Helping enterprising and entrepreneurial Ontario students develop a broader understanding of the global economy

Program Description

The Ontario Global Edge program gives students a firsthand opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and the role of small and medium-sized businesses in a global economy. 

The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade provides grants to selected, publicly-funded postsecondary institutions to deliver the Ontario Global Edge program.  By delivering through post-secondary institutions, the ministry is able to leverage their existing international networks and infrastructure.  Institutions support students, between the ages of 19 and 29, to gain international entrepreneurship experience and skills to effectively engage in the global marketplace. 

Ontario Global Edge’s key objectives are to:

• Enable participants to develop a broader awareness of the global economy
• Encourage enterprising Ontario youth to explore internationional business
• Illustrate the importance of entrepreneurs and opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses within a global marketplace
• Build and expand an entrepreneurial awareness among post-secondary students and institutions

Program Status

Following a successful pilot over the summer of 2007, the program was announced in the March 2008 Ontario Budget to target up to 175 students over four program years (2008-09 to 2011-12).  The pilot program provided 12 students with international work experience in multi-national corporations around the world.

The 2008-09 Ontario Global Edge program supported a total of 14 placements through four postsecondary institutions (Confederation College, Seneca College, University of Ottawa and University of Waterloo).  For the 2009-10 through 2011-12 programs years, the program is on track to achieve its target of 50 placements per year.  To achieve this target, five additional postsecondary institutions were approved to deliver the program.  The nine postsecondary institutions that provide the Ontario Global Edge program are:

Confederation College		Fanshaw College
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology		George Brown College of Applied Arts & Technology
University of Ottawa		Niagara College of Applied Arts & Technology
University of Waterloo		University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Carleton University

 

Student Eligibility

In delivering the program, colleges and universities select students who are:

• Between the ages of 19 and 29.
• Of the age of majority for the country in which their international placement will occur.
• Full-time Ontario postsecondary students, as defined by the postsecondary institution. Students are required to return to school following their placements.
• Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
• Entrepreneurial, for example, have participated in the Ministry’s Summer Company program; owned or operated a small business; have participated in entrepreneurial clubs or associations; and/or currently in or have completed entrepreneurial certificates, courses or programs.

Additional eligibility criteria may be imposed by participating postsecondary institutions.  Students interested in participating in the Ontario Global Edge program must be attending one of the institutions delivering the program. 

Since the program began students have had entrepreneurship placements in the following locations:

• Africa – Botswana, Kenya, South Africa
• Europe – England, Scotland, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Germany
• Middle East – United Arab Emirates
• The Caribbean – Antigua, Jamaica
• Asia – Indonesia, Hong Kong
• The Americas – Bolivia, Panama, Peru, the U.S.
• Australia

Questions

Questions pertaining to the Ontario Global Edge program should be directed to global.edge@ontario.ca