PRESS RELEASE (Richmond Hill, ON): Compugen has successfully concluded its inaugural internship program for summer 2022. Aimed at developing a new generation of young professionals in IT, the program gives interns front-row access to the world of technology and allows them to make significant contributions to some of the organization’s most pioneering projects to jumpstart their careers.

To bring together this year’s 20-strong cohort, Compugen reviewed over 700 applications, conducted close to 100 interviews, and formed partnerships with 12 higher education institutions across the country, from UBC Sauder School of Business in Vancouver to the University of Toronto. Over the last 16 weeks, the students learned from experienced industry leaders under the Compugen roof and gained valuable insight into the many strategic areas of the business through 14 Speaker Series sessions and fireside chats.

“Our objective was to create value for our interns through structured training and meaningful work experience and give them a sense of contribution and achievement. We paid careful consideration to job design and geared towards honing a transferrable skillset and professional development, with checks and balances in place. We also worked very closely with managers in ensuring that the interns get the most out of their time with the company,” Director of Talent and Culture Susan Oliver explained.

Based on their individual career interests, interns were recruited into several key departments at Compugen, including IT services, marketing, and human resources. Throughout the program, students were given challenges on top of their day-to-day tasks to instill the importance of teamwork in achieving a unified goal.

At the conclusion of the summer program, several interns had their contracts extended to the end of the year, and one accepted a permanent position within the software sales team. Serena Cho, part of this year’s cohort, commented on her experience and continuing her career with Compugen in a full-time role. “The internship was well designed and organized, and I appreciated the many opportunities to explore and contribute. I enjoyed the positive and encouraging working environment, thanks to my manager who provided clear guidance. I was able to apply my digital marketing degree and enhance my skills using various platforms along the way,” she noted.

McMaster commerce student Alison Mills, who interned with Compugen’s marketing team, recalled her time in the program. “I got to manage and create content for the company’s official social platforms. I had the opportunity to run social media for The Journey, where Julian Galley cycled from Calgary to Richmond Hill and raised over $20,000 for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. My work felt meaningful and enabled me to build references for my social media experience.”

“The inaugural internship program is very important to us as it represents our commitment to training and investing in the new guard of IT. Beyond teaching the students hard skills, we strived to give them the experience of being part of a corporate community and demonstrate how vital strong communication and networking skills are in the workplace. These aptitudes will help them succeed in the next leg of their professional journey, wherever that may be. We intend to make this program a fixture within the Compugen fabric and look forward to the next crop of student interns in 2023,” Jeremy Erlick, Chief Operating Officer, concluded.