Congratulations Access 2014/15 Graduates!

Access_Graduation2015

The Burnaby Board of Trade (BBOT) said goodbye to the 2014/15 graduates of its Access Student Career Development Program on Thursday night, at an intimate reception at Personas Restaurant and Lounge.

The celebration marked the third graduating class of the Access Program, which provides senior post secondary students with the opportunity to build meaningful relationships within the Burnaby business community, develop practical skills, and become better prepared to transition into the workforce.

“The program provides a great benefit not only to student participants, but to our local business community as well, remarked BBOT President and CEO Paul Holden. “These individuals are outstanding representatives of tomorrow’s business leaders and entrepreneurs. There is top local talent coming out of our renowned educational institutions, and to ensure our businesses and organizations continue to thrive, we need to make sure this talent stays in Burnaby. I believe that the upcoming generation is going to ensure that the future in this community is bright indeed.”

Each year, the Access Program commences in October, and over the course of several months participants engage in a variety of professional development activities including skills-building workshops, speaker engagements, and networking events with professionals from the Board of Trade’s business membership. The signature piece of the program, however, is the Connector component where students are paired with a series of senior business leaders for one-on-one meetings and network building.

According to Holden, the program helps students from all academic programs come out of their shell and develop into young professionals ready to compete in a competitive job market.

“Amidst extremely busy school and work schedules, our students demonstrate the willingness and determination needed to develop new relationships and complete all the components of this program. That is exactly the kind of sacrifice and ambition that is undoubtedly going to serve them well as they continue to achieve in their professional lives.”

Learn more about the Access Student Career Development program at www.accessprogram.ca.