Summer jobs at the National Bank for students with physical or sensory disabilities

"A summer job with the National Bank not only gave me my first opportunity to gain relevant work experience but it confirmed to me that I had made the right career choice. In spite of my disability, the Bank believed in me and helped me reach my goals, by giving me the tools I needed to advance normally in my professional activities," stated Éric Boutet, Senior Advisor, Compensation Department at the National Bank. In 1991, Mr. Boutet received a bursary and was offered a summer job under the program for students with physical or sensory disabilities.

The National Bank is again offering its Bursary and Summer Employment Program, now in its 14th year, for university and college students with physical or sensory disabilities. Introduced in 1989, further to a suggestion from an employee who himself has a physical disability, the program is designed to help students continue their education and gain work experience that ties in with their studies. Two bursaries of $2,000 each plus a 12-week summer job are awarded to university students in New Brunswick, Quebec or Ontario, while college students in Quebec are eligible for a bursary of $1,000 and a 10-week summer job.

As France Pelletier, Manager, Employment Equity and Diversity at the National Bank pointed out: "The National Bank is the only financial institution to offer such a program and we are proud of the value it adds to our company as a whole, from both a business and social ethics standpoint. So far, 38 individuals have benefited from bursaries and gained more than 16,000 hours of rewarding work experience in a variety of fields, such as accounting, information technology, legal affairs and customer service."

The National Bank encourages students to apply before March 7, 2003 either on-line at www.nbc.ca/bursary or by completing the necessary forms which are available at colleges and universities, as well as from organizations that provide support to people with physical and sensory disabilities. A selection committee, made up of a member of the Bank's senior management, representatives from the community and the academic milieu, and a physician, will evaluate the applications. The main criteria considered in the selection process are work experience, community involvement and an excellent academic record.

About National Bank of Canada

National Bank of Canada is an integrated group which provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. The National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. The National Bank has assets of approximately $75 billion and, together with its subsidiaries, employs over 17,000 people. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA:TSX). For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.nbc.ca.

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Information (the telephone number and e-mail address shown below are strictly for the use of journalists and other media representatives):

Denis Dubé
Director – Public Relations
National Bank of Canada
Tel.: (514) 394-8644
E-mail: denis.dube@bnc.ca