Interac Association and Retail Council of Canada Announce Top Applicant of 2016 Retail as a Career Scholarship Program

TORONTO, May 31, 2016 /CNW/ - Interac Association and Retail Council of Canada (RCC) are pleased to announce that Teri Simone, a Bachelor of Social Science student at Western University, is the top recipient of the 2016 Retail as a Career Scholarship program. She will receive a scholarship, funded by Interac Association, of $5,000 to continue her studies.

The Retail as a Career Scholarship program is an initiative that honours students working in retail who are entering or enrolled in a retail-related program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.

In addition to her $5,000 award, Ms. Simone and 15 other post-secondary students from across the country will receive scholarships of $1,000 each. The scholarships were presented tonight at the Excellence in Retailing Awards gala in Toronto, a highlight of RCC's STORE 2016 conference.

"We are once proud to once again partner with Retail Council of Canada in support of the Retail as a Career Scholarship program," said Mark O'Connell, President & CEO of Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation. "We congratulate Teri Simone on her achievement, as well as all the other scholarship recipients, and wish them continued success in their education and future careers in retail."

Now in its 13th year, the Retail as a Career Scholarship program has awarded about $750,000 in scholarships and award benefits. Applicants are judged by retail industry experts in three categories: academic performance, professional references, and a personal essay highlighting their experiences and educational pursuits in the retail industry.

"We thank Interac Association for their generous support of this initiative, and for recognizing the importance of the retail industry as a vibrant and professional career choice, and as Canada's largest private sector employer," said Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO of RCC. "I also want to thank all the other program sponsors who have stepped up to the plate to help nurture and support our next generation of retail leaders."

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada's largest employer with over 2 million Canadians working in our industry. In 2015, the sector generated payroll over $59 billion and $340 billion in sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline). Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members' represent more than two-thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit industry-funded association and represents small, medium and large retail business in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants.
RetailCouncil.org  @RetailCouncil 

About Interac Association
Interac^® is Canada's leading payment brand. Together, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation operate an economical, world-class debit system with broad-based acceptance, 24/7 reliability, security and efficiency. The brand is chosen an average of 16 million times daily to pay and exchange money. Interac products and services securely connect people to their money at the ABM through Interac Cash, at retailers across Canada through Interac Debit and the US, and online through web based services – Interac Online for online purchases, and Interac e-Transfer^® for person-to-person payments. In addition, Interac Flash^®, the secure contactless enhancement of Interac Debit, is in widespread use at retailers across Canada and provides the platform for mobile NFC proximity payments. The organization is also a leader in the prevention and detection of fraud.

®: Interac, Interac Flash and Interac e-Transfer are trade-marks of Interac Inc. Used under license.

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Colin Asuncion, Retail Council of Canada, [email protected], 416-467-3782