Check out some examples of the challenges submitted by employer associations across Canada below.
Business Council of Canada
Should Canada’s strategy be to pursue electric battery vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or both? And to what degree should the government try to influence consumer choice versus relying primarily on competitive market forces?
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
How can we promote more engagement between Indigenous businesses, non-Indigenous businesses, and governments?
TECHNATION
More and more Canadians want to access government services online. How can modern technologies be used to deliver better services to Canadians, especially given COVID-19 and the challenges of both citizens and civil servants working remotely?
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
How have different sectors (such as fisheries, energy, mining, forestry, agri-food, human health and wellness, education, the arts, banking and insurance, technology, military, defence, national security, and tourism and recreation) responded to minimize risks related to severe environmental challenges?
Toronto Finance International
Canada is a resource intensive economy and it will be a big challenge to reduce our carbon footprint. Many Canadians are not aware that they can invest their savings in companies that are striving to lower Canada's carbon footprint. What can we do to help educate Canadians on the options and the power of directing their investment dollars towards this critical goal?
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
What kinds of strategies could organizations that support research, like NSERC, use to foster and grow a strong culture of science in Canada (e.g., to promote scientific literacy, and to interest more people in Canada to participate in and/or pursue careers in research)?
Business Council of Canada
Should Canada’s strategy be to pursue electric battery vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles or both? And to what degree should the government try to influence consumer choice versus relying primarily on competitive market forces?
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
How can we promote more engagement between Indigenous businesses, non-Indigenous businesses, and governments?
TECHNATION
More and more Canadians want to access government services online. How can modern technologies be used to deliver better services to Canadians, especially given COVID-19 and the challenges of both citizens and civil servants working remotely?
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
How have different sectors (such as fisheries, energy, mining, forestry, agri-food, human health and wellness, education, the arts, banking and insurance, technology, military, defence, national security, and tourism and recreation) responded to minimize risks related to severe environmental challenges?
Toronto Finance International
Canada is a resource intensive economy and it will be a big challenge to reduce our carbon footprint. Many Canadians are not aware that they can invest their savings in companies that are striving to lower Canada's carbon footprint. What can we do to help educate Canadians on the options and the power of directing their investment dollars towards this critical goal?
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
What kinds of strategies could organizations that support research, like NSERC, use to foster and grow a strong culture of science in Canada (e.g., to promote scientific literacy, and to interest more people in Canada to participate in and/or pursue careers in research)?
Testimonials
When I heard about this challenge, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I love problem solving, and this program was the perfect opportunity for a challenge. I saw it as a chance to innovative, and collaborate with new people, while learning and contributing to making an impact. I believe in our idea because I feel it is novel and will have the impact of change needed in the many hurdles faced in Canada’s COVID-19 recovery.
Lubna A.
University of Toronto
My name is Amber-Leah Margaret Timmons. I am attending the center for security and training management inc. In the comeback challenge, I worked with the Equal Voice. I most recently worked for G4S security company. I think that the world is a better place due to the Canada comeback challenge. I have been able to reach out to my community more since being a part of the comeback challenge. I even feel like the opportunities in this life for me are infinite now.
Amber T.
As a participant of the Canada Comeback Challenge, I loved how the BHER team adapted to the current situation. As a matter of fact, I thought that we were well supported and felt that if I needed anything, I could contact someone and get a detailed response in a short time. For example, my team and I submitted the wrong document. We only noticed the day after the final deposit, which led us to believe that we would be disadvantaged. But we contacted the team, and they were happy to give us a chance and let us hand over the good copy. Finally, I thought the first challenge was exciting and let me learn a bit more about a great ONG.
Ève R.
University of Ottawa
As a neuroscience graduate student, some of the aspects of the challenge regarding project development i.e. cost and risk analyses were completely foreign me and to our team so starting off the challenge seemed quite overwhelming. However, after taking the time to comb through the vast amount of resources available to us I came across the list of mentors and sent out an email and that same night met with Dinuka Gunaratne in Waterloo (over video conference). He gave great guidance to our team upon the areas we had little previous expertise which aided in our proposal. Overall, although the crunch was on (in terms of time), the Canada Comeback Challenge was an exciting, innovative way to give young Canadians, like myself a potential voice and an opportunity to bring our ideas to the table and tackle some large-scale, real-world problems.
Jared T.
Memorial University of Newfoundland
I had a great time working with City Studio Vancouver on their topic-How can municipal government effectively influence citizens to reduce consumption of single-use items, while adhering to pandemic safety protocols? How can we create a toolkit of promising best practices? I found the topic challenging because it was my first time looking into detail the use of single-use items in the community and the effects it has on the eco-system. It was very educative and informative for me and am glad I participated.
Olusegun O.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Bridgespace is thrilled to partner with Business + Higher Education Roundtable to support the Canada Comeback Challenge. Since our beginnings, we have been dedicated to provide skill-based and application-integrated learning for students in areas that support their career and personal development. We are excited to feature our virtual experience modules for participants of C3, and feel that this is an unparalleled opportunity to contribute meaningful innovations for Canada's private, public, and charitable sectors.
Leo X.
Co-Founder, Bridgespace.io
The opportunity to collaborate with the Canada Comeback Challenge was a pleasure! The real draw of this program was being able to reach the thousands of youth across the country involved through our Jack Talks, to share our resources with them, and to provide them with some knowledge and guidance of where to turn to should they or someone in their lives be struggling with their mental health.
Geneviève R.
Program Lead, Jack.org
MENTORS
Become a mentor
Why should you participate in the Canada Comeback Challenge?
Because it will...
- Provide meaningful work-integrated learning experiences for students, while also meeting the needs of Canada’s employers as they navigate their recovery from COVID-19.
- Provide access to the next generation of talent, at low risk and low cost, and enhance the work readiness of future grads.
- Create new links to post-secondary institutions, new thinking, and innovative ideas.
- Contribute to the development of solutions that benefit Canada’s economy and support the re-emergence of a prosperous, healthy society.
- Help improve your own communication and leadership skills and expand your professional network through a national competition and platform.
What is your role?
- Become a Canada Comeback Challenge mentor and help the next generation of workers develop their skills.
- Provide advice, guidance, and support to student teams tackling real-world challenges. Be a sounding board and a confidence booster.
- Minimal time commitment. Participate in a virtual mentorship community in round one and potentially serve as a dedicated mentor for teams that make it to the final round.
Want to become a mentor?
Email us at StudentChallenge@bher.ca or complete this form and we’ll get in touch.
POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS
Why should post-secondary institutions participate in the Canada Comeback Challenge?
Because it will...
- Create up to 10,000 quality WIL experiences that students can participate in online.
- Provide students access to skills development, professional development, mentoring, networking, extracurricular opportunities and up to $1,500 in financial support per 2-10-person team.
- Encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and create WIL opportunities for students in programs that do not currently have WIL.
- Connect businesses with the next generation of career-ready workers.
What is your role?
- Spread the word! Encourage your students to sign up and compete.
- Encourage leaders from your institutions to sign on as mentors.
- Stay looped in to receive promotional materials and ensure that your organization is up to date on what’s happening.
- Along the way, gain a national profile for your institutions and connections to the employers who recruit from them, especially if a student team from your institution makes it to the final round!
Want to know more?
Email us at StudentChallenge@bher.ca or complete this form and we’ll get in touch.
Partners
FAQ
What is the Canada Comeback Challenge?
The Canada Comeback Challenge creates opportunities for post-secondary students to contribute to Canada’s COVID-19 recovery while gaining valuable work-integrated learning (WIL) experience. Through a fun, skill-building national competition in an entirely online format, student teams will tackle real-world problems facing employers in Canada’s public, private, and non-profit sectors and compete for a chance to pitch their ideas to an esteemed panel of judges.
Why do we need the Canada Comeback Challenge?
The time is right for students and employers to work together to address the unprecedented transformation brought about by COVID-19. This federally-funded initiative, announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in June as part of a $9 billion support package for post-secondary students and recent graduates, empowers students, links them with employers and increases Canada’s capacity to address the social and economic challenges brought about by the global pandemic.
Do students need a team before they sign up?
No, by creating an account on studentchallenge.bher.ca before the sign-up deadline, students will have time to network with peers across Canada to find those with similar project interests to collaborate and build a team.
What is the Canada Comeback Challenge
We recognize that students are busy, so we want to make sure you get as much out of this as you give. Here's what you can expect:
Access to curated resources for professional and career development, health and wellness, and diversity and inclusion.
Access to at least $250 of funding per student to ensure you have everything you need to fully participate in the Canada Comeback Challenge. Take a look at the general challenge related resources for access to a few important documents (in PDF).
Access to a maximum of $4,000 per team to further develop your solution and pitch if you make it to round two.
Access to a virtual mentorship community in round 1 and dedicated employer mentors for teams that make it to rounds 2 and 3.
Connect you with employers. Top teams will pitch their ideas to professionals in a competition to win prizes.
Prizes worth ~$2,000 from industry partner sponsors available for the top teams (partner examples: Top hat, better u, IBM, Kivuto solutions).
Special invitation to participate in an exclusive pan-Canadian community of young leaders with access to our employer network.
Opportunity for Summer 2021 internships with partner associations and a chance to implement your idea within the organization.
Subscriptions to LinkedIn Premium for top teams!
Monthly and weekly giveaway draws – giveaways include tech gadgets and gift cards.
Are recent graduates eligible to participate?
Yes. As long as they have graduated since December 2019.
Are international students eligible to participate?
Yes, as long as they are currently enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution.
Do students have to be in their first degree or diploma to participate?
At least 50% of the team must be students in their first degree or diploma. The other half of the team can be students enrolled in graduate or professional studies.