Are you looking to grow your team? RBC Talent Fund is here!

The RBC Talent Fund is a wage subsidy program aimed to benefit entrepreneurial led companies based in the HRM area. In partnership with the SMU Co-operative Education Office, the program can help grow your business by adding bright young talent to your team through the hiring of SMU students.

RBC Talent Fund Provides

  • A wage subsidy that can cover up to $3,150 per hire

  • Flexibility for employers to choose between a part-time, full-time or co-op term hire

  • Assistance with job posting and short listing of candidates

  • Training and mentoring for participants to enhance their work experience

  • Advice and monitoring throughout the program to ensure participants and employers are receiving the best possible experience

Full Time Hire (16 weeks)

  • The wage subsidy can cover 50% of the wage, up to $7.50 an hour for the first 12 weeks (based on a $15/hr wage), leaving the employer to fully fund the final 4 weeks

Part Time Hire

  • The subsidy can cover 37.5% of the total wage (or up to $5.63 an hour) for a work term covering up to 240 hours (based on a $15/hr wage)

• A simpler way to breakdown the math is to say that the wage subsidy would cover 37.5% of the total wage or up to $5.63 an hour (based on a $15/hr wage), for both options

Employer Requirements

  • The company must be in its early stage of development and be located in the Halifax Regional Municipality

  • The hire must be a Saint Mary’s University Undergraduate Student

  • Provide a minimum of $15/hr wage to the new hire

  • Coverage of MERC (mandatory employment related costs) – CPP, EI, Vacation Pay

  • Assign an organization supervisor to act as a mentor for the participant

Full Time Hire (16 weeks)

  • Provide a 16 week work term covering 35 hours per week

Part Time Hire

  • Provide a work term covering up to 240 hours in total

Employer Application

For more information, please contact talenthub@smu.ca

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Made possible through the RBC Foundation in support of RBC Future Launch. For more information please visit https://news.smu.ca/news

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Executive-In-Residence

Ian Smith headshot.jpg

Ian D. Smith | Chief Executive Officer

Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership

Ian D. Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Seafoods.  Mr. Smith joined Clearwater in May 2010 and has over 33 years of international experience in the food and consumer products industry.  Prior to joining Clearwater, Mr. Smith held senior leadership positions at the Campbell Soup Company within Canada, the United States and China.  Prior to his time at Campbell’s, Mr. Smith held various marketing, sales and international business development positions with Allergan, Colgate-Palmolive and the Gillette Company.

Mr. Smith currently participates as a director on a number of boards and advisory councils focused on international trade and public policy including; The Business Council of Canada and the Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council of the Asia Pacific Foundation.  He is a graduate of McGill University (BA Economics, MBA), a former Captain in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve and currently serves as Honorary Colonel of 36 Canadian Engineer Regiment located in the Province of Nova Scotia.

Alumni-In-Residence

Wendy Luther | President and Chief Executive Officer

Halifax Partnership

Wendy Luther Proud Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. EMBA’08

Wendy Luther is a leader in economic and export development, with vast experience promoting Nova Scotia and its assets globally. Halifax Partnership is Halifax’s public-private economic development

organization. Wendy joined as President & CEO in 2019. In 2023, Halifax

Partnership was honoured with four Excellence in Economic Development

Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

including Gold for Economic Development Organization of the Year. Prior to joining Halifax Partnership, Wendy was President & CEO of EduNova, a co-operative association of public and private-sector education providers committed to promoting Nova Scotia’s knowledge economy internationally. Under her leadership, EduNova was honoured with the prestigious international PIEoneer Association of the Year Award in 2017. Earlier in her career, Wendy worked in export development with the Atlantic Canada World Trade Centre and Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI) where she led trade missions to over twenty countries and has mentored and advised hundreds of Nova Scotian exporters on how to be competitive in international markets. At NSBI, through her role as Nova Scotia’s first Private Sector Liaison Officer (PSLO), she was appointed by the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to connect entrepreneurs and institutions to opportunities funded by International Financial Institutions. Wendy has served on and led numerous boards and committees including advisory boards for two private sector companies (Canada and U.S. based). Currently, Wendy serves on the Board of Directors and the Management Resources and Compensation Committee of Canadian-owned LED Roadway Lighting; the Board of Directors and as Vice Chair of the Governance Committee of Mitacs, a national not-for-profit organization focused on increasing Canada’s innovation competitiveness; and is Membership Chair on the Executive Committee of the International Women's Forum (IWF) Atlantic Chapter. Born in Vancouver, Wendy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, and an MBA from Saint Mary’s University. She holds a Certified International Trade Professional designation (CITP) and is an alumna of the Caribbean Canada Emerging Leaders Dialogue and Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Leaders at Sea (CLaS) Program. In November 2023, she attained her ICD.D designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors, Director Education Program and is really geeking out on governance! In March 2023 Wendy was honoured with Atlantic Canada's 25 Most Powerful Women in Business award.