Telesat has launched a national fellowship program for Indigenous youth

January 25, 2023

Telesat announced the launch of its national Fellowship for Indigenous Youth program. The Fellowship will provide scholarships for Indigenous students to pursue their studies and advance their careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, plus gain meaningful, hands-on working experience during paid internship placements at Telesat.

Today, less than 2% of Indigenous Canadians work in STEM occupations. This program will help reduce barriers to education and provide impactful learning and career opportunities in the space sector. Telesat will award two Indigenous students with $5,000 scholarships, $15,000 stipends, and 8-month paid internships at one of Telesat’s cutting-edge teleport facilities in Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, or Quebec.

“Increasing gender and cultural diversity leads to greater collaboration and innovation, and is key to Telesat’s long-term success and growth,” stated France Teasdale, Telesat’s Vice President of People and Human Resources. “Through this program, Fellowship awardees will learn invaluable technical skills in satellite, telecom and engineering, which can lead to sustained change for Indigenous youth and their communities across Canada.”

The Hon. Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor stated “Telesat’s new national Fellowship for Indigenous Youth program is an excellent example of the importance of increasing diversity across all sectors of our economy. Indigenous youth will gain the skills and experience necessary in STEM to advance in Canada’s space sector through this fellowship, and our government is a proud supporter of this initiative.”

Scholarship Partners Canada (SPC), a division of Universities Canada, will administer Telesat’s Fellowship for Indigenous Youth Program and select a committee of Canadian University representatives and an Indigenous-led application review committee. The candidate evaluation criteria will include academic performance, quality/relevance of a written essay, reference letters, relevance of academic and professional experience, and interview performance.