Meet Kelly Hoey, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Social Change — National Impact Finalist

Kelly Hoey is an accomplished career development and non-profit professional, serving as the Executive Director of HIEC, a non-profit that bridges business and education to enhance workforce and economic development. With over three decades of experience, Hoey has been influential in national and international career development dialogues and has created impactful career education programs for HIEC’s Career Lab, reaching over 240,000 students.

In 1999, she launched ApprenticeSearch.com, an innovative online platform that connects job seekers with employers in the skilled trades. With its comprehensive support programs, this platform has become a key component of the skilled trades labour market. Hoey also developed HIEC’s first podcast series, “Parents as Career Coaches,” which features experts in career development and education, focusing on creating meaningful career exploration discussions among parents and youth.

Hoey is a Founding Member of the Ministry of Education Council for Experiential Learning and currently serves on the National Stakeholder Advisory Council of the Labour Market Information Council, the Ontario Business Education Partnership, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Development Council. Her dedication has established her as a transformative leader in education and workforce development.

The moment I knew I wanted to catalyze social change was… when I volunteered for the Burlington International Games as an undergraduate during the summer with a group of passionate people who demonstrated the power of community service.

My mission aims to create a positive impact by… encouraging people to transform their thinking about career development into a lifelong circuitous process that focuses on helping them find the next step in their career journeys, rather than focusing solely on the destination. It also helps young people feel optimistic about the future of work and builds their confidence to speak to potential mentors. Lastly, to stop asking young people what they want to be when they grow up! It’s a stressful question, and it causes anxiety.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a change leader is… “evolution, not revolution.” Slow and steady wins the race.

My proudest accomplishment is… sustaining a non-profit for 35 years without core funding — relying on a dynamic, multi-funded approach. This success is made possible by our incredibly high-functioning team, primarily women, who choose to dedicate their remarkable skills to our mission, all while having fun! We share an optimistic belief that we can scale up to meet the next challenge and ensure we have the greatest impact on the future of work.

The biggest risk I took that paid off was… giving myself permission to be a leader when I applied for the Executive Director position at the age of 34. I then took on work in the space of Apprenticeship and Skilled Trades when it was not a hot-button issue, and technology was newly emerging. Many people were skeptical that employers in the skilled trades would even use it.

My biggest setback has been… being a woman in leadership.

I overcame it by… surrounding myself with people who saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. I embraced irrational optimism, never giving up on an idea, and listening to the creative thinking of others on our team, external advisors and partners. I also believe in picking up a book and reading something different to help shift my thinking and approach challenges from new angles.

One of the most important lessons I’ve gained from my experience within the sector is to… surround yourself with positive people who want to work hard. Run from those who don’t!

I surprise people when I tell them… that I was painfully shy as a young person.

If I had an extra hour in the day, I would use it to… catch up on all the random things that get lost in the shuffle when you have a busy life!

The future excites me because… our work is never done, and our reputation for excellence is opening up new opportunities to expand our impact — it’s an incredibly exciting time. My team inspires me every day, and I’m energized by the possibilities ahead. The need for what we do is getting stronger every year. There is a growing consensus that there needs to be a focus on helping young people find the right path for them, and working together to meet them where they are at.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.