Canada’s Top Employers for Young People 2022, selected by Mediacorp Canada Inc., are ready to welcome Gen Z with the programs and support this group needs to succeed – from co-op placements and internships to mentoring and leadership development.
Most often defined as born between 1997 and 2012, the Generation Z cohort is rapidly moving into the workplace – a workplace these employees may be physically entering for the first time this year. As they’ve graduated from universities and colleges during the pandemic, they’ve mostly been onboarded virtually and have worked remotely at their new jobs, getting to know colleagues on screen rather than in person.
While that’s not a challenge for these digital natives who have grown up in an internet environment (and who will continue to expect flexibility in where and how they work), opportunities for social interaction are still very important for this group. But that’s not all.
This generation wants to make a difference in the world and looks for employers whose values align with their own. Not hesitant about asking questions, Gen Z expects employers to be accountable when it comes to corporate values and policies, particularly on issues like sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. They’re also vocal when it comes to ongoing learning opportunities and fast-tracking their own careers.
The winners of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People 2022 by Mediacorp are listening and responding with numerous progressive initiatives, such as Labatt Breweries’ new Leadership Accelerator program for early-career professionals, or rotational programs that allow participants to experience different areas of the business, such as Emera’s three-year rotational engineer-in-training program.
Competition for young talent is more heated than ever, so for employers to attract and retain the best, they need to deliver on what this generation wants. These winning organizations are the ones to study and learn from.
METHODOLOGY 2022
This special designation recognizes employers that provide the best workplaces and opportunities for young people just starting their careers. To select the winners, the editors of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People 2022 by Mediacorp evaluate each employer based on the programs and initiatives they offer to attract and retain younger workers.
Key benefits include tuition assistance, the availability of co-op or work-study programs, mentorship and training programs, including benefits such as bonuses paid when employees complete certain courses or professional designations. The editors also review each employer’s career management program, looking for initiatives that can help younger workers advance faster in the organization. Lastly, the editors look at the average age of employees at each organization to better understand the composition and profile of their workforce.
The Globe and Mail is not involved in the judging process.
Canada’s Top Employers for Young People 2022 by Mediacorp is an annual national competition and all applicants must pay a fee to enter. Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada may apply regardless of size, whether private or public sector. Employers complete a single application for the national, regional, and special-interest competitions, including Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.
Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young People 2022 by Mediacorp
ABB Canada, Saint-Laurent, Que. Engineering and technology services; 2,938 employees. Manages a rotational early career program for recent electrical engineering graduates, with three eight-month rotations.
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN, Winnipeg. Television broadcasting; 155 employees. Partners with the Canadian Association of Journalists to provide a paid 12-week journalism fellowship.
Accenture Inc., Toronto. Professional services; 5,471 employees. Manages an analyst development program with streams in strategy, consulting, security development, technology development and interactive development for entry-level hires.
AIG Insurance Company of Canada, Toronto. Insurance; 416 employees. Offers an early career program called AIG Insurance Academy for recent graduates and young employees who are still new to the insurance industry.
AMD / Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Markham, Ont. Computer technology manufacturing; 2,514 employees. Hosts an annual career day for interns to connect with recruiters and HR staff.
ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., Hamilton, Ont. Iron and steel mills; 4,729 employees. Partners with Mohawk College to operate one of Ontario’s largest trades apprenticeship programs.
Arup Canada Inc., Toronto, Engineering; 419 employees. Partners with Ryerson University to encourage more young women to pursue use of their engineering degrees in the design and consulting industry.
ATCO Ltd., Calgary. Energy, transportation and infrastructure development; 4,779 employees. Manages an Indigenous summer student program, hiring 28 Indigenous students in 2021.
Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc., Vancouver. Engineering; 302 employees. Manages a number of post- secondary scholarships including the Ausenco Scholarship for Women in Engineering.
BC Hydro, Vancouver. Hydroelectric power generation; 5,850 employees. Offers summer employment for students interested in exploring different trades, technical careers and gaining hands-on work experience while transitioning from school to work.
BC Public Service, Victoria, B.C. Provincial government; 32,368 employees. Offers a 12-month, paid Work-Able Internship Program for recent post-secondary graduates who self-identify as having a disability.
Bell Canada, Verdun, Que. Communications; 36,412 employees. Organizes virtual career fairs that provide an immersive environment for students and new grads to learn about working at Bell.
Bennett Jones LLP, Calgary. Law firm; 930 employees. Works with various post-secondary institutions to hire legal assistants and other practicum students each year.
BlackBerry Ltd., Waterloo, Ont. Secure software and services; 1,791 employees. Invites students at BlackBerry to the organization’s virtual Power Bar sessions to grow their skills in a variety of areas.
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,333 employees. Launched the Black@Blakes Internship that provides two Black-identifying law students paid internships with the firm.
Bold Commerce, Winnipeg. Custom computer programming; 362 employees. Manages a robust onboarding program lasting three to four weeks, depending on the role.
Boston Consulting Group of Canada Ltd., Toronto. Management consulting; 425 employees. Manages a Global Ambassador Program enabling consultants to work in a BCG office in a different part of the world for a year.
Bruce Power LP, Tiverton, Ont. Nuclear power generation; 4,040 employees. Launched a formal series of workshops for students that focus on professional development and interpersonal effectiveness.
CAE Inc., Saint-Laurent, Que. Aviation and defence systems; 4,508 employees. Manages the Ken-Patrick Rotational Leadership Program for new engineering graduates, a two-year rotational program.
Canada Revenue Agency / CRA, Ottawa. Federal government; 47,016 employees. Maintains a Young Professional Network, a forum for young people to discuss relevant issues amongst peers and make recommendations to senior management.
Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd., Toronto. Retail; 31,191 employees. Offers various rotational programs for new graduates in marketing, finance and IT, including the Next Generation Talent Program.
Capital One Canada, Toronto. Credit card issuing; 1,225 employees. Hosts the Capital One Hackathon, a day of gamified training where associates learn how web systems get attacked while trying out some new hacker skills.
CGI Inc., Toronto. Information technology; 9,074 employees. Helps high-potential employees prepare for leadership roles through a variety of programs, including a one-year blended learning and development program.
CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 36,744 employees. Hosts “Thought Forums” where students are given one week to develop recommendations to challenge questions.
Citi Canada, Toronto. Banking; 1,745 employees. Works to increase the gender diversity of its talent pipeline through the annual Day in the Citi event for female students, a career event for female students enrolled in STEM programs.
Clio, Burnaby, B.C. Computer software; 523 employees. Runs an annual Team Day where employees come together for a day of learning and development.
CoLab Software Inc., St. John’s. Software; 35 employees. Offers interns the opportunity to lead a technical scope of work during their internship, oftentimes for critical path items that provide solutions to industry leaders.
Communications Security Establishment / CSE, Ottawa. Federal government; 2,992 employees. Created a Young Professionals Network to provide support and a collective voice for young employees.
Corus Entertainment Inc., Toronto. Media production and broadcasting; 2,852 employees. Manages an annual Accelerator Program to engage, motivate and improve the retention of young high-performing employees.
CSL Group Inc., Montreal. Marine shipping and transportation; 637 employees. Offers sponsorship opportunities to second-year students and above who have sailed with CSL in their first sea phase.
D2L Corp., Kitchener, Ont. Software publishers; 834 employees. Develops future leaders through its LEAD program, which helps employees grow and move to the next level in their careers.
Dentons Canada LLP, Edmonton. Law firm; 1,286 employees. Offers a program for articling students composed of two to four rotations, with participants assigned an articling principal and a mentor for their term.
Department of Finance Canada, Ottawa. Federal government; 780 employees. Manages an economics and social sciences development program targeted towards junior-level employees.
Desjardins Group / Mouvement Desjardins, Lévis, Que. Financial institution; 43,105 employees. Manages a Young Intern Director program for individuals between the ages of 18 and 30, allowing them to become familiar with the role of an officer or administrator.
Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., Toronto. Architecture; 283 employees. Recruits post-secondary students for paid co-op work terms ranging between four and eight months.
DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, Vancouver. Law firm; 506 employees. Presents a series of nationally coordinated weekly seminars for the firm’s summer students between May and August.
Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc, Toronto. Insurance; 77 employees. Offers workshops called Young Innovators where participants work in teams to develop creative solutions to pressing business needs.
Edmonton, City of, Edmonton. Municipal government; 9,841 employees. Hosts an annual student conference, allowing summer, co-op and graduate students to showcase their work to staff, stakeholders and community members.
Emera Inc., Halifax. Electric power generation and distribution and gas distribution; 2,332 employees. Offers a three-year rotational engineer-in-training program to develop participants’ technical and leadership skills.
Employment and Social Development Canada, Gatineau, Que. Federal government; 32,928 employees. Aims to reduce the barriers faced by early-career Indigenous employees through the Indigenous Student Hiring Guide.
EPCOR Utilities Inc., Edmonton. Electric power distribution and water treatment; 3,000 employees. Manages an engineer-in-training program for high-potential engineering graduates.
Export Development Canada, Ottawa. International trade financing and support; 1,891 employees. Provides a combination of structured and hands-on training to new associates.
Fidelity Canada, Toronto. Portfolio management; 1,200 employees. Provides tuition assistance to new hires who have graduated in the previous year.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, Ottawa. Federal government; 13,570 employees. Offers the Canadian Coast Guard Officer Training Program, a four-year initiative to develop employees to become ship’s officers serving at sea.
FL Fuller Landau LLP, Montreal. Accounting; 101 employees. Created a Young Professional Leadership Program to support skills development and leadership training.
Ford Motor Co. of Canada, Ltd., Oakville, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 6,851 employees. Hires up to 74 co-op students for 12-month work placements, rotating between departments every four months.
Geotab Inc., Oakville, Ont. Fleet management software; 974 employees. Schedules a series of learning sessions and networking events for the student community.
Giants & Gentlemen Advertising Inc., Toronto. Advertising; 22 employees. Partnered with the Miami Ad School Toronto to create an extended classroom, where four students each quarter can gain hands-on work experience.
Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ont. Healthcare; 7,472 employees. Manages a unique Critical Practice Orientation program that orients new staff to work in critical units within the organization.
Hatch Ltd., Mississauga. Engineering; 3,534 employees. Partners with universities across Canada to collaborate on educational, research and development projects as well as for scholarship grants.
Health Canada / Santé Canada, Ottawa. Federal government; 9,119 employees. Manages the Science Management Development program that provides opportunities for employees with science backgrounds to broaden their work experience and leadership development.
Henkel Canada Corp., Mississauga, Ont. Adhesive manufacturing; 478 employees. Offers new hires an interactive online global onboarding program and a North American onboarding program.
Hospital for Sick Children, The, Toronto. Hospitals; 5,955 employees. Organizes and hosts more than 100 conferences each year, many of which support ongoing professional development in areas such as patient safety and child health care.
Imperial Oil Ltd., Calgary. Oil and gas production and distribution; 5,580 employees. Accelerates professional development for early-career employees across a number of its business functions.
Jazz Aviation LP, Dartmouth, N.S. Air transportation; 4,298 employees. Provides aviation students with industry-leading education through collaborative training and curriculum development.
Keurig Canada Inc., Montreal. Coffee distribution and brewing equipment; 1,352 employees. Offers internships for undergraduate students completing their second or third year in a variety of fields, including marketing, supply chain, finance and IT.
Kinaxis Inc., Ottawa. Software developer; 579 employees. Offers co-op placements and internship opportunities to approximately 60 students per semester and manages a number of initiatives to encourage networking.
KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 8,467 employees. Redesigned its summer internship program in 2020 to provide participants with a meaningful experience while working remotely.
Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd., Toronto. Breweries; 3,595 employees. Launched a new Leadership Accelerator program designed to fast-track leadership development for early-career professionals.
Loblaw Companies Ltd., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 28,962 employees. Offers one-year internships for engineering students who are completing their professional engineering year.
L’Oréal Canada Inc., Montreal. Cosmetics manufacturing; 1,440 employees. Manages a management trainee program to attract young talent and fast-track their careers.
LoyaltyOne Co., Toronto. Marketing consulting; 817 employees. Organizes case study competitions to provide co-op students with the opportunity to work cross-functionally and network with fellow co-ops, senior managers and designated coaches.
Manulife, Toronto. Insurance; 12,404 employees. Offers recent grads at Manulife access to a rotational program that allows them to experience different roles and departments.
McMillan LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 673 employees. Offers an extensive training curriculum for articling students, featuring rotations across various fields, a motions advocacy workshop and interactive workshops.
Metrolinx, Toronto. Public transit; 4,374 employees. Manages a leadership training program to provide people leaders with foundational leadership skills.
Morgan Stanley Services Canada Corp., Montreal. Secondary market financing; 1,940 employees. Participates in virtual campus events, career fairs and student-run events.
Mott MacDonald Canada Ltd., Vancouver. Engineering; 231 employees. Manages a nomination-based Elements leadership development program focused on team engagement, client relationships and commercial awareness.
Northwestel Inc., Whitehorse. Telecommunications; 483 employees. Manages the Northern Future Scholarship program, offering six scholarships per year to northern post-secondary students in commerce, business, engineering, electrical, telecommunications, or IT programs.
Nunavut, Government of, Iqaluit. Territorial government; 3,633 employees. Manages the Amaaqtaarniq Education program to help remove barriers to post-secondary education for eligible Inuit employees.
Nutrien Inc., Saskatoon, Sask. Phosphate, nitrogen and potash fertilizer manufacturing; 5,459 employees. Manages apprenticeships and skilled training programs for millwrights, instrumental technicians, electricians and welders.
OpenText Corp., Waterloo, Ont. Software publishers; 2,347 employees. Manages a CPA rotational program designed to give new graduates exposure to various areas in finance.
PCL Construction, Edmonton. Industrial, commercial and institutional building construction; 2,554 employees. Manages an accelerated superintendent development program and an accelerated estimating and construction risk management program for early-career leaders.
PepsiCo Canada, Mississauga. Soft drink and food manufacturing; 9,922 employees. Offers an Emerging Leader development program to help grads transition to the workplace.
Perkins&Will Canada Architects Co., Vancouver. Architecture; 215 employees. Manages internship programs with interns working on various projects including building cost, project management, site analysis, design development and materials research.
Pfizer Canada ULC, Kirkland, Que. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 894 employees. Manages a four-year marketing rotation development program providing participants with work experience in sales and marketing.
Pharmascience Inc., Montreal. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,464 employees. Helps students gain work experience through the Next Generation Leaders program including team-building activities and divisional presentations from senior leadership.
Procter & Gamble Inc., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,434 employees. Invests significantly in its campus recruitment program and is actively involved in a number of virtual student initiatives and events.
Prophix Software Inc., Mississauga, Ont. Software developer; 250 employees. Manages a 16-month paid internship program for third-year business students, providing on-the-job training, job shadowing and opportunities to implement software at client sites.
Providence Health Care, Vancouver. Hospitals; 4,466 employees. Manages an annual practice-based research challenge that provides point-of-care staff with research training support, mentorship and funding.
Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto. Banking; 59,098 employees. Created a unique Amplify program, a summer internship that allows students to solve business and industry challenges.
Samsung Electronics Canada Inc., Mississauga, Ont. Communications equipment manufacturing; 593 employees. Partners with post-secondary institutions for numerous initiatives, including working with Vancouver Community College to create a Samsung Tech Institute Home Appliance certification course.
SAP Canada Inc., Vancouver. Custom computer programming; 3,316 employees. Manages an early talent program for new or recent graduates in human resources with less than two years of professional experience.
SaskPower, Regina, Sask. Electric power generation; 3,392 employees. Partners with various Indigenous institutes across the province to provide Aboriginal specific scholarships in trades, technical, and administrative fields.
SaskTel, Regina, Sask. Telecommunications; 2,699 employees. Created the YOUTHnetwork program, a strategy to improve human resource issues and encourage young people, specifically underprivileged youth or Aboriginal groups, to pursue a technology-based post-secondary education.
Schneider Electric Canada Inc., Mississauga, Ont. Industrial automation and controls; 1,830 employees. Manages a rotational commercial leadership program to provide exposure to its main areas of business over a two- to three-year period.
Scotiabank, Toronto. Banking; 33,397 employees. Manages Expedition, a 24-month women in leadership development program for recent master’s graduates looking to pursue a career in Canadian banking and global wealth management.
Siemens Canada Limited, Oakville, Ont. Engineering; 2,252 employees. Created an Engineering and Technology Academy to help students acquire the relevant education and experience for successful careers.
Sinai Health, Toronto. Hospitals; 3,846 employees. Provided current registered nurses an opportunity to complete a 10-week critical care nursing certificate course and exam including in-person and web-based classroom training.
Slalom ULC, Toronto. Consulting; 533 employees. Manages a 12-week Build Internship program that focuses on building the latest in software and technology products.
Stanley Black & Decker Canada Corp., Mississauga, Ont. Tool and hardware manufacturing; 1,369 employees. Runs an annual internship program that aims to recruit technical students from post-secondary institutions to learn under its field service technicians.
Statistics Canada, Ottawa. Federal government; 6,311 employees. Manages a “Living Library” to encourage students and new professionals to collaborate with and learn from experienced managers and build intergenerational partnerships.
Surrey, City of, Surrey, B.C. Municipal government; 2,051 employees. Helps students gain career-level experience through co-op placements and a technical student program, offering opportunities in a variety of fields.
Teck Resources Ltd., Vancouver. Mining; 8,371 employees. Created a student community to keep co-op students engaged and connected throughout their term.
Telus Communications Inc., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 25,014 employees. Offers new graduates exposure to senior leadership at least twice a year through networking and learning events.
Trend Micro Canada Technologies Inc., Kanata, Ont. Software development; 328 employees. Recruits marketing graduates as rotation associates, where they are exposed to various marketing and sales opportunities and work directly with senior leaders and mentors.
UBC / University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Universities; 14,477 employees. Established a Postdoctoral Fellows Office, a resource centre that provides support, advocacy, and professional development for postdocs.
Ubisoft Canadian Studios, Montreal. Software publishers; 5,701 employees. Created a Game Lab Competition, which challenges students to develop playable video game prototypes in 10 weeks.
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., Vancouver. Sawmills; 5,793 employees. Partners with the College of New Caledonia to offer apprenticeships for millwrights, electricians, heavy duty mechanics and saw filers.
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ont. Universities; 1,684 employees. Offers a CityStudio Course that provides Laurier students with an opportunity to design and test real-world solutions to local challenges in partnership with the City of Waterloo.
YMCA of Greater Toronto, Toronto. Individual and family services; 2,884 employees. Has a Youth Advisory Committee, composed of 12 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 29, which provides advice to its board of directors.
York Regional Police, Aurora, Ont. Police; 2,377 employees. Offers a Student Cadet program for students attending a police-related college or university program.
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