Originally from Norway, he moved to Canada 1964 and completed a Masters of Science and a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Calgary, before joining the Department of Computer Science at the university as a professor.

After finishing a diploma in Electronics Engineering Technology from Sheridan College, Gurpreet was keen to put his skills and education to use. However, with limited job experience, landing a full-time position proved difficult. After learning about Mitacs Enterprise, Gurpreet partnered with Mississauga-based Avnan Electro, a global supplier of electrical components. The six-month internship was instrumental in providing him with the industry connections and experience he was looking for.

AllerGen’s 50+ trainees learned how to refresh, build and make the most of their existing networks at the Mitacs Step workshop.

For Mitacs Step student So-Ra Chung, her specialty is in developing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technologies for use in the aerospace industry using team building and project management skills she learned through Mitacs Step.

After completing his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Tehran, then working at a car manufacturing company, the loss of a close family member to cancer changed his goals for the future. He set his sights on biotechnology at the University of British Columbia. Ahmadi initially thought this meant a career destined for academia, but since attending eight Mitacs Step workshops he says “My eyes were opened to the opportunities outside of academia and I started to think about my career differently.”

Kinfe is quick to acknowledge the role that Mitacs Elevate played in acquiring his new role.

“The Elevate program definitely helped in finding my new position. It helped me network and communicate better. The Mitacs Step and Elevate workshops I attended helped me build effective connections, and perform well during the interviews I had towards my dream job. Also, the interactions I had with my industrial partner were fruitful and developed further as we worked together.”

“While I was working on my PhD, that’s what I was focused on. I needed time to foster industry relationships after my PhD, but I was still in an academic mindset. The Elevate program gave me the technical and practical skills to move to the next level.”

And he’s doing just that in the second year of his Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral fellowship. Gurjit is working with partner company Unitron Hearing, in collaboration with the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Toronto to make hearing care accessible through the internet. 

What makes Mitacs Step workshops such crowd pleasers? From professors to participants its rave reviews all around.  I sat in on a workshop to see, first-hand, what sets these workshops apart.

On the Mitacs website, the Step page has a listing of workshops offered throughout Canada covering a range of essential business skills sure to enhance future careers. Armed with some reviews and insights into the Mitacs Step program, I settled on Practice Your Presentation Skills I.

The inaugural Mitacs Awards ceremony was held on Wednesday evening to recognize the amazing contributions young researchers participating in Mitacs programs aimed at fostering research and innovation, as well as forging stronger bonds between academia and businesses across Canada.

Following a keynote speech by the Minister of State for Science and Technology, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Mitacs highlighted and rewarded five of the most meritorious among the hundreds of young researchers who take part in its programs each year.

“I thought I might benefit from learning a little bit more about the business environment, but I didn’t have very high expectations about the workshops themselves,” El Saadany says. It turned out his expectations were to be exceeded by far. In the end, El Saadany took part in half a dozen different Mitacs Step skills development workshops.

What sets the Step workshops apart, El Saadany thinks, is first and foremost the quality and professionalism of the presenters. However, the content has also proven very useful to him.