“No Limits” Conference
Posted May 19, 2010 03:24:00 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
More than 100 high school students are getting a glimpse into the world of business today. About 160 students from more than a dozen area high schools are taking part in the “No Limits” conference hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. This is the fourth and final such conference of this school year, with previous events held in Ottawa, Toronto and the Niagara area.
Institute spokesperson Jon French says Waterloo Region was very welcoming when it came to organizing the conference. French tells 570 News “No Limits” gives students a sense of the opportunities that a CA designation can provide and today’s conference will hear presentations from the high tech community as well as companies such as Manulife, The Co-operators and Nike. French says the training that CA’s receive opens doors in several sectors, both large and small, from accounting firms to education, government or even entrepreneurship.
French says bringing the conference to high school students makes sense since students are making career decisions so much earlier than they once did. He describes this as “planting the seed” with the best and brightest students local schools have to offer. Students are selected for the conference based on their leadership skills and interest in university business programs. French also says the “No Limits” conferences, now dating back eight years, have a proven record of success. He cites examples of several current CA’s who have traced their interest in the profession back to a conference they attended themselves while in high school.
Today’s keynote speaker will be Stephanie Ratza, CA, CFO of the Descartes Systems Group Inc. The students taking part will be from Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Elmira District Secondary School, Forest Heights Collegiate Institute, Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute, John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute, Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate Institute & Vocational School, Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School, Preston High School, Resurrection Catholic Secondary School, Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, St. Michael Catholic Secondary School, Waterloo Collegiate Institute and Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School. The conference is being held at the St. George Banquet Hall in Waterloo.
