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It seems like just yesterday that NB-IRDT was hosting its very first Pathways to Professions experiential learning program – or P2P, as we like to call it. Now, three years later, we are saying goodbye to yet another cohort of students after a wonderful summer of research and training.

The newly released 2022 program in review offers an in-depth look into this summer’s professionalism workshops, our students’ experiences, and the New Brunswick-relevant research projects they worked on.

2022: A year of new partnerships and growth

P2P is a 13-week experiential research program that offers post-secondary students in NB a paid opportunity to become involved in research on priority areas in the province, such as health care, education, population demographics, and more. Along with hands-on research, P2P also offers students the opportunity to enhance their employability through training in interpersonal and technical skills, such as effective writing, emotional intelligence, assertiveness, and other in-demand areas.

Looking back on the past three seasons of P2P, we are so proud of how far we've come - from launching with six students and two research streams in 2020 to hosting 32 students divided among eight research streams in 2022. We hired P2P student alumni to return as mentors to help us run the program, and we even brought back a team of student researchers (P2P+) to take their research even further.

Welcoming Future GNB in a pilot partnership in 2022 has allowed us to grow P2P in both size and reach. With Future GNB project leads joining our program, four new research streams were created to contribute directly to ongoing government initiatives:

• EqualityNB – updating the province’s Equality Profile
• InvitationNB – understanding New Brunswickers’ Pride of Place
• RecruitNB – identifying future labour gaps in the province’s public service
• YouthSucceedNB – supporting the province’s youth in care

On the NB-IRDT side, our researchers brought back three recurring research streams, with the addition of one new one:

• BoostNB – Measuring the province’s progress toward economic goals
• P2P+ – Examining the mental health impacts of COVID-19
• PopNB – Characterizing the province’s urban and rural populations
• VitalSignsNB – Understanding the impact of access to healthcare

While working on separate NB-IRDT and Future GNB research projects, the student teams shared core P2P skills-building experiences, coming together each week for workplace readiness workshops facilitated by NB-IRDT and to present their work to their peers. Thanks to our new partners, P2P 2022 was our biggest and best year yet.

Want more information on our students’ projects and results? Subscribe to the NB-IRDT newsletter to see our monthly Student Spotlight series.

Meet the P2P Student Outreach Coordinator

The 2022 Program in Review would not exist without the hard work and creative determination of Anna Swimm, the 2022 P2P Student Outreach Coordinator.

Anna is in her fourth year at the University of New Brunswick, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English and Media Arts and Cultures. After Anna graduates, she aspires to manage and produce social media posts for a publishing company or a government outreach program. When she isn't studying for school, she can be found either biking or spending time with her amazing friends and family.

Thank you, Anna, for all your hard work this summer! We wish you all the best for the coming school year.

Are you interested in being involved with P2P as a student, a researcher, or a partner? Email us for more information on the program and how you can play a role in the future of research in New Brunswick.