Federal Government Recruiters Woo Action Canada Fellows
The federal government’s executive cadre is in the midst of an enormous retirement boom – according to one government survey, 48 percent of senior federal executives say they plan to retire within the next three years.
Who will fill the void?
Promising young leaders like the Action Canada Fellows. Federal recruiters have already snapped up four former Fellows from this unique, national leadership program.
Based in Vancouver, B.C., Action Canada is a private sector/Government of Canada partnership that is committed to building leadership for Canada’s future. Each year, a fresh crop of Fellows undertake a program of leadership development and public policy projects of significance to Canada, with one overarching goal in mind: to build leadership for Canada’s future.
Selected for their leadership qualities and commitment to Canada, each Fellow receives a $20,000 Action Canada Fellowship to participate in the 10-month program. They join a growing network of inspiring young Action Canada alumni who all understand Canada’s public policy issues and have learned the skills to take action on these issues.
In 2001 the federal government initiated a pilot program where deputy ministers and senior executives actively sought and recruited exceptional young Canadians studying overseas and at home, and in national leadership programs such as Action Canada. The recruitment effort proved successful and is now formally established as the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program.
“We’ve been blown away by the caliber of people we’ve attracted and the success we’ve had,” says Graham Flack, an associate assistant deputy minister with Natural Resources Canada. He is among the senior bureaucrats charged with recruiting new executives to fill the depleting federal ranks. He says that the Action Canada fellows’ acceptance rate was quite phenomenal, with four joining the government in the past four months.
“What sets Action Canada Fellows apart is their hands-on, demonstrated community involvement,” says Flack. “They’ve done something more than just being good at studying – they’ve been working at something they’re passionate about in the community; they’ve been making things happen.”
Fellows like Richard Hoshino, a mathematics PhD whose interest in his subject led him to establish and coordinate the Nova Scotia High School Math League as well as an in-service program for high school math teachers across the Atlantic. He joined the 10-month Action Canada leadership program in September 2003.
Hoshino is now working for the Canada Border Services Agency where his ability to think out of the box, says Flack, is helping to reform how Canada will deal with critical issues for national security and our economic future.
Originally planning an academic career, Hoshino was surprised to find out about suitable career opportunities in the federal government. “Action Canada instilled in me a desire to pursue a career in the public service,” says Hoshino. “The Canada Border Services Agency turned out to be the perfect fit since it combines two of my biggest passions: mathematics and public policy. Every day I use mathematics to work on problems dealing with issues of prosperity and security related to the Canadian border. I’m learning a great deal and I look forward to making a significant contribution.”
Fellows in the Action Canada program, says Flack, “have a wonderful mix of demonstrated academic ability to deal with challenging issues; leadership potential, a commitment to public service and ethics, and an interest in serving the public.”
