Work experience and financial assistance is always a great asset for any student who wants to be competitive and succeed.
Canada Life (formerly Great-West Life), in partnership with The University of Winnipeg’s Faculty of Business and Economics, offers students this advantage through the Canada Life Business Student Scholarship and Work Placement Program.
This prestigious scholarship has been renewed for the next three years, giving new top students an opportunity for valuable work experience and financial support for their studies. By 2021, the program will benefit 30 of the best and brightest of UWinnipeg’s Faculty of Business and Economics students. This renewal brings the total to over $300,000 in funding from Canada Life since the scholarship’s inception in 2008.
Canada Life’s proximity to the UWinnipeg campus makes work placement a practical and convenient combination. Successful candidates of the Canada Life Student Scholarship and Work Placement Program receive funds towards tuition and the cost of books and supplies, as well as a paid full-time summer employment position at Canada Life. This scholarship and summer employment opportunity is renewable one time for chosen students, with many past recipients having gone on to lucrative careers at Canada Life after graduation.
Alum Jason Yang and current student Razia Naji Seman are past recipients of the Canada Life Business Student Scholarship and Work Placement Program.
Jason Yang
Since his graduation, Yang began at Canada Life’s head office in Winnipeg and now works in the Vancouver sales office as an account executive, group benefits.
“The scholarship program was a jumpstart for my professional life,” says Yang. “The scholarship fund immediately alleviated my financial burdens on campus, and the summer jobs gained me early experiences in the industry, but perhaps more importantly, the program allowed me to develop my professional network early and I was ready to move forward with the company as soon as I graduated.”
Yang finds his work rewarding, “Our daily work is absolutely crucial to the well-being of Canadians,” notes Yang. “We put together an incredible team working tirelessly to help people with their financial, physical, and mental well-being, especially during this difficult time of COVID-19 outbreak.”
Seman encourages her colleagues in economics and business to consider applying to the program. During her work placement, Seman was inspired to leave her comfort zone and lead.
Razia Naji Seman, photo supplied
“Anaïs Ratté – my leader – helped boost my confidence,” says Seman. “I was also able to speak with professionals in different roles and ask them about their career paths. Their willingness to take time out of their day and share their experience with me further enriched my time.”
Seman recognizes this valuable work experience as a stepping stone as she plans to pursue a Master’s degree in economics.
“Canada Life has been such a generous and long-standing supporter of students in our faculty,” says Hugh Grant, Dean, Faculty of Business & Economics. “So many of our best students have benefitted from the financial support and the work-integrated learning opportunity that Canada Life has provided. The number that have gone on to a career with the company is icing on the cake.”
Yang concludes that the program opens doors. “You never know where it leads you, or how far you can go.”
