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Each summer since 2020, NB-IRDT has hosted Pathways to Professions – a 13-week experiential learning program that provides post-secondary students in New Brunswick with the opportunity to participate in hands-on, NB-relevant research while attending a full curriculum of networking sessions and skills-boosting workshops. Pathways to Professions (P2P) is an annual highlight for NB-IRDT, and as our fourth year of P2P comes to a close, we want to reflect on the rewarding summer we’ve had.

Through P2P, we aim to show students the incredible impact they can have as leaders in the NB labour force. By involving them in research that matters to their communities – and introducing them to job opportunities in research, academia, industry, and government – we hope to encourage the next generation to remain active and engaged in shaping the future of our province. Thanks to this summer’s dedicated students, 2023 was a wonderful year of growth, new partnerships, and far-reaching research that directly impacted local organizations.

Learn more about P2P, 2023 Program in Review, this year’s research projects, and our students’ experiences.

Snapshot of P2P 2023:

• This was the second year of our ongoing partnership with Future GNB / Avenir GNB, which allowed us to provide professional skills workshops outside of P2P – for the first time – to 34 GNB student interns.
• We piloted a new partnership with Ignite, which led to the creation of a new research stream to contribute directly to Ignite’s economic development initiatives.
• We hosted 8 research projects: 3 through NB-IRDT, 4 through Future GNB, and 1 through Ignite. Topics included economic indicators, the housing market, chronic disease diagnoses, midwifery services, web and market analysis, and initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• We hosted 26 student researchers: 10 with NB-IRDT, 8 with Future GNB, 3 with Ignite, and 5 former P2P students who returned as program assistants.
• For the first time, students in the VitalSignsNB research streams were able to access and work with administrative data in NB-IRDT’s secure lab.
• We hosted an audience of over 100 stakeholders at the final P2P presentation.

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

Meet the 2023 Training Assistant and Editor of This Year’s Program in Review

Hannah is going into her fourth year completing a bachelor of science in psychology at Mount Allison University. 2023 was her second year with P2P, and during her time with NB-IRDT she developed a passion for knowledge mobilization and delivering research with accessibility for all population. As the P2P Training Assistant for the summer, Hannah embraced the opportunity to build her design and outreach skills to make her career dream a reality. In her spare time, Hannah loves bouldering, crossfit, and spending time with friends and family.

Thank you, Hannah, for assembling this year’s Program in Review!