Apr 8, 2024
Aug
17
2020
A win-win partnership for students and employer
Tanner Forman at his work desk in Airdrie.
Summer students excited to get foot in the door in the oil and gas industry
Landing a summer job related to their area of interest is not always an easy feat for students – but this year, throw in a pandemic, and locking down a solid summer job became an even bigger struggle.
Through our decade-long partnership with Community Futures Treaty Seven (CFT7) – a non-profit organization focused on economic development, training and employment with Treaty 7 First Nations – TC Energy hired two CFT7 summer students who have been working with us this summer. Since 2010, our Indigenous Relations and Talent Acquisition departments have teamed up to support CFT7 on a variety of initiatives, including employment symposiums, a youth advisory committee and as a partner employer in its First Nations Summer Career Placement Program.
Rob St. Denis, a Youth Labour Market Consultant at CFT7, works with Indigenous youth who live in the Treaty 7 area to connect them with employment opportunities.
“This year, because of COVID-19, lots of student placements were cancelled, which was heartbreaking,” says Rob. “TC Energy, being a large company, was still able to offer a work-from-home experience to students.”
Benefitting students and employer
Macyn Morning Bull is one of our CFT7 summer students working in the Contracts, Billing and Credit department in Calgary. For the last two years, she’s been studying business management at Olds College while on a basketball scholarship and is working towards a business degree.
“I love my team – they are so welcoming and open to talking about whatever I need,” says Macyn. “Although I can’t experience the downtown office culture, I’ve been able to build a regular routine working from home and achieving goals. It’s good experience to learn a new way – we’re in new times.”
She originally attended a CFT7 symposium in 2019 and met a TC Energy recruiter. However, when the recruiter called to offer a position, she had already accepted another job. At this year’s event, after chatting with Janelle Brown, a Student Programs Recruitment Advisor at TC Energy, she was excited to receive an offer again – and get her foot in the door at her first job in the oil and gas industry.
“The company is well-known and I wanted to see what it was like working here. Also, I really enjoyed talking to Janelle – she was very nice and made TC Energy a top pick for me,” says Macyn.
Janelle says that the partnership with CFT7 offers many benefits for both the company and the students.
Janelle Brown
TC Energy, Student Programs Recruitment Advisor
Meanwhile, Janelle says that students have the chance for an up-close and personal look behind the curtain to see how a company like TC Energy operates, meet our people, and experience how we live and work in our communities.
“We hope that they can leverage their experiences at TC Energy in the future, whether it’s with us or with another company,” Janelle says.
Tanner Forman is a CFT7 Engineering Coop student working on the Industrial Control and Electrical Engineering team at the Airdrie office. As he is currently pursuing a computer process and controls chemical engineering degree at the University of Alberta, he says his academic training is a good fit for the oil and gas industry.
“I’m really happy to be part of this team that deals with technology and automation because it’s very aligned with my degree,” says Tanner. “I’ve already learned a lot from my team and have had a chance to network with quite a few people, which is great.”
Tanner says it was through his contacts that he originally heard great things about the company and the possibility to have a good future working at TC Energy, which made him interested in pursuing a summer placement here.
A good place to be
Back at CFT7, Rob says that developing partnerships with private sector companies is an important part of the CFT7’s summer placement program because of the strong likelihood of higher wages and permanent employment within the private sector.
“TC Energy has been a leader in the private sector in partnering with CFT7. Being a partner with TC Energy for so long, it’s created a ripple effect for us in helping to bring on new private sector partners,” says Rob, who has managed CFT7’s partnership with TC Energy since it began.
“We have a really positive relationship with the company. There’s already a good foundation and understanding of Indigenous people at TC Energy. It’s made me comfortable working with the company and I’m confident in giving my opinion and sending our students there. I know students are going to be treated well and paid well.”
More information
- Our CFT7 partnership is just one of the ways we look to strengthen our workforce with diverse talent. You can learn more about inclusion and diversity at TC Energy by visiting the inclusion and diversity careers page.
