BURLINGTON, ON, April 28, 2014 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada announced today that the retailer has been named one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People by Mediacorp for the fourth consecutive year. This competition recognizes Canada's leaders who effectively attract and retain younger employees to their organizations.
"At IKEA, we aim to attract ambitious young people to the retail sector by offering leadership and training opportunities," says Kerri Molinaro, President of IKEA Canada. "The opportunity to develop within a diverse range of jobs and to contribute to one of the world's most progressive brands attracts young IKEA enthusiasts."
New in 2013, IKEA Canada offered two co-workers the life-changing opportunity to be part of the IWitness Global Citizen program and witness firsthand projects funded by the IKEA Foundation and the Soft Toys for Education campaign. In 2013, the co-workers travelled to Malawi to visit UNICEF projects. This year, two more co-workers travelled to Kosovo to visit Save the Children projects. As IWitness Citizens, co-workers become leaders for change, educating co-workers and the community back home on their experiences through photo journalism, blogs and social media networks.
The IKEA Backpacker initiative is another unique professional development program for younger co-workers that is offered by IKEA. This program provides co-workers with the opportunity to travel for one year and work alongside an experienced mentor in two different locations in two different countries around the world.
Each year, IKEA Canada publishes a Learning & Development program guide that includes a myriad of unique training opportunities in the form of local in-store training, national training and specialized workshops to develop job competence, management and leadership abilities. Co-workers are also offered an educational assistance reimbursement of 75 per cent for academic courses related to their career path at IKEA. There is also a "Buddy Program" that provides on the job peer mentorship.
With many different types of jobs within this global company, the possibilities for personal and professional growth are endless. When co-workers are ready for a new challenge or a new career direction it's available within IKEA, not outside IKEA.
About IKEA
IKEA is a leading home furnishings retailer with 342 stores in 42 countries worldwide, which are visited by 776 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 12 stores which are visited by over 25 million people every year. Last year the IKEA.com websites attracted 1.1 billion visitors. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA, please visit: www.IKEA.ca.
SOURCE: IKEA Canada
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Madeleine Löwenborg-Frick
Corporate Communications Manager
IKEA Canada
[email protected]
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