My name is 
Julie MacKay, and I am a Program Officer Intern with SkillsPEI. My responsibilities are to assess client eligibility to meet program requirements and receive funding from us as well as the development and maintenance of funding agreements while clients go through our programs. I have been working with the Government of PEI on and off since the summer of 2020, both in part-time and full-time capacities.
The most valuable skills that I have learned while working here is effective communication. A big part of my job entails collaborating with co-workers and collecting information from individuals and employers who are or are looking to receive funding from us. This includes emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings/site visits. During their agreements I also connect with them on an on-going basis to ensure everything is going well and that they have all the supports from us that they need. Communication is something that I use professionally and personally, so learning how to do that more effectively has been very valuable.
What surprised me most about working here is all the different programs that SkillsPEI has to offer. To name a few, there are programs to help businesses keep up with industry training, help individuals explore and find new career paths, and to help students fund their education. Before I started working here back in 2020, Career Connect and Training PEI were probably the only programs that I knew about. I was surprised at not only the number of programs run by us, but also the variety.