Osh writes about a new program from the City of Toronto. The Urban Fellows program is an attempt to bring “high caliber professionals to the Toronto Public Service”.
As I understand it, it’s one half boot-camp, one half incubator for smart people who want to make the city better. Participants get “an intensive introduction to the governance, operations and administration of Canada’s largest city through a combination of full-time work experience and participation in a series of seminars, tours and workshops.”
The program is a temporary placement city where successful candidates will:
- Participate in structure tours, workshops and seminars designed to meet the learning needs for those new to public service
- Direct supervision and coaching from placement supervisors
- Earn a taxable salary of $61,984
Doesn’t sound particularly innovative. It sounds like the enboarding programs offered by many companies, it’s remarkably similar to the enboarding program that many college hires participated at Trilogy (HBS article, TU article, FastCompany Insantiy Inc.). Employers will provide: orientation, training, supervision, mentoring, a salary and benefits.
All of that said, it’s great to see the City taking some initiative to design new hiring programs to attract the type of talent it sees as critical to the future. Osh puts it nicely ““we want whip-smart, well-educated people who are fired up about making the city better”