WELLINGTON – March 7, 2025 – All Island students heading off to university or college in the fall, including June 2025 high school graduates, are invited to apply for RDÉE Prince Edward Island’s paid PERCÉ summer internships.

Coordinator Natalia Saldarriaga and PERCÉ program manager Julie Gallant are issuing a final call to interested students, as the absolute deadline for applications is Monday, March 31. Up to 35 interns can be accepted again this year.

“The program offers you training on topics such as self-knowledge, job preparation and discovering Island career opportunities. Afterwards, you’ll benefit from 10 to 12 weeks of work experience with an Island employer in your field of study,” points out Saldarriaga, ”You’ll receive the normal salary of a typical entry-level worker in your field on the Island.”

She adds that the PERCÉ program can help students find a place of employment, but if they themselves identify an employer willing to hire them, their chances of being accepted into the program will increase. PERCÉ will reimburse employers for a portion of the student’s salary. Bilingualism (French/English) will be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

“This work experience in your field will give you a taste of your future career, as well as a distinct advantage over your classmates when it comes to finding a permanent job after graduation,” she says.

22 SUMMERS OF INTERNSHIPS

“2025 is our 22nd year offering this wonderful internship program,” program manager Gallant proudly points out. “Many of the 505 students who have participated over the years continue to tell us that their participation in the PERCÉ program has made a world of difference to their educational and career paths. For some, their internship proved that they were absolutely on the right track and loved the work. Sometimes they realized how much they still had to learn to be able to do the job they wanted to do. And for some, their internship made them see that this kind of work isn’t really what they thought or wanted and convinced them to change programs.”

Gallant adds that PERCÉ aims to encourage young people to return to the Island after their studies, since there are so many PEI positions that remain unfilled. “Employers in our province are always looking for well-trained people in professional fields such as health, education, the various sciences, engineering and all the trades in the construction industry, to name just a few.”

A few years ago, RDÉE ÎPÉ produced a short promotional video that further explains the program; it can be viewed at https://youtu.be/BBnAC-PJS9w.

For more information, or to apply, visit www.percepe.ca. Any questions can be sent to Saldarriaga at perce@rdeeipe.org.

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PHOTO: Julie Gallant (left), RDÉE PEI’s PERCÉ manager, and coordinator Natalia Saldarriaga review the PERCÉ summer internship application form. They warn that the March 31st deadline is fast approaching.

 

For further information, please contact

Julie Gallant
PERCÉ program manager
RDÉE Prince Edward Island
(902) 954-1286
julie@rdeeipe.org

Natalia Saldarriaga
PERCÉ program coordinator
RDÉE Prince Edward Island
(250) 253-5794
perce@rdeeipe.org