing in their


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• November 01, 2011 • 3 Te new guidelines do not apply


to unpaid interns who are receiv- ing university or college credit for their work. But the government does stress that in such cases it is the responsibility of the education- al facility to approve the work that is being done. Faye Sonier, legal counsel for


Crossroads Christian Communications interns in action. Nakita Chandoo


the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, completed four intern- ships for credit while she was in law school. She says sometimes students need to be proactive in approaching businesses they want to intern for, and making sure their professors will credit the work. “Sometimes you have to do that


extra legwork,” she says, “to make sure your internship is as valuable as possible.” EFC accepts interns from the


Laurentian Leadership Centre through Trinity Western University, all of whom receive accreditation for their work. “We think it’s a great relation-


ship,” she says. “Tey are really contributing to the ministry, and we really appreciate the opportuni- ty to prove this educational forum for them. “Tey have opportunities to par-


Internship coordinator Melissa McEachern says the organization’s internships programs are tailored to what the individual’s goals are.


personal and spiritual life as well,” she says, “from what it means to


Nakita Chandoo


be an honest person to how we do time management.”


ticipate in strategic meetings and prepare submissions to parliamen- tarians. Tey come to court with us and get to walk through the whole process with us. Tey get to see what the whole aspect of integrat- ing faith with work looks like.”


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