Tashia Swampy is from the Maskwacis community and went to school at the Maskwacis Cultural College and completed her degree in social work from the University of Calgary. She is currently working as an indigenous intern with the Government of Alberta. Ms. Swampy did a presentation about Government of Alberta’s internship programs.

1. Internships Bridge Education To Employment. November 8, 2017. Event coordinated by Manisha Khetarpal 1
Internships Bridge Education To Employment: Government
of Alberta's Indigenous Internship and Ambassador Programs
Tashia Swampy is from the Maskwacis community and went to school at the Maskwacis
Cultural College and completed her degree in social work from the University of Calgary. She is
currently working as an indigenous intern with the Government of Alberta. Ms. Swampy did a
presentation about Government of Alberta’s internship programs at the Maskwacis Cultural
College Library, November 8th, 1-2 pm.
The presentation focused on the Alberta Indigenous Intern
Program:
 How the program works
 Who is eligible to apply
 Why apply for an Alberta Indigenous Intern Position
Employers are expressing a desire for entry-level employees
to possess the soft skills necessary to successfully move into
the work environment. Prioritizing workplace-ready skill
development through work force education for adults
requires aligning higher education, adult education, and
economic development. Internships are an educational
approach to collaborating with community partners,
connecting class concepts to real-world practice, and
solving problems with innovative results, allowing students
to develop professional skills and use academic knowledge
in a practical setting.
Evidence from the Kimberly Stack and Jacquelyn H Fede* study suggests work-based learning
opportunities like internships have the potential to serve as a bridge from education to
employment, allowing students to use both hard and soft skills with guidance and mentorship
from a more knowledgeable other, such as a supervisor. Stack and Fede (2017) found that
“Transferrable or soft skills are those skills necessary regardless of the field or sector of the work
force. Five of the most important soft skills cited by employers as being valued in the work
environment are the abilities to:
 Verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization;
 Work in a team structure;
 Make decisions and solve problems;
 Plan, organize, and prioritize work; and
 Obtain and process information.”
Figure 1: Indigenous intern Tashia Swampy shares her
experience of working in public services with the
Government of Alberta

2. Internships Bridge Education To Employment. November 8, 2017. Event coordinated by Manisha Khetarpal 2
The feedback provided by the participants who attended the internship information session at the
Maskwacis Cultural College is as follows.
 The Alberta Indigenous Intern presentation was very informative actually something I would
like to look into.
 I learned that you can work in gov't. It was very interesting to learn about the gov't. It was
very interesting to learn about the gov't. I always thought it was scary. I was cool to hear how
much they are not against us.
 I really enjoyed the presentation about the GoA
internship programs as it offers something for everyone
and offers great employment experience.
 The information in presentation was good and I would
encourage our community members to apply with this
program.
 This presentation was very inspiring, also gave an
amazing opportunity thinking about my future career.
I'm glad and hear about the Alberta indigenous learn
program. Something I am looking forward to as a young
Indigenous as myself.
 I learned about the Alberta Public Service’s hiring
process and resources.
 I learned about the Internship program from the Govt of Alberta. I also asked if there was any
spot available for teachers and language programs. There is opportunity to apply and it's for
the 4th cohort.
Participants: 18
Partners: Government of Alberta’s internship program, Continuing Education, Registrar’s
Office, and Student Services
For more information please visit the following website:
jobs.alberta.ca/students/program_descriptions.html#indigenous
*Kimberly Stack,Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Career andExperiential Education(CCEE)at the University of Rhode Island(URI) and
JacquelynH. Fede, M.A., is a graduate student inthe behavioral science program at URI.Shereceivedher master’s in psychology from Southern
Connecticut State University anddoes assessment work for CCEE at URI. Both these researchers foundthat internships help students develop
transferrable soft skills.
Figure 2: Learners at the Maskwacis Cultural College Library