Values and social impact: this year's 'Canada's Top Employers for Young People' are announced

TORONTO, Jan. 18, 2022 /CNW/ - Young people increasingly want to work for employers that reflect their values and help them have social impact. That's the message from this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People, announced this morning in a special magazine co-published by The Globe and Mail and Mediacorp Canada Inc., the organizer of the annual Canada's Top 100 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. "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."

"In reviewing this year's applications, we saw that employers are weaving social impact into their programs," adds Stephanie Leung, Assistant Editor at Mediacorp. "It could be project-based work, like brainstorming solutions to a social problem, or a co-op experience that benefits a nonprofit and has a positive impact on communities. The younger generation notices if an employer's social impact statements are not backed up by action."

In addition to reflecting younger workers' values, this year's winners:

• created over 36,000 job opportunities across Canada for students and new graduates last year in summer employment, co-op placements and paid internships;
• hired nearly 22,000 new graduates for full-time positions across Canada last year; and
• support long-term career advancement for younger employees via well-developed training programs, leadership development opportunities and formal mentoring programs.

Now marking its 20^th year, Canada's Top Employers for Young People is an editorial competition that recognizes employers offering the nation's best workplaces and programs for young people starting their careers. Winners of the competition are chosen by the editorial team at the Canada's Top Employers project based on the programs and initiatives they offer to attract and retain younger workers. These include benefits such as tuition assistance and co-op or work-study programs. The editors also examine each employer's mentorship and training programs, including benefits such as bonuses paid on completing trades or professional designations. The editors also review each employer's career management program, looking for initiatives that help younger workers advance faster in the organization.

Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation's largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which includes 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, which reaches millions of unique visitors annually and features editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project. The company also publishes The Career Directory, now in its 29^th year – a free online guide for recent college and university graduates looking for employers hiring candidates from their educational background.

The complete list of Canada's Top Employers for Young People for 2022 was announced in special magazine co-published with The Globe and Mail this morning. Detailed reasons for selection with additional stories and photos were released simultaneously on the competition homepage.

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Stephanie Leung, Senior Editor, at 416-964-6069 Ext. 5334