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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 7, 20 18 | 32323 1 in 4 women experience abuse.xperience abuse.1 in 4 women e For as little as $5, text RUBY to 45678 to help. YOUR DONATION CAN CHANGE LIVES.OUR DONATION CAN CHANGE LIVES.OUR DONATION CAN CHANGE LIVES.YOUR DONATION CAN CHANGE LIVES.Y TO DONATE GO TOTO DONATE GO TOWWW.RUBYCAMPAIGN.CA When Leona McChar- les was six years old, she wanted to be a nun or an as- tronaut. Later in school, a punch test declared she should be a cartoonist or a research- er. Definitely not a banker. Yet here she is today, vice-president of global re- cruitment at RBC. McCharles was the key- note speaker at the Halton Industry Education Coun- cil's (HIEC) Breakfast With the Mayors at the Oakville Conference Centre on Fri- day morning. The annual networking event is one of the ways the non-profit organization connects with regional businesses, as well as edu- cation and community partners, to enhance ca- reer education in Halton Region. Some 200 people attend- ed and listened intently to McCharles, who focuses on driving an exceptional can- didate/employee experi- ence in support of RBC's vi- sion of becoming a digitally enabled relationship bank. The future will be fun- damentally different for the next generations, she said, adding that flexibility is the future and digital lit- eracy is essential. For instance, McChar- les said, one job that's com- pletely disappeared is the elevator operator. Another that's rapidly disappearing is the bank teller. She asked for a show of hands from members of the audience who had gone in- to a bank to make a trans- action, and only a handful did so. Nowadays, everyone us- es their apps, McCharles said. "Now we have to become digital navigators, helping clients thrive and prosper," she said. She encouraged young people to be constantly cu- rious in order to evolve and change. "Think about the poten- tial, engagement and auto- mation to make our lives better," she added. "It's all about the mindset." McCharles also said that critical thinking and communications will be key for nearly 100 per cent of new jobs. Going forward, she said she believes that automa- tion will affect 50 per cent of jobs. "Think of it as a utopian future," she said. McCharles also ex- plained the meaning of a side hustle - the part-time job you take on the side to make extra money, per- haps something you're par- ticularly passionate about. "What if all your life was all about side hustle?" she asked. Although only one of the invited four Halton mayors was in attendance, others were represented by local councillors. Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr also attended. St. Matthew Elementa- ry School Grade 7 students Lauren Robinson, Stella Weldrick and Katie Bowie shared how much they learned from attending HIEC's Grade 7 Career Centre. All three said they learned about jobs they had not even known exist- ed. "I learned how many jobs I could end up in, and I learned that success isn't defined by job title or how much money you make," Katie said. Meanwhile, Milton Dis- trict High School student Thea Richinson talked about the HIEC's Women As Career Choices pro- gram. "It was a good experi- ence for people who don't know what they want to do," she said. "It was good insight into if something doesn't go as planned, it's OK." Sam Bisutti, a Lester B. Pearson Secondary School student, talked about the HIEC's Men As Career Choices program. He always knew he wanted to be an engineer, but he had no idea what kind. "They gave me good ad- vice and not to stress if I don't get into my No. 1 school of choice. They both agreed that the program gives students a wonderful opportunity to meet people from different fields and learn about dif- ferent career paths. NEWS HIEC Breakfast with Mayors encourages young people to be flexible JULIE SLACK jslack@metroland.com Leona McCharles, vice-president of global recruitment at RBC was the keynote speaker at the Halton Industry Education Council's Breakfast With the Mayors on Friday at the Oakville Conference Centre. Julie Slack/Metroland