Policy studies program offers connections, practical experience and life-changing opportunities for grad student Nathaniel Haile

University of Alberta Faculty of Arts student Nathaniel Haile has big plans for the future. He’s in the process of completing the master of arts policy studies program through the Department of Political Science, and has already gained a great deal of hands-on experience.

For Haile, his work and studies have a particular focus in mind.

“I’ve always looked at public policy as the mechanism of change. That has kind of always drawn me to the policy arena,” he says.

He began his graduate studies last year, and hopes to complete them this December. He says he has gotten a real taste of public policy, including  an internship with the federal government’s Privy Council Office (PCO) — which is the Prime Minister’s Office, but for non-partisan public servants, and which supports both the prime minister and the cabinet.

Prior to starting his masters degree, Haile graduated with a bachelor of arts last year, double majoring in economics and political science, with a minor in philosophy, at the U of A. After graduation, he began work with the City of Edmonton on various urban greening initiatives, but decided he wanted to work more on the policy side.

Haile was drawn to the policy studies program because it will enable him to improve his public policy and leadership skills, and get hands-on experience in the practicum portion of the degree. This year, the program collaborated with the PCO to create two internships, one of which he participated in.

He began working with the PCO on the Intergovernmental Affairs team (IGA) as an intern in May, and will continue to work with the government body through December. The position involves various tasks including drafting briefing notes and correspondence for the prime minister, and the minister and deputy minister of the IGA. In addition, he reviews memorandums to the cabinet, works on issues management and performs various other tasks.

Some of Haile’s success in this area comes from his time with the U of A, he says. Connections with academics, public service workers and community organizations, along with the masters of policy studies’ practical approach were also incredibly useful. “Everything that we were doing in the classroom had practical application, which really helps,” Haile says.

Additionally, the program is quite small, which is nice, he adds. It’s led to some life-long connections that he says will “go far beyond the classroom.”

Jared Wesley, a professor in the Department of Political Science and associate dean of graduate studies with the Faculty of Arts, also provided a great deal of support for his career, Haile says. Wesley encouraged him to apply for the 1834 Fellowship, offered through Operation Black Vote Canada (OBVC). The OBVC was founded as a multi-partisan non-profit organization that aims to increase Black Canadians’ participation in government, civil service and other important parties in the country.

Ultimately, Haile was one of 20 high-achieving Black youth selected for the fellowship, which involved workshops, speakers, mentorship and, notably, a research project. For Haile, this project was a chance to deep-dive into sustainable job legislation, and how to adequately represent Black Canadians working in the sustainable jobs market. He and his colleagues came up with a series of recommendations that they took forward to a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with other ministers, senators and officials.

“We had a meeting with the prime minister himself in his cabinet room, and we all got the opportunity to address issues that affect Black youth,” Haile says.

Right now, Haile is  in the early stages of his career, but he is still very interested in public service and would like to carry on in that capacity, either with his current team or another, similar organization. “That would suit my interests, but also provide me the ability to do fulfilling work” he says.

Haile hopes that, through his studies and his internship with the PCO, he will continue to learn more about the federation, become a subject matter expert and get to “really apply” what he’s  “learned in the classroom,” he says.

“The policy studies program has really invigorated my passion for public policy. There’s really an open window.”