York Regional Police is among several local employers named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young People for 2022.
“We are proud to be recognized, for the fifth time, as an organization that continues to support and develop our young members,” says Chief Jim MacSween.
“Paid internship programs introduce young people to the policing profession and once hired, ongoing mentoring, career guidance and development and workplace support helps ensure the success of our young employees, which serves to makes our organization stronger as a whole.”
Winners of the competition are chosen by the editorial team at the Canada’s Top Employers project.
“The pandemic has caused many people to think more about their whole selves and, for young people starting their careers, work is a key part of that,” says Kristina Leung, Senior Editor at Mediacorp, which organizes the project. “Young people are asking questions like ‘Is this a job I can be passionate about?’ and ‘Does this organization reflect my values so that I feel a connection beyond just employment?’ The best employers are improving their organizational and workplace policies to reflect these emerging concerns.”
Editors consider the programs and initiatives employers offer to attract and retain younger workers, such as tuition assistance, as well as their mentorship and training programs, including benefits such as bonuses paid on completing trades or professional designations. Editors also review each employer’s career management program, looking for initiatives that help younger workers advance faster in the organization.
YRP, for instance, was commended for a paid student cadet internship program that provides policing experience to students who attend a police-related college or university program. Cadets develop skills and qualifications while working at police districts, assisting with cell checks, front desk duties, monitoring statements and other administrative tasks.
Award recipients include several companies whose major Canadian hiring locations include Markham. AMD/Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., a computer technology company, was commended for its orientation program, in-house career planning services, mentoring and leadership training.
At information technology employer CGI Inc., employees, managers and resource managers collaborate to identify assignments that will support an individual’s career path, updating their profile, competencies and resumé in the company’s internal resource management tool when projects are completed or when an employee acquires a new skill. Employees can then match their skills to open roles and assess required training for their next assignment or potential promotion.
Engineering services employer Hatch Ltd. manages a professional development program to help recent grads in their first to third year of employment transition to the working world. It also regularly partners with universities across Canada to collaborate on educational, research and development projects as well as for scholarship grants.
Photo of students and new graduates at Hatch engage in a training session courtesy of Mediacorp Canada Inc.
