Benefits of the Financial Officer Recruitment and Development Program

On screen: On a blue background the following text appears “The FORD Program recruits eligible university graduates for full-time, entry-level positions in a wide range of departments and agencies throughout the federal government. The program provides on-the-job training and supports participants in obtaining their professional accounting designations.”

On screen: On a blue background at the centre of the screen appears the FORD circle icon which is a white circle, at the centre of which are three outlines of greyed out silhouettes. The circle rotates onto itself to show a video excerpt of Mrs. Dania Balaa. She shares her impression of the FORD Program, saying how it allows new graduates to enter their professional field of work while working towards obtaining their accounting designation. While she speaks, the FORD circle icon appears at the bottom of the screen with superimposed text introducing Mrs. Dania Balaa, Financial Analyst, Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, 2013 Recruit. While she speaks, Dania sits at her desk, talking on the phone while reading a report.

I think the FORD Program is an amazing program. It really gives the opportunity to especially accounting students or finance students to enter in their field of work. And the beauty of it is also it works alongside with your objectives of obtaining accounting designation.

On screen: A video excerpt of a man in an office setting appears onscreen. The man introduces himself as the FORD circle appears with superimposed text identifying the man as Patrick Amyot, CPA, CMA, Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 1995 Recruit. The man explains that the FORD Program provides new financial officers with the opportunity to learn about accounting within the Government of Canada while creating a strong network of peers. While he speaks, video footage of the logo and visual designation of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research appears on screen, followed by footage of Mr. Amyot walking in a hallway. Mr. Amyot reappears talking to the camera. That scene transitions to Mr. Amyot sitting behind his desk, typing, and checking and picking up his signature book before he stands and leaves. Mr. Amyot reappears talking on screen. While he speaks, video footage shows him walking in front of the waiting room and reception area of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

My name is Patrick Amyot. I’m the Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. The FORD Program impacted me at two levels. The first one is the basic financial information, the orientation when coming into government. The financial culture, the financial policies, just the financial accounting, there’s an orientation that is necessary. When you start in with the FORD Program, you’re hired with candidates, that are hired in different departments you basically start off your career with contacts in other government departments with the possibility of learning how they problem-solve. That’s the key success factor of the FORD Program.

On screen: Mrs. Dania Balaa appears onscreen. She explains how working for the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General ties in with her pride of being Canadian and serving as a public servant. She goes on to say that she chose to work for a small department because it would give her access to multiple facets of a financial officer’s job and provide her with a thorough understanding of accounting operations in the Government. While she speaks, we see video footage of Mrs. Balaa standing arms wide open in front of the Governor General’s residence in front of two Canadian flags floating at full mast. In the following video sequence, we see Mrs. Balaa knock on a conference room door, hand a file to someone, walk back to her desk, sit down and type.

I really felt that working for the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General was a unique opportunity. I’m a very proud Canadian, so to be able to work for the Governor General tied in with my feeling of pride to be a Canadian and to live in this country and to be able to serve as a public servant. Knowing that I’d go into a small department, I would be able to touch different facets and different aspects, I really felt that I had a chance to comprehend and to really understand the accounting operations of the government before entering something else.

On screen: The next scene shows a man standing in an interior garden. The FORD icon appears onscreen and identifies the man as Philippe Menard, Financial Analyst, Department of Justice, 2011 Recruit. On screen Mr. Menard explains that one of the benefits of working in the Government of Canada is the diversity of the positions found in the financial management community. He proceeds to give examples of these positions. While he speaks, video footage of the interior garden ceiling appears on screen.

So certain benefits for me of working in the Government of Canada, I can think of number one probably that stands out the most is the diversity of the positions in the financial management community. You could be working in resource management where you do financial planning and reporting on a departmental level. You could be working in a corporate accounting where you could also be doing financial reporting, preparing financial statements, verifying transactions.

On screen: Mr. Menard talks onscreen which then transitions into a video footage of a staircase and then pauses on an inukshuk cairn. While this footage is onscreen, a female voice is heard, which transitions into a video footage of her standing in front of a live leaf wall. The FORD icon appears with the superimposed text introducing the speaker as Marie-Ève Ruel, Financial Analyst, Office of the Comptroller of the Royal Canadian Navy, 2013 Recruit. Mrs. Ruel explains that she chose to work for the public sector because of the number of opportunities it presents and because of how easy it is to work in multiple departments. While she speaks, an outline of a map of Canada appears onscreen. Building blocks representing the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Canada Revenue Agency, and the departments of Justice, National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans, Natural Resources, and Public Works and Governmental Services appear all over the map.

I choose the public sector. There is a lot of opportunities when you come into the government. I’ve been hired by National Defence, but in fact once you are in one department, it’s easy to move across departments. Every time you move, you learn a new business.

On screen: In the next sequence, a woman appears onscreen. The FORD icon appears and identifies her as Cindy Servius, Project Leader, Canada Revenue Agency, 2008 Recruit. She explains that she always wanted to work for the public service as it was her opportunity to work for Canadians and have a direct impact on her community.

I always envisioned myself working for the public service. It was an opportunity for me to work for the Canadians and to have a direct impact on my community.

On screen: Following this footage, Mr. Menard returns onscreen and concludes that the FORD Program was a stepping stone in the financial community within the Government of Canada, and that the program has fully achieved its objectives.

For me, the FORD Program was a stepping stone into the financial community in the Government of Canada. That is the intent of the program, and that’s exactly what it did for me.