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Lloydminster Chamber joins National business growth, student development partnership

The Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce is joining in a nation-wide partnership to connect local businesses with student workers.

As part of the Chamber Partnership Initiative, they’ll be providing businesses access to the Ryerson University developed Magnet Talent Opportunity Program. This is an online portal that seeks to build a quick and effective bridge between student workers and businesses, connecting them at the click of a button.

Lloydminster Chamber Executive Director Serena Sjodin says this will be especially effective for businesses looking to grow or rebuild post-COVID, and gives both students and managers the tools to navigate an ever-changing job market.

“People might not even realize to think they could hire a student at Lakeland College who are taking marketing, and if a business is trying to set up E-Commerce or do some social media marketing, that these students  have a really good skill set in helping to develop website content.”

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In the portal, businesses can see students looking for experience at more than 85 schools across Canada, build a diverse workforce for their business, access business growth content and use intelligent job matching based on skills, experience, education and industry-specific certifications.

Also, the businesses will be able to access the Student Work Placement Program, which provides as much as a 75 per cent wage subsidy for hiring a student, up to $7,500, offsetting costs of hiring.

While this can be an incentive to hire students from Lakeland College, Sjodin says, it could also be the spur for a student outside the Lloydminster community to set up permanent roots in the City, driving the economy long term.

“Trying to get that first job out of university, when you don’t necessarily have experience in your field, it can be very challenging. So giving these students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, to help them move forward in their career, to get that first step out into the business world, it’s very valuable.”

She also notes it could help a business like a Law Firm, hypothetically, have access to a student from the area or from away studying law, a program not offered locally.

Businesses can create a Magnet account via the Lloydminster Chamber portal, and Sjodin encourages them to reach out should they have questions about any of the process.

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