ISED French Support Working Group
The French Support Working Group within the Canadian Intellectual Property Office has been continually successful in keeping its work and communications tools consistent, with quality information in both French and English.
In 2016, the group went a step beyond and volunteered its services to create an online tool that enriches employees' professional use of French. They also developed a terminological database specific to the field of patents. Some of these terms have been added to the Government of Canada's Termium Plus terminology and linguistic databank, one of the largest in the world. The group's innovation and leadership resulted in exceptional service to the public and earned members a 2016 Public Service Award of Excellence.
InterConnex at ISED
Equipping the next generation of leaders and maximizing their talents has been a main focus at ISED. That is why we started InterConnex, an employee-driven community of engaged public servants with diverse levels of experience.
Members of the ISED workforce who take advantage of this community are provided with outreach, professional development and networking opportunities that fit their unique needs and enable them to expand their knowledge and skill sets, while diversifying their perspectives. To meet those goals, InterConnex offered more than 25 events in 2016, engaging hundreds of employees at all levels in the department. For example, this year over 40 ISED public service professionals took part in a career advisory panel, where they met with a panel of senior executives and managers to discuss their professional development. See what our ISED employees had to say about their experience:
The Career Advisory Panel was a great opportunity to interact with senior managers and receive great career insights and guidance. All my questions were answered and I continue to apply the practical advice that I learned. I highly encourage all employees to register and take advantage of this initiative.
—Hanad Robleh, Junior Policy Analyst, Corporate Management Sector, National Capital Region
I was able to have candid conversations with executives who really seemed to have my best interests in mind. They gave me plenty of suggestions and advice as it relates to my personal journey as a public servant. It was a wonderful opportunity to gain insights through open and genuine
discussion.
—Kim Deochand, Analyst, Corporations Canada, National Capital Region
As I work with InterConnex, I am reminded of members' ongoing interest in making the department a better place in areas that make a real difference to government as a whole. This inspires me to lead efforts to provide employees with opportunities to contribute and grow—no matter their role or level within the organization.
Economics and Social Science Services Development Program at ISED
Developing the talent of our employees working in policy, economics, business analysis and measurement—the Economics and Social Science Services (EC) group—has also been a priority within our department. To this end, we introduced a development program customized to this group to help these employees grow and optimize their talent. It was the first time ISED ever introduced a department-wide program of this kind.
The 105 EC employees at ISED who took advantage of this program in 2016 experienced the benefits of:
- an EC workforce that is continually renewed with fresh talent, including new recruits from post-secondary institutions;
- a greater ability to stay mobile and move between various projects and teams; and
- a greater influence over their professional development in their field.
Micro-assignment program at ISED
