Collaboration funds up to 50 work-integrated learning opportunities for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis post-secondary students
Vancouver, BC — Thanks to a new innovation partnership between Mitacs and Indspire, Indigenous students enrolled in colleges, polytechnics, and universities across Canada will gain access to job opportunities while developing research skills. By combining Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards (BBF) program with Mitacs Accelerate, the initiative creates up to 50 short-term, paid research internships that offer financial support and training.
Funding from Mitacs goes towards students’ stipends and research support costs, while Indspire’s financial assistance helps pay for school-related expenses including tuition, books, food, and housing. The collaboration aims to provide hands-on integrated-learning experiences, create new pathways into the job market, and support educational goals.
Through the Mitacs-Indspire partnership, the organizations work to leverage their expertise and capacity to support the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The initiative responds to the calls to action on education for reconciliation (62 to 65) and business and reconciliation (92).
To learn more about the opportunity, please connect with your local Mitacs Business Development representative.
Quotes:
Mike DeGagné, President & CEO, Indspire
“We are pleased to begin this journey with Mitacs, addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on education while providing new avenues for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students to follow their educational paths to success. With its history of innovation, excellence, and connection-building, Mitacs is a valued partner, and we look forward to a mutually beneficial collaboration.”
John Hepburn, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs
“Mitacs is committed to fulfilling the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations pertaining to education and business reconciliation as we work to develop the next generation of innovators. We have long admired Indspire’s ability to build a supportive system for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students and we are delighted to partner with them to accelerate skills development and work-integrated learning opportunities. We thank our federal, provincial, and territorial partners for providing us the funds to engage in this work.”
About Indspire:
Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire provides financial awards, delivers programs and shares resources so that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students will achieve their highest potential. Anchored by its mission and mandate, Indspire’s North Star vision is that, within a generation, every Indigenous student will graduate. In 2019-2020, Indspire provided over $17.8 million through 5,124 bursaries and scholarships to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada. For more information, visit indspire.ca
About Mitacs:
- Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.
- Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada along with the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.
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