Latest news with #RobHenderson
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Internship Program Relaunches to Empower Green Innovation Through Employment
Article content OTTAWA, Ontario — BioTalent Canada is empowering employers to bring their innovations to market sooner while developing the next generation of talent with the reopening of the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Article content 'The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program helps companies build that capacity today, while fostering the careers of tomorrow's professionals.' Article content Science Horizons provides wage subsidies to eligible employers in the green economy to hire recent university, college and polytechnic graduates. The program is part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. With over $750,000 in new funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada, the program will support small and medium-sized employers in Canada's bioscience sector by placing 25 recent graduates. Article content The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program has helped small and medium-sized businesses gain access to hire scientific and technical staff since 1997 through paid internships. BioTalent Canada has an established track record in administering federal employer support programs, such as Science Horizons, which facilitate the integration of emerging talent into the bio-economy. The program supports youth employment while helping organizations mitigate the financial impact of hiring. Article content 'Employers can find talent with the skills to advance Canada's green economy,' says Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada. 'The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program helps companies build that capacity today, while fostering the careers of tomorrow's professionals.' Article content Key Employer Benefits: Article content The internships must be in an environment-related STEM role or a STEM-focused organization. Article content 'As a trusted leader in developing Canada's bio-economy workforce, BioTalent Canada understands what employers need to thrive in a rapidly evolving green economy,' says Henderson. 'Through Science Horizons, we are not only supporting hiring needs, we help shape a more sustainable, inclusive and innovation-ready workforce for the future.' Article content About BioTalent Canada Article content BioTalent Canada supports the people behind life-changing science. Trusted as the go-to source for labour market intelligence, BioTalent Canada guides bio-economy stakeholders with evidence-based data and industry-driven standards. BioTalent Canada, as a workforce development council, is focused on igniting the industry's brainpower, bridging the gap between job-ready talent and employers, and ensuring the long-term agility, resiliency and sustainability of one of Canada's most vital sectors. Article content BioTalent Canada has received varied distinctions following thorough and independent analyses of the organization. By practicing the same industry standards it recommends to partners, the organization has been honored with the following titles: Article content Great Place to Work® since 2019 and one of the Best Workplaces in Healthcare for 2023 by Great Place to Work Canada® The Best Leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the 2024 Best Ottawa Business Awards 2024 Collaboration Catalyst by Magnet Network One of Canada's Best Places to Work by HRD Canada for 2024 5-Star Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Employer by Canadian HR Reporter for 2024 Article content For more information, please visit Article content About Science Horizons Article content The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program provides wage subsidies to recent graduates to acquire work experience in fields linked to the green economy. The program covers the cost of a participant's salary by 80% up to a maximum of $25,000. This paid internship helps bio-economy and healthcare employers hire the talent they need and help graduates gain skills to secure full-time employment in environmental fields. Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Inquiries: Article content Article content Siobhan Williams Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A new survey shows where fast food workers struggle the most to make ends meet
A new survey finds that fast food workers cannot afford basic living expenses in every large American metropolitan area, including San Francisco, Columbus, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas and more cities throughout the nation. Even working full-time, employees fall 'significantly short of earning a living wage.' To do so, the survey reports, they'd have to work up to 78 hours a week — nearly double full-time. 'No one has ever expected to get rich off of fast food wages, but the fact that these workers can't even expect a livable wage is troubling,' said Lending Tree financial analyst Matt Schulz, who oversaw the survey. 'Unfortunately, the situation isn't likely to get better anytime soon.' Across the 50 largest cities in the United States, if fast food workers — or other minimum wage earners or tip-dependent workers — work for 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year, they still cannot cover basic living expenses. Full-time fast food workers earn between 23 percent (in Fresno, California) and 48 percent (Atlanta, Georgia) less than the living wage, based on an average hourly wage of $15.07. Some politicians, primarily Democrats, contend that the minimum wage ought to be raised. Others, primarily Republicans, argue that doing so is bad for business and could cause inflation. Public opinion also indicates that Americans think fast food jobs are meant to be part-time positions for students and teenagers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the majority of fast food positions are held by adults, particularly women and people of color. Further research finds that, in 2024, 68 percent of fast food workers were the primary income earners for their families. Meanwhile, some fast food restaurants are pushing back on the idea that all of their workforce is low-wage — and trying to demonstrate that fast food is a viable career path. Writer Rob Henderson posted on social media a recruiting poster from a fast food restaurant showing how employees can earn more as they gain more responsibility, with salaries over six-figures for general managers. Underneath the post, Henderson linked to an article he wrote headlined, 'Apparently, A Lot Of Aspirational Elites Think Working At Chipotle or Panda Express Is Beneath Them Even Though It Absolutely Is Not.' It is true that hiking wages can hurt small businesses and lead to more automation. The California Globe reports that California's brand-new minimum wage of $20, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024, cost fast food workers the equivalent of 7 weeks of lost work. Employees lost hours, lost benefits or entirely lost their jobs when business owners either could not afford to pay workers or found ways to reduce their staff. Other employers raised menu prices, putting the burden on the consumer — which often might include low wage workers. Now the Fast Food Council of California is encouraging another wage increase to $20.70 an hour. Operators are already planning ways to adapt their business and predict that job losses and menu price raises will continue. U.S. President Donald Trump manned a McDonalds shift in Pennsylvania during his 2024 presidential campaign. At that time he recognized that the federal minimum wage — $6.25 — is very low and said that, while he would consider raising it, doing so would be 'complicated.' Nevertheless, by the end of 2025, 23 states plan to raise their minimum wage floors. 20 other states remain at the $7.25 federal minimum wage floor, including Utah.
