By Victoria Handysides
Thanks to a provincial government sponsored internship program, Dana Schmidt is getting a first hand look at how municipal government works in Stony Plain.
“I’ve always been interested in government at any level, and this internship was a great way to get right in there,” she says.
Schmidt is one of 15 recent post-secondary grads from around the province selected to take part in the program. It’s “part of the formula that supports the growth and development of municipalities while also helping Alberta students pursue a career in local government.”
Having started in 2002, the yearlong internship program has proven to be a great way to get students connected to municipal government, and to connect municipalities with fresh young employees.
“We provide the students the opportunity to work in administration, finance, human resources, recreation, and protective services,” said Bill Strickland, who’s with Alberta Municipal Affairs.
“We give them a broad perspective of opportunities during their placements to see sometimes where their interests are, and also just to give them a flavour for how a municipality works.”
Schmidt has just completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Alberta, where she majored in political science.
Having grown up in Spruce Grove, she has a special connection to the area that made her application for the program that much more appealing.
“All of the students were selected based on the strength of their applications, and certainly Dana’s application was very strong,” Strickland said.
Having been in a post-secondary program that deals with the types of jobs and responsibilities involved in government, Schmidt said she’s enjoying now getting to be part of the process, rather than just learning about it.
“It’s been a huge learning curve. I’m getting my head around everything that I’ve read, and retaining all the information.”
It’s also been a useful way for her to apply what she has learned in classes, and a wonderful opportunity to learn hands-on she added.
While her placement in municipal administration is set for one year, afterward Schmidt plans to remain involved with government on some level, having great appreciation for what she’s seen and learned thus far about what it takes to run a town like Stony Plain.
“I’ve really seen that Stony Plain and the people I’m working with are so proactive on some many issues and are really going forward on a lot of new things, like the recycling program and different initiatives. There isn’t a lot I would change, because it seems like a very dynamic organization here that leaves so much room for any kind of endeavour.