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External Events & Opportunities


External Events & Opportunities

Below is a list of upcoming events and opportunities hosted by ORCA Stakeholders and Commercial Partners that aim to educate, inform, and inspire ORCA Operator Members and the retirement community sector at large.

The following events are not endorsed by ORCA and are intended as resources only.

Upcoming Dates

Humber College Field Experience Students – Get your postings in now!
Create your posting by September 25, 2023

1. Hospitality – Hotel & Restaurant Operations Management Diploma 

  12 weeks , 24 hours per week for a minimum total of 288 hours 

   Between January 8 and April 5, 2024

      Students in this program may work in hotels, banquet or golf facilities, tourist attractions, retirement, or long-term care facilities (in hospitality related positions) or food & beverage front of house positions (no culinary) for their placements.

2. Hospitality – Event Management Diploma    

  Minimum total of 160  hours

   Between January 8 and April 19, 2024

      Students in this program may work with event planners,  with banquet or other venues that host events, with festivals, with supplier companies within the event sector, and in fundraising environments involved with events.

3. Tourism – Travel Services Management Diploma 

   14 weeks, 16-24 hours per week for a minimum total of 224 hours 

   Between January 8 and April 19, 2024

      Students in this program may work with a tour operator, travel wholesaler, travel agency, airline or tourism marketing board for their field placements. Students are TICO certified

​***Paid opportunities are encouraged, as students may use paid employment opportunities to fulfill their field experience requirement. Offering paid opportunities may also increase applicant pool and attract the top candidates. Most students will be available for full time employment following completion of their field placement.  In lieu of pay, employers can choose to offer stipends or honorariums. Unpaid opportunities will be accepted.***

Posting a Field Experience Opportunity:

Easily create a profile & post a position in less than 10 minutes on http://careerconnect.humber.ca/facultyofbusiness

For quick step-by-step tutorials on how to navigate the website and post jobs you can visit ​the following links:

How to Register For CareerConnect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpHideiFtDw

How to Post a Job on CareerConnect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdjLXVJMcYE

Students will begin applying for placements at the end of September and Humber College requests that you create your postings by Monday, September 25, 2023, so they can ensure there is a broad pool of candidates to choose from. Students will have until the end of November to secure and confirm their field placements.

AgeTech Labs Survey
Summer 2023

AgeTech Labs tests technology products designed for seniors against vendor claims of functionality and performance, in real-world settings, to establish a baseline of performance. We publish these reviews to help operators sort through the marketplace clutter to confidently understand the products available, and how well they work. Current reviews include fall detection technologies and food delivery robots, available for free at www.agetechlabs.ca.

We are inviting operators to help us shape our journey, weigh in on the services that matter most to them, and be part of the ongoing dialogue. We would be grateful for your input through a short survey. Thank you in advance!

Mohawk College Seeking Placements for Nursing and PSW Students
Summer 2023

Mohawk College is looking to place its nursing and PSW students in retirement homes in the areas of Hamilton, Brantford, Halton, Haldimand, Dunnville, Niagara, Norfolk, and surrounding regions this summer. Homes that offer memory care, assisted living, and transitional care beds are preferred.

The student would have to be staffed with a PSW/RPN/RN team member during the placement, and opportunities to perform skills such as mechanical lifts, 1-2 person transfers, peri care, feeding, and oral care are desired.

If you are interested in learning more about this student placement opportunity, please contact Kaleigh Rudge from Mohawk College directly.

Student Placement Opportunity for Retirement Home Operators 
Now until end of summer 

Colleges and Institutes Canada is offering retirement homes up to a $5,000 wage subsidy to hire a student for two-to-four months through the Supportive Care Assistant (SCA) Program.

Until the end of this summer, the SCA Program is looking to partner with retirement homes that want to connect and hire new talent (students) looking for work. Colleges and Institutes Canada is seeking additional retirement homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Peterborough, Waterloo, St. Catherine’s, Brampton, and London.

The micro-certificate program was created to attract and rapidly train more workers for the personal care sector, and students can assist staff and support residents by performing non-clinical activities such as assisting with mealtimes, grooming, and more.

The program can also help accelerate the next step of a student’s career or upskill an existing worker. Graduates of the SCA program can also receive $5,000 to pursue further studies and become a certified Personal Support Worker.

For questions, or if your home is interested in hiring a student through the program, please email SCA-APSS@collegesinstitutes.ca. You can also learn more about the program through the employer partner page.

Social Service Worker Gerontology Student Placement Opportunities: Seneca College, King Campus
September 5, 2023 – April 17, 2024 – 440 hours required

Second-year students enrolled in the Social Service Worker Gerontology program at Seneca College, King Campus, are seeking placement opportunities for the 2023 Fall/Winter semester. The placement details include:

  1. Start date: September 5, 2023
  2. End date: April 17, 2024
  3. Placement days: Tuesday and Wednesday
  4. 440 hours are required (combined for both semesters)

If your home is interested in hosting a student from this program or would like more information, please contact Charmaine Hugh from Seneca College directly.

Share with Your Residents: Later Life Learning – A Seniors’ Education Program in Partnership with the University of Toronto
Starting September 2023 

Later Life Learning (LLL), a group of seniors who want to continue to learn and also interact with others, are now offering courses both in-person, hybrid (in-person and on-line), and on-line. Due to the multiple ways of delivering the courses, LLL can accommodate an increased number of members in many of them.

Starting this September, LLL will offer four different series, each with 10 lectures. Seniors may enroll in one or more of the following:

• Impressionists and the City
• The Middle East on the Move
• The Films of Steven Spielberg
• Getting away From It All – A History of Tourism

To learn more, please view the flyer or visit LLLtoronto.org. Questions can be directed to LLL@LLLtoronto.org.

AgeTech Innovation Week
October 23-27, 2023

Hosted by AGE-WELL, AgeTech Innovation Week will be the premiere event for technology and innovation for aging and caregiving this year.

AgeTech Innovation Week will bring together stakeholders in research, industry, government and community organizations, older adults, caregivers, future leaders and others committed to enhancing lives through technology. Get ready for inspiring keynote presentations, dynamic panel discussions, the latest AgeTech innovations, workshops, networking opportunities, and more.

Five days of activities will be built around two exciting anchor events: the AGE-WELL Annual Conference  featuring the latest research along with discussion of current issues by global and Canadian thought leaders; and the inaugural envisAGE Annual Forum, co-hosted by MEDTEQ+ and AGE-WELL, spotlighting SME and startup-driven innovation in partnership with health and community-based organizations.

Meet and share ideas with leaders in the AgeTech sector in Canada and elsewhere. Explore challenges and opportunities for getting technology into people’s hands, and generating socio-economic impact. Discover innovations that will shape the future of aging.

Join attendees from Canada and around the world from October 23-27, 2023 at the Hilton Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. Register for one or multiple AgeTech Innovation Week anchor events! To learn more and register, visit: www.agetechinnovationweek.com

AgeTech Live and Up Close Virtual Tour by AGE-WELL
October 24, 2023

In October, innovative technologies designed to benefit us as we age will be on display during AGE-WELL’s AgeTech Innovation Week. AGE-WELL wants to make sure people across Canada and beyond have an opportunity to see what’s available and coming soon. Join them from anywhere! You, your residents, and your staff will receive a live virtual tour of featured technologies, be able to ask questions, and see demos through individual viewing or watch events set up at your home.

This is a first-of-its-kind virtual/online experience meant to give you real access and engagement with leaders in technology and aging.

To learn more about the event and register, please click here. Questions can be directed to agetechtour@agewell-nce.ca.

Share an Event

Are you an ORCA Stakeholder or Commercial Partner and would like to share your organization’s event/opportunity on this page? Fill out the form below.
If you have any questions about the submission process, please contact Ania Sawala, Manager, Membership, Events & Sponsorship, at ania@orcaretirement.com.