If you’re a baby boomer or part of that X-Y alphabet generation, you probably don’t have a ton of student loans, never lived with your parents ’til you were 40, and only worked ‘for free’ to pad the ol’ resume. If you are a parent of a millennial, on the other hand, you probably realize that those days are gone. There is an unfounded perception that millennials are unskilled and lazy and now, years of unpaid internships are the norm. Housing prices are too high to support with entry-level jobs and university costs continue to rise. And there’s another problem. The gap between entry-level positions and senior executives from the boomer generation who are retiring is a cavernous chasm that you could drive a truck through. In a few years the top decision makers will be embarking on the Grand Tour they never made time for in their 20s, and there will be no junior executives who are able to take their place because anyone with potential has been relegated to the mailroom on an unpaid internship for a few years.
Not only is Pierre Somers a father with concerns for his own children, but as the President and CEO of Walter Surface Technologies, he has come up with idea to save Canadian businesses. Parents are no longer having 10 children (can you imagine?!) and grooming them to take over the family business. Companies need to be introduced to the next generation of leaders, and these millennials need to be working hand in hand with current top executives in order to learn all facets of a business. Because there are hundreds more executives retiring than trained up-and-comers to fill their roles, Somers has developed an internship program called ‘Next to Succeed‘ for graduates that not only solves the gap, but will help the next generation pay off debt without having to live in their parents’ basements.
Somers states that “Many CEOs have pushed succession planning to the human resources department, and due to low budgets the ‘solution has been unpaid internships at a time when students have debt. If interns aren’t paid, however, they aren’t valued and are starting their whole career on wrong foot. This is an inadequate solution for forming next generation leaders.”
I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan Boyd, the first successful intern in the Next to Succeed program. He explained the perilous job search he faced upon graduating and how many of his classmates are still working retail jobs or earning wages in fields other than what studied. So how did he land the role that is the envy of bright young stars across Canada? His Dad put an article on his bed about the new internship program with Walter Surface Technologies. Open not only to residents of Montreal, it was a well-paying internship with housing included where the employee would learn many facets of the business – from flying on the corporate jet to meet with the board of directors, shadowing executives and working on a high-level project in an area of his schooling. Boyd had been offered a full time entry level marketing position in another company but turned it down to be able to get the exposure and training with Walter Surface Technologies. We experienced close-knit, working relationships with senior management and was offered continued work with the company once the internship was complete. As Boyd says, “You don’t have to limit self to just one department. If you are going to be a CEO you have to understand them all.” To me it sounded like an executive MBA that you’re actually paid for. And also a win-win for the graduate and the business.
As a parent, the job search and career path topic will become more and more stressful as my own kids advance in age. Both Somers and Boyd had brilliant ideas on how parents can help prepare for a future job search, and the UrbanMommies team has filled in a few ideas of our own.
Preparing Your Kids for a Career Search
(aka. How not to have a 40 year old child living in your basement)
1. There is no ‘secret recipe’ as to what will make them stand out.
2. Work together on developing skills that will be required in future applications – video components are becoming more de rigour within an application
3. Help your kids have a vision for themselves and have them be specific about why an opportunity would be a fit for them.
4. Remember that emotional intelligence and empathy are essential life and job skills.
5. A person is a brand, and every social media interaction reflects that brand. Related: register websites for your kids’ names.
6. Resumes are becoming more and more creative in order to stand out.
7. Volunteering and having a cause that they are passionate about over several years is important.
8. It’s never too early for media training and learning how to be comfortable in new social situations.
9. Identify their interests and passions early and helps them explore through education and interviewing people in those areas.
10. Even if they will have student loans in the future, try and have them save at least 15% of all money they earn early so that they have a cushion of ’emergency funds’ when they graduate.
Somers plans to challenge other Canadian companies to follow in his company’s footsteps. “This isn’t just giving back. I’m a parent as well as CEO. Millennials are future and we have to let them create the future. We need to let them quickly become leaders.”
Bank-issued Interac debit cards with chip technology (the ones that give you access to your millions stashed in your bank accounts) are now more secure than ever thanks to comprehensive fraud prevention tactics and the new introduction of Interac Flash. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the Avengers, though I do think Interac should be given a place in the superhero hall of fame. 
Not sure about you, but as a small business owner, I get very few days off (and as a Mom, asking for help has been a lesson I haven’t quite mastered!). It’s strange that despite how hard I work in business, I tend to freeze up when my bank telephones. Am I overdrawn? What is wrong? Apparently I must be banking in the wrong place because when I watched this video I started tearing up and started craving a Montreal smoked meat sandwich!
A herd of caring Bank of Montreal bankers – branch managers, tellers and assistants – proved that they are truly there to help a hard-working client. Sheila, the Assistant Branch Manager, knew that Arash hadn’t had a day off from his deli since he started the business, and genuinely connected with his kindness and diligence. Sheila and her BMO team surprised Arash at his deli and send him to a local hotel for some coveted rest and relaxation while the bankers staffed the popular lunch spot.
I melted and tingled when I saw the video. The internet definitely needs more of this! His real tears and appreciation were contagious, and not only was he shocked, but the BMO staff were authentically thrilled to be there helping him out.
Dealing with fickle picky eaters can give moms and dads a bunch of extra grey hair, and at times it is hard to remember that fussy eating is a normal stage for kids when learning about themselves. Experts constantly weigh in on methods to ensure healthy eating and Jessica Seinfeld’s 
You can learn lots more about nutrition and health on the Iron Kids website, and they also have a great bi-weekly newsletter!
A: Aisle Seat: Get one on the left coming and right going down from Miami to Turks. Fly in the daytime to you can see the white beaches against the turquoise water.
C: Coconut Water is serves out of a fresh coconuts after an exceptional early morning Zumba class.
D: Dunes in Key West Village house hammocks overlooking the blue water.
E: Elegance exudes from every staff member, the presentation of each meal and the luxury of each resort room.
F: Firepits light up the night at Key West’s restaurants, surrounding you with earth, water, air and fire.
G: Grover is available to read aloud to your kids at bedtime in your own room!
K: Kitty Katt is a great catamaran available and included for all guests.
O: Over the top desserts mean you may want to pay attention to ‘Z’.
Q: Quaint sidewalk chalk sketches of Elmo are a joy to discover!
R: Raw Sushi at the Soy Sushi Bar is great – and I’m from Vancouver so I know my sushi. But if you don’t like sushi there are 19 other restaurants to choose from.
Y: Ye ol’ Pirate!
What will happen when you mix a liquid with a solid? Hmmmm. Not only will this little non-Newtonian fluid experiment to teach a bunch of scientific principles, but it will keep the kids busy for hours and clean up is easy if you can throw them and your utensils in the shower!
It’s that time of year when cherry blossoms pop out and science fair projects are top-of-mind. You might be travelling for March Break and getting questions about volcanic sand or downloading the latest star-gazing app to search for Orion’s belt. (My husband insists that Orion’s jock strap is also part of the constellation, so I’ve taken to handling the kids’ science education myself).
Here is our recipe for 
I’m really not a ‘perfect’ parent. I try, but sometimes after I’ve helped with the homework, prepared the ski bags, trimmed their nails and nagged about manners, I realize that the day’s proper nutrition didn’t quite happen. I used to be the mom who was obsessed with steaming homemade baby food and baking healthy snacks, but my youngest is an especially picky candy monster and sometime I simply don’t have the energy to battle about broccoli.
Bora Bora.
