The Oakville Awards for Business Excellence are pleased to announce that the Halton Industry Education Council (HIEC) will be the recipient of the CN Charity/Not-For-Profit Excellence Award. The award will be presented at the 25th Annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence, live on Facebook, on Monday, June 22nd.
Halton Industry Education Council (HIEC) has been developing our community’s future workforce for over 30 years! HIEC focuses on partnership, mentorship and workforce development with youth across Halton Region. For three decades HIEC has been developing and delivering innovative programs and services that leverage technologies, advance community collaboration, strengthen economic development, inspire mentorship, and help young people succeed.
HIEC strives to empower youth in their career exploration and contribute to their overall mental wellness as it relates to future planning and opportunities. This includes, building stronger connections between educators, employers, and the students who will make up the future workforce through their Career Awareness Program, hosting inspiring community events, and managing multiple technologies that focus on workforce development.
Through the Career Awareness Program, HIEC supports 7,000 students a year as they prepare to transition into high school. The program is for grade 7 students and helps them identify their individual values, skills and interests. During their visit, students also have the opportunity to investigate 3500+ different occupations that are outlined in the Career Development Lab. Students can also participate in a life work simulation program, which provides them with a better understanding of working conditions, salaries, future trends, and post-secondary pathways for jobs that interest them. The Career Awareness Program has been very successful, and HIEC has even received international interest in how they execute the program.
Building on career planning, HIEC hosts two annual community events: Women as Career Coaches and Men as Career Coaches. These informal and interactive events bring mentors from different industries and careers together with young people for an evening of open and honest conversation about occupational pathways, post-secondary destinations, and work life. Collectively, these events have hosted 5,500 mentors and 6,300 students! These events have been so impactful, that they often have students return as mentors once they’ve established their careers!
Thank you HIEC for the incredible impact you have made on the youth in our community for the past 30 years!