Investing in Indigenous students
TELUS is proud to partner with aligned organizations to build unique opportunities to support Indigenous students in their studies and career development.
Investing in Indigenous students is key to supporting long-term growth of our communities and increases Indigenous Peoples representation in the workforce. According to The Centre for Indigenous Innovation and Technology and Akawe Technologies, despite being close to 5 per cent of the total population in Canada, Indigenous Peoples represent just 1.4 per cent of the workforce with a post-secondary education in STEM fields.
TELUS Student Bursary
The TELUS Student Bursary program, launched in 2023, includes a partnership with Indspire to provide bursaries to Indigenous students across Canada pursuing post-secondary education. Together, we have supported more than 50 First Nations, Métis or Inuit students from coast-to-coast-to-coast. TELUS is proud to highlight the inspiring journeys of a few recent bursary students.
Candace
Métis Nation of Alberta
“Our struggles don’t define our limits,” Candace tells the youth who gather around her. “They become our superpowers for helping others.”
Cassity
Shoal Lake #40 First Nation
“Growing up, I faced the realities of addiction, mental illness and abuse within my family. These hardships have fueled me to strive toward a career in a community-based role and inspire other Indigenous youth by showing that it’s possible to overcome adversity.”
Nickla
Beausoleil First Nation
“We see countless examples of one-sided reporting, double standards and systemic injustices. I want to change that narrative and ensure Indigenous voices are heard authentically in Canadian media.”
Xavier
Georgian Bay Métis
“I am looking forward to bringing these learnings back to my community and continuing to work on building ethical, inclusive and Indigenous-centered AI solutions.”
Finding meaningful connections through early experiences in technology
As a second-year computer science student at the University of Calgary, Colby Thompson’s connection with TELUS began as a recipient of the TELUS Student Bursary, our program that supports post-secondary students across the country who give back in their local communities and are committed to a social impact project.
This initial relationship evolved when Thompson was encouraged by the TELUS Bursary team to apply for a co-op position in information security at TELUS Health Canada that was specifically designed for an Indigenous student interested in technology.
Thompson, who describes herself as an extrovert, had one key reservation about a career in technology. “I think the only thing that ever drew me back from tech was like, ‘Okay, I’m just going to be sitting at a computer all day, not really interacting with people.'”
But at TELUS, Thompson found herself collaborating with team members across the globe and engaging in fascinating projects.
During her four-month co-op term, Thompson worked on developing information security training programs for TELUS Health team members while gaining exposure to data policy development and risk management. These programs are part of TELUS’ ongoing commitment to ensuring that data handling practices are responsible within every part of the business and respect our customers’ privacy at the highest standards.
The interpersonal connections and cultural experiences are just as important during a co-op experience. Simon Townsend, the Director Thompson reports to, shared, “Within our TELUS Health CSO team, we always try to recognise and celebrate our diverse backgrounds, providing an inclusive environment for our team members to feel empowered to discuss cultural and social topics.”
As a Métis student working alongside team members in different countries, her team was welcoming and interested in actively engaging with her culture, asking her to share her favorite organizations supporting Indigenous youth so they could get involved.
“When I learned of the Indigenous co-op programme I felt our team would be a great fit for Colby, and an opportunity for our team members to learn about her experience and background,” Townsend said. Thompson described really appreciating that her team was interested in learning about the diverse cultures of their teammates.
“TELUS really focuses on social impact, your values, how you interact with people and your communication skills, which I don’t think are necessarily measured in other internships and co-ops or jobs in general,” Thompson said.
Through her co-op experience, Thompson discovered that a career in technology could align with both her technical interests and her desire for meaningful human connection, even in a virtual setting. She was encouraged to come back to TELUS for a second co-op term with the same team, this time focusing on building a reporting system for cyber security incidents within TELUS Health.
Providing meaningful co-op experiences for Indigenous students is a core commitment of TELUS’ Indigenous employment strategy. These early opportunities to learn new skills, build confidence in a professional setting and develop relationships are important for not just the student, but for everyone who has the privilege of contributing to their educational journey.
