November 10, 2007
[CORNWALL, ON] - Sometimes the key factor to keeping a young person in the community is the right opportunity. Yves Thauvette is an example of just that; he received a unique work experience in Cornwall and, as a result, has turned his community connections permanent.
With the announcement of the Youth Attraction and Retention Program under the Eastern Ontario Development Fund in 2004, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Community Futures Development Corporation (SD&G CFDC) hired 25-year-old Yves as a Youth Intern. The Program was to create employment opportunities for youth to either remain in or be attracted to a rural community.
“I was looking for work and didn’t see many opportunities in a rural setting, so when I saw the (internship) posting I jumped on it,” says Thauvette, a candidate for the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations (OACFDC) Youth Award, being presented at the OACFDC Conference which will be held in Cornwall this year. “Because I use a wheelchair, finding a job outside of the usual trades and physical labour was a great boost. It was so great to have the staff give me a chance to enhance my skills and allow my confidence to build so I could find future work.”
Yves’s responsibility was to undertake a Business Retention and Expansion Study for the region - one that he undertook with zealous appetite. Completing in excess of 100 interviews with business owners, the resulting document has proven itself invaluable to the CFDC. In keeping with the aims of the Youth Attraction and Retention Program, Thauvette took advantage of his time with the CFDC to build on his experience and expand his network. He became actively involved in a number of other projects, including developing and planning a conference for volunteer organizations and established a youth intern network for the region. During his tenure as an intern at the CFDC, he pursued an opportunity within the Municipality of SD&G in the Planning Department, where he continues to work today, making the most of his degree in geography.
Not only has Thauvette found professional success through his work in this program, he inspires others with his personal accomplishments. During his time as an intern, he trained for and entered a number of triathlons, placing first in the Canadian National Triathlon Championships in Kelowna, BC in August 2005. Following his internship, he joined the board of directors for the SD&G CFDC as a youth representative, bringing a fresh and positive perspective to the organization. Confined to a wheelchair as a result of a childhood disease, Yves has been acknowledged on several occasions throughout school and University for his contributions to develop and promote athletics for disabled individuals – a passion he continues to pursue today.
Today’s young rural workforce need to be patient, says Thauvette. “Even short term opportunities can grow – just be persistent.” He acknowledges that, although programs like the EODF Internship are normally short-term, they still provide a starting point. “These short workplace experiences can grow when you make new contacts. It’s great that employers are finding ways to bring youth into the aging workforce. This (internship) was a great experience – I hope the program will continue.”
It is hard to say who has gained the most from this internship program; SD&G has succeeded in keeping one of its most dynamic young people in the area, and Yves was able to return his home community, find employment in his specific field of study and training and put down roots. It seems he is here to stay; Yves was married in September and now resides in Cornwall with his wife.
Yves sums it up this way: “I am quite fortunate when I think about how many young people feel forced to move to the urban centres to find the right job and the right pay. It means so much to be able to work in my field, and more importantly, be near my family and stay in my community.”