Program Coordinator, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Public Administration, Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) 2017

Tell prospective students a bit about the work you do?

Currently I am a Program Coordinator with the Sport, Recreation and Community Programs Division at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS). As a member of the Community Programs Unit , our team is responsible for the grant administration and program delivery of the Ontario After School (ASP) Program and the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund (OSRCF). On a regular basis, I provide analysis of the participation and financial reports of our stakeholders, examine any inconsistencies and flag concerns for management. My written communication skills have been honed through extensive use of the Microsoft Office suite of programs, providing briefing and approval notes, as well as establishing spreadsheets of consolidated funding reports for the various programs our unit is responsible for.

As Program Coordinator, I have been able to work on a variety of projects that span the areas of policy analysis and program evaluation. Some examples of my work include the following:

• The Equity Factor Rubric to assess the unique costs stakeholders in Ontario face in delivering the Ontario After School Program, which would feed into a new funding formula. For this project I conducted research of public and internal reports to extract key information, including increased cost of food and living in northern Ontario. This new rubric was modeled with all existing ASP recipients and I provided my findings into a briefing note indicating the impact it would have on a new funding formula with organizations.
• Development of a Year-End Survey for grant recipients to provide the ministry with feedback on the effectiveness of the Ontario After School Program. A final report was provided, which included findings and recommended improvements to assist in the development and implementation of updated programs, procedures and guidelines.

Tell prospective students a bit about how your studies at York helped you to get where you are today.

I graduated from the Bachelor of Public Administration with a specialization in Management in June 2017. During my undergraduate degree, I applied through the Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) Program to be a summer student intern with the Ontario Public Service. This landed me in the MTCS, and specifically with Community Programs. At the end of my second term as a summer student, I applied and was successful for the Program Officer position in the Culture Division within the ministry. This opportunity provided me with hands-on experience working with unique stakeholders outside the sport and recreation environment. Since then, I have taken on a contract position as program coordinator with Community Programs again, which began in March, 2018.

The transferrable skills I learned at York were critical to my success: oral, written and communication skills are highly valued throughout the Ontario Public Service, and the ability to convey complex problems succinctly is very important. As well, the ability to work in a team setting helped me understand leadership styles, delegating important tasks and working towards a common goal.

Over the past year, I have been extremely fortunate to have had a number of different positions since graduation. The opportunities I have had would not have been possible without the education I received at York University.

I owe the successes of my professional and personal development to the following factors about the School of Public Policy and Administration:

• Theoretical foundation and interesting courses. Subjects such as Canadian Government, Public Law, Public Administration and Advanced Public Policy Analysis allowed me to develop a foundation for strong writing and research skills. These have proven necessary in my current work environment.
• Tangible work relevant skills taught in courses such as Professional Skills and Communication, Project Management, Statistics and Accounting.
• Experiential learning courses that allow you to gain real life work experience outside the classroom. In my fourth year, I participated in the Practicum, and served one day a week for two semesters at the York Region Rapid Transit office. I was exposed to the implementation of large scale infrastructure projects and witnessed the role public administration plays to ensure negotiations are done in a formal yet respectful way.
• Career management focus. From weekly newsletters that inform you about job postings and upcoming conferences to the annual Summer Jobs and Internships Workshop - all these supports teach students resume and interview tips as well as share information about student employment opportunities. I felt comfortable and prepared enough to apply to the SEO in my 2nd year after an information session I attended hosted by graduates of the program.
• Opportunities to participate in student government. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer with the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) for 4 years, in the roles of Director of Recruitment, Vice-President and President. Our events brought students together to network and help each other gain work relevant skills.
• Mentoring opportunities with alumni of the program who share industry insights and support your career development.
• Diversity in perspectives from students of different ages and work experience backgrounds. Throughout my program, I worked with peers who provided thought-provoking new ideas and perspectives. Being exposed to different ways of thinking during class discussions helped me to think more broadly about the particular situation and made my learning more practical.
• Opportunities to attend public events and meet political influencers. Through events like the annual Networking Event and Queen's Park Reception and Breakfast we have had the opportunity to meet influential leaders such as the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell; Ontario’s Secretary of the Cabinet, Steve Orsini and the Former Premier of Ontario, Bob Rae.

I thoroughly enjoy my current role and am excited about whatever opportunities are next. All of this would not have been possible without York University and the School of Public Policy and Administration, and for that I am grateful.