Career and Volunteerism Opportunities
The Fred Smithers Centre is dedicated to reducing barriers as students move through their higher education. That includes providing guidance on finding meaningful hands on experience to support students as they transition from their studies and enter into the workforce.
According to the Government of Canada, only 62% of Canadians with disabilities 25-64 years old have jobs. With improved access to opportunities that help build hirable experience, we aim to improve those statistics.
At Saint Mary's we offer a number of pathways for students with disabilities to gain experience, primary through the Student Employment Initiative and the Student Pathway program.
Student Employment Initiative (SEI)
The Student Employment Initiative (SEI) is an employment and experiential program to assist students with disabilities in securing employment on and off campus. Students must be registered with the Fred Smithers Centre for Student Accessibility (FSC), in addition to other qualifying criteria listed below.
Eligibility
- Must be a Canadian or Nova Scotia domestic student.
- Must be registered for the current academic term/year.
- Nova Scotia domestic students (permanent residents) must be registered with Nova Scotia student loans with a declared, government verified disability.
- Canadian domestic students must be registered with the FSC or have their disability documentation verified by the FSC
SEI Job Opportunities
Career opportunities are posted within the Career360 portal. On the left-hand side navigation menu, click the Student Employment Initiative Program listing. Opportunities are added all throughout the year so be sure to check the posting list regularly.
To learn more, visit the Student Employment Initiative or reach out to sei@smu.ca.
Student Pathway
Don't have enough experience to secure an employment opportunity? Not a problem!
Depending on your level of employment experience before entering SEI Program, you will be placed initially in either the Experiential Pathway, where you will be able to volunteer with a local organization to expand your skills and competencies before graduating to the next pathway, or Employment Pathway where you will work closely with SEI staff to find meaningful work opportunities. Both pathways include a Professional Development component which includes SEI Student exclusive workshops.
For more information, reach out to sei@smu.ca.