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General Information
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What is the objective of the Toronto Urban Fellows Program? |
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The objective of the Toronto Urban Fellows program is to provide talented early-career professionals with an intensive introduction to the City of Toronto’s governance and administrative systems, services and policy landscape through a combination of full-time work experience and participation in a series of workshops, seminars, and tours. |
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When does the Toronto Urban Fellows program start and end? |
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The 2011-2012 program runs from October 2011 to October 2012. |
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In addition to the two six-month placements, what kinds of professional development opportunities are there for Toronto Urban Fellows? |
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Toronto Urban Fellows receive a comprehensive orientation and participate in a series of workshops, tours and seminars throughout the year. These activities:
- Expose Urban Fellows to prototypical urban governance, policy development and service delivery challenges; and
- Provide Urban Fellows with an opportunity to meet and network with a distinguished group of senior government officials, academics, business and community leaders.
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Who is responsible for the Toronto Urban Fellows program? |
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The City of Toronto’s Strategic & Corporate Policy division and Human Resources division jointly manage the Toronto Urban Fellows program on behalf of the Toronto Public Service. |
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Assignments
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How are Urban Fellows matched with host division assignments? |
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As part of the orientation in the first week of the program, Urban Fellows learn about the host division assignments offered during the initial six-month rotation period (October 2011 to April 2012).
A mutual interview and selection process is then used to match Urban Fellows with host division assignments and Project Guides, (the directors, managers or senior professionals with and for whom they work). While individual preferences are taken into account, Urban Fellows are not guaranteed their top choice assignment, and may be matched to any participating City division.
The mutual interview and selection process is repeated half way through the year to match Urban Fellows with the host division assignments offered during the second six-month rotation period (April 2012 to October 2012).
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Should I indicate an interest in a specific City division when applying to the program? |
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No. Candidates apply to gain entry to the Urban Fellows Program itself, not for a specific host division assignment. Individuals who gain entry to the program will have an opportunity to learn more about – and express an interest in – specific assignments offered by host divisions in October 2011. |
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Eligibility & Application Process
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Do I need to have already graduated in order to apply to this program? |
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No. If you are currently enrolled in a Master's or PhD level program, you will need to meet all of your academic criteria in order to graduate and be eligible to convocate by October. You will need to provide a letter from your school confirming this if you are selected for an interview. |
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Do I need to be a Canadian citizen to be a Toronto Urban Fellow? |
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No. However, you must be legally entitled to work in Canada for the duration of the program. Therefore, if you are not a Canadian citizen, you must be a permanent resident of Canada or possess written authority to work in Canada from an immigration officer as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. |
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What is the application deadline for the 2011-2012 Toronto Urban Fellows program? |
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The recruitment process for 2011/2012 is now closed. |
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May I submit a paper application? |
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No, An application (resume and cover letter) must be submitted electronically.
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Can I make changes to my application after I submit it? |
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No. Once you have submitted your application, you cannot make changes to it. |
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How does the selection process work? |
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The selection process for candidates is a two-part process:
- First, based on a review of candidates' cover letters and resumes, a selection of highly ranked applicants will be asked to prepare and submit a short written assignment
- Second, based on a careful review of the candidates' written assignments and applications, individuals identified as finalists will be invited for an interview.
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I’ve been invited to an interview for the Toronto Urban Fellows program. What should I expect? |
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You will be interviewed by a three-person panel. Members of the interview panel will take turns asking you questions. Your answers will be scored against a set of pre-determined criteria. At the end of your interview, you will have a chance to ask the interview panel a few questions. |
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When will written assignments take place and selected finalists be interviewed? |
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Selected candidates will be asked to prepare a short written assignment in late June or early July, 2011. Interviews for finalists will be held in late July or early August. |
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When can I expect to hear back from the City about the status of my application? |
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All candidates will receive a response from the City by June 30, 2011. Please do not inquire about the status of your application before this date.
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Employment Conditions & Benefits
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What is the employment status of Toronto Urban Fellows? |
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Toronto Urban Fellows are:
- Temporary employees of the City of Toronto;
- Hired on a one-year contract by the Strategic & Corporate Policy division (City Manager’s Office);
- Management/exempt staff.
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What happens to Toronto Urban Fellows when the program is over? |
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Upon completion of the program, Urban Fellows are not guaranteed employment with the City of Toronto. However, program participants who perform well will be strongly encouraged to apply for relevant vacancies.
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Contact Us
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If you have further questions about the Toronto Urban Fellows program, please contact us by email: urbanfellows@toronto.ca
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