January 2024

Career Starter program offers support for employers and students

BioTalent Canada’s Career Starter program offers benefits to employers while helping transition youth into the labour market.

Employers participating in the Career Starter Program can receive up to $20,000 in employer support, helping them address urgent workforce needs and strengthen their operations. The program offers the following benefits to participating employers:

Access to Employment Support: Receive up to 60% of a youth’s salary, to a maximum of $20,000, for a three- to nine-month placement.

Improved Productivity: Integrate job-ready youth into teams, enhancing efficiency and output.

Wrap-Around Services: Access essential and technical skills training, mentorship and onboarding tools, including diversity and inclusion resources.

Economic Growth Contribution: Play a critical role in strengthening Canada’s bio-economy and driving innovation in a competitive global market.Learn more: biotalent.ca/careerstarter
Eligible employers must be in the bio-economy.
To learn more and check eligibility, contact [email protected]

Curious if your compensation packages are keeping you competitive?

Pre-order BioTalent Canada’s 2024-2025 National Compensation Guide today for $250 to get the insights you need to attract and retain top talent for your team.

Order now and receive a free job posting on The PetriDish™—your extra edge in hiring—while you prepare for the new year.

Email Soufiane at [email protected] to order your copy.

Order now

Chinova Bioworks — Success Through Strategic Hiring with The PetriDish™

When Chinova Bioworks set out to revolutionize food preservation with sustainable, mushroom-based solutions, they knew building the right team would be critical. With support from BioTalent Canada’s PetriDish™ job board, they found skilled candidates who became key contributors to their mission.

Discover how Chinova streamlined recruitment, saved time, and built a team that’s shaping the future of sustainable food.

Read the full story here

Are you looking to elevate your talent recruitment methods? Connect with BioTalent Canada to learn how our resources, including The PetriDish job board, can help you access top-tier candidates.

Contact us at [email protected] to explore how BioTalent Canada can support your recruitment goals and contribute to your organization’s success.

Unlock the power of diversity in your workforce

Inclusive workplaces aren’t just the right thing to do—they’re the smart thing to do. Here’s why:

35% Increase in Retention: Diversity and inclusion strategies dramatically boost employee retention, keeping your talent engaged and committed.
20% Innovation Boost: Diverse teams report higher rates of creative problem-solving and product development, driving your business forward.
40% Reduction in Turnover Costs: Inclusive policies save money by enhancing employee satisfaction and reducing costly turnover.

Diversity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a proven strategy for building a thriving, resilient workforce.

Learn more

Are you thinking about upgrading your talent recruitment methods? Contact Soufiane at [email protected].

Free Resources to Help You Attract, Retain, and Empower Top Talent

Your organization’s success depends on attracting and retaining top talent. By fostering inclusive workplaces that value diverse talent, including persons with disabilities, you gain a significant competitive advantage in Ontario’s growing bio-economy. BioTalent Canada has created free tools as part of the EnAbling Change program, so that employers like you can build inclusive, high-performing workplaces.

Check out both resources and the webinars here:

Gain a competitive edge in the industry by exploring practical resources designed to help your organization tap into diverse talent pools, adopt inclusive hiring and retention practices, and ensure compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to meet industry standards.

The Enabling Change Program is funded by the Government of Ontario

Learn more

Strengthen Alberta’s biosciences workforce: share your insights in a short survey

Your leadership in the biosciences sector plays a vital role in shaping the future of Alberta’s workforce. With a significant talent shortage, recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce contributes to ensuring your organization’s resiliency. We invite you to take 20 minutes to participate in a survey that will not only highlight your organization’s efforts but also contribute to building a stronger, more inclusive biosciences community.

Why Participate? 

Strengthen Alberta’s Biosciences Workforce: Your insights will help us understand the current state of inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility (IDEA) in Alberta’s biosciences industry, driving initiatives that support a more robust and diverse workforce in Alberta.

Showcase Your Initiatives: Share your organization’s innovative IDEA initiatives. This is an opportunity to highlight your commitment and leadership in creating an inclusive workplace.

Shape Future Resources: Provide feedback on what resources would be most valuable to your organization. Your input will guide the development of a resource library that addresses the real needs of bioscience employers in Alberta.

Survey Details

The survey takes about 20 minutes, and to thank you for your time, qualifying participants will receive $100.The survey is open until February 7, 2025.  

By participating, you’ll be directly contributing to the ongoing success of Alberta’s biosciences sector, ensuring it remains inclusive, diverse, and accessible for all.

Thank you for your commitment to fostering a stronger, more equitable workforce.

The Province of Alberta is working in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide employment support programs and services.

Participate in the survey

More from our partners…

Advancing Canada’s Agri-Food Innovation through Bioenterprise Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine

Canada’s agri-food sector has the potential to become a global superpower but faces challenges like fragmented support systems and insufficient early-stage investment. Bioenterprise Canada’s recent roundtables, with over 130 participants from 120+ organizations, identified 20+ barriers and proposed 30+ solutions to drive progress. Key priorities include enhancing collaboration, streamlining regulations, bridging support gaps, and improving funding mechanisms. To support innovation and connectivity, Bioenterprise Canada launched The Engine online platform. Explore their National Call to Action report and join efforts to transform Canada’s agri-food ecosystem. Let’s work together to propel Canada’s food and agri-tech sector to global leadership.

Read the full article here

Disability and Accommodation Workshop

Wednesday, February 26

For managers, HR professionals and in-house counsel alike, navigating complex disability-related accommodations/workplace modifications while ensuring operational needs are met can prove to very challenging. Getting it wrong can result in significant liability, be it in the form of a human rights application, a civil lawsuit, internal complaints and/or diminished morale.

Not to worry, we are here to help! Learn how to navigate these difficult scenarios with tact, sensitivity and awareness during our unique in-person masterclass, hosted by our seasoned employment lawyers. During this full day, hands-on, interactive workshop, you will not only learn about your legal obligations, but we will also provide you with practical tips and risk-management strategies. At the end of the session, you will have the chance to apply your knowledge through interactive, tabletop exercises based on real-life fact patterns. Participants will also receive handouts that can be used as reference materials when handling sensitive workplace accommodation situations in the future.

Attendees will be offered a light breakfast, snacks and lunch.

Learn more