New summer internship program announced for Indigenous students at Lakehead University

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY — Chippewas of Rama First Nation and Fort William First Nation Chiefs Ted Williams and Peter Collins are looking forward to new opportunities for Indigenous students through Lakehead University and OpenText’s recently announced internship program. Moira McPherson, president and vice-chancellor at Lakehead University, and Mark J. Barrenechea, CEO and CTO at OpenText, announced the partnership, which will create up to 25 full-time four-month summer internships for Indigenous students studying at the university’s Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses through the OpenText Indigenous Internship Program, on Sept. 24.

“I wish I was about 40 years younger so I could take advantage of the opportunity here that I see,” Chief Williams says. “This is an exciting development. When I think of Indigenous students and participation, I get excited for them because this is life-changing, this is community changing and this is an organizational changing development.”

Williams congratulated Lakehead University and OpenText for creating the internship program, which will allow students to intern remotely at OpenText in the software engineering, marketing, finance, information technology and human resources departments where they will gain valuable soft and technical skills, confidence and knowledge that will better prepare them to enter the workforce.

“Clearly this is a forward-thinking development which is aimed at providing a unique opportunity for Indigenous students,” Chief Williams says. “OpenText is an innovative thinker in assisting companies and organizations to compete and excel in a technology landscape. The partnership of Lakehead University and OpenText seeks to demonstrate their commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. I want to say miigwech to Lakehead University and to OpenText for reaching outside of their target areas to the benefit of Indigenous students.”

Chief Collins says it is important to create opportunities for Indigenous youth to pursue their education journeys and “see that light at the end of the tunnel.”

“It is always exciting to be a part of new growth, new opportunity and I’m glad I got the opportunity to be a part of that today,” Chief Collins says. “To all that have joined this OpenText forum, I look forward to further discussions, further work that we need to do together, and continue that process.”

Chief Collins says his community has changed the landscape time and time again over the years since he was first elected as chief in 1998.

“I’m honoured to be a part of this process here today, the partnerships that we continue to build together with the university,” Chief Collins says. “When I first met with Dr. Moira McPherson, I talked about how we’ve got to promote education even further in our communities and change that landscape and continue to push our young people in the world of education.”

The internships will include in-depth onboarding activities, engagement with OpenText leadership, mentorships with established OpenText affinity groups and career planning and financial planning training sessions.

“OpenText believes a critical action Corporate Canada must take in removing barriers for Indigenous students, is to create jobs,” Barrenechea says. “Through this exciting partnership with Lakehead University, OpenText will create a next-generation internship program for Indigenous students that offers a compelling pathway to digital jobs. I look forward to welcoming these students, creating digital skills and learning from them.”

Recruitment for the internships will take place this fall with the first placements scheduled for the summer of 2022.

“We understand the barriers that Indigenous students face when looking for ways to start and nurture careers,” McPherson says. “Partnerships like this one with OpenText will contribute greatly to our students’ futures by providing experiences to work hand-in-hand with professionals in their field, apply skills and knowledge they gained at Lakehead University, and share their culture and history with others.”