The opportunity to contribute and be heard: "Canada's Top Employers for Young People" for 2015 are announced

TORONTO, May 5, 2015 /CNW/ - Few people are surprised when they hear that today's generation of new graduates are more comfortable with technology than ever before, especially in their job search.  But what's interesting is that the nation's best employers are responding by using technology to meet age-old aspirations by their youngest employees: the desire to contribute and make their voices heard.  The best initiatives were recognized this morning as winners of the annual "Canada's Top Employers for Young People" competition were announced.

"The best employers realize that their youngest employees value the opportunity to contribute to the organization and society," says Kristina Leung, Senior Editor for Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc., which manages the competition.  "They are using technology to let their youngest employees do this more effectively than ever before – and to make their voices heard within the organizations."

Now entering in its 14^th year, "Canada's Top Employers for Young People" is an editorial competition that recognizes the nation's best employers when it comes to attracting and retaining younger workers.  The competition reviews a wide variety of initiatives – from mentorship to training and advancement opportunities – that are important to young Canadians starting their careers.  The competition recognizes the employers that do the most to develop young people in their organizations, helping them advance and build their careers.

"For more than 20 years, we have chronicled the stories of what the best employers do for recent graduates," says Richard Yerema, Author of The Career Directory and Managing Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp.  "What's exciting is that the technology is allowing new graduates to fulfill the age-old need to contribute to the organization and the broader society, while giving them a voice inside the organization."

Some of the noteworthy initiatives that were identified by competition editors this year:

• Royal Bank of Canada recently created the "RBC Career Launch Program", a one-year paid internship for young graduates with rotations through the bank's corporate offices and retail branches – as well as a three-month assignment at a local charity;
  
• Canadian Tire Corporation manages an internal "Dragon's Den for Digital" competition for employees working in their IT department to pitch new technology ideas to senior leadership;
  
• Accenture recently launched a new online interview helper application to help candidates prepare for their interview by sharing important information such as the time and date of the interview, the interviewer's profile and picture through LinkedIn integration, a summary of the position and general interview tips;
  
• PricewaterhouseCoopers / PwC recently created a chat application inside their student recruitment site, allowing potential hires to speak directly with employees in different practice areas;
  
• Canada Revenue Agency / CRA maintains a Young Professional Network to provide young employees with a forum to discuss issues among peers and make recommendations to the agency's Management Committee;

This year's winners were announced in a special magazine published nationally in The Globe and Mail this morning.  The editors' detailed Reasons for Selection were released today at: http://www.CanadasTop100.com/young_people

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Image with caption: "Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2015) logo (CNW Group/Mediacorp Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150505_C7564_PHOTO_EN_16203.jpg

Tony Meehan, Publisher, 416-964-6069 x9179