As NBCC prepares learners for careers in their chosen fields, community and industry partners play a vital role. Whether they donate bursary funds or equipment, host workplace practicums, provide applied learning opportunities, visit classrooms as guest speakers or hire graduates, their contributions help make the NBCC experience extraordinary for students.
Medavie Blue Cross has long been a valued partner of NBCC and, in 2021, was honoured with the NBCC Industry Award. Learn more about this mutually beneficial partnership in this Q&A with the Manager of Talent Acquisition, Jennifer Deschambeault.
Describe your organization’s relationship with NBCC.
Medavie Blue Cross has had a long-standing relationship with NBCC, partnering on hiring strategies and building candidate (student) pipelines for several different business areas and roles including; Information Technology (variety of programs), Business, Human Resources Management, Medical Office Administration, Accounting and Payroll, Pharmacy Tech and Paralegal.
Over the years we have supported students through their On the Job training programs where they were able to work on meaningful projects, assist our organization with research and complete critical work aligned with their studies. We hire many NBCC graduates into permanent full-time positions after they graduate, and many current Medavie Blue Cross employees are past NBCC grads that bring value to our organization every day!
We also partnered with NBCC over the past two years to hire students into permanent full-time positions at the beginning of their practicums and move them from their five-week practicum into their new position with Medavie Blue Cross. We ensure that their assessment forms are completed which are required for graduation and work with NBCC instructors through the transition. This partnership has ensured that students have permanent full-time employment prior to graduation!
How did this partnership come about? How long has your organization worked with NBCC?
We have worked with NBCC since 2015, attending onsite Career Fairs, posting open vacancies on the NBCC Job Site, and working with instructors to contact alumni students who may be interested in upcoming positions at Medavie Blue Cross. We have continued to foster our relationship with NBCC which has continued to grow and evolve into a very strategic collaborative partnership where we count on annual graduates as top talent for our organization.
Since 2018/19 we’ve adopted a more strategic focus in working with NBCC instructors by hosting bi-annual presentations with students and inviting them to directly apply to NBCC only postings and again as noted above – working with students/instructors to hire talent into roles straight from their practicum placements and securing employment for many great candidates.
How does this partnership benefit NBCC? How does it benefit your organization?
Our partnership with NBCC is a valuable asset to our hiring goals at Medavie Blue Cross. We feel strongly that the students who are hired into roles within our organization are prepared for our environment, they are skilled, and they are ready to become part of our team(s).
NBCC students also exemplify and align with our core values which include being caring, accountable, responsive, innovative and community minded. They are eager to give back and be part of teams that are working on meaningful and impactful things every day within their role.
What are the factors that make your partnership with NBCC successful?
NBCC Instructors are very responsive. They care about their student’s growth and their future. Instructors are open-minded, especially given the past 12 months due to COVID-19. They think outside the box and we’ve been able to host virtual presentations and think of great ways to connect students with our leaders and put them in front of Recruitment personnel so they can shine!
If your organization did not have a relationship with NBCC, what impact would it have on your operations?
NBCC is a top educational institution in greater Moncton where one of our largest Medavie Blue Cross offices resides and where we look for skilled talent weekly. Without this steadfast relationship we would be without a pipeline for our workforce and would struggle to find equally skilled students/instructors and curriculum that meet our employment needs.
What personal history, if any, do you and/or your colleagues have with NBCC?
For many members of our team in our operations and on our Talent Acquisition team we would have family, friends and colleagues that have either attended NBCC or are presently enrolled in programs. NBCC is a well-respected institution and one that is familiar to many Medavie Blue Cross stakeholders.
As a leader in your industry, what advice would you give to students who are training for your field? What advice would you give NBCC in training them?
As we always say in our presentations to NBCC students, coming prepared is number one. Research and review our corporate website, look at the ways we are giving back to our communities, understand our mission and values, talk to members of the community that either work for Medavie Blue Cross or have some affiliation – it’s important that students make an informed decision about their future career and be prepared to make the right decision for them. The recruitment process is just as much about a student selecting Medavie as it is about Medavie selecting them. Put their best foot forward and feel confident in presenting their past experiences and what they’ve learned during their studies at
NBCC and how all this combined would be a value to our organization.
Students who have put time into thinking about what they want their career path to look like are more prepared to answer questions about what they can do and want to do – where they want to go and grow, and where they feel they will make the most impact.
Having NBCC Instructors support students in interview preparedness, resume writing and career counselling would be a great benefit in assisting students to be able to articulate their value. We see this happening frequently and these students shine through during their interactions with the Talent Acquisition team.
