At Siemens Canada, young employees are supported in their transition to the workplace through the Experience@Siemens program.Supplied
Vladyslav Iakovchuk is a long way from his native Ukraine, but thanks to a program launched at Siemens Canada Limited to help new graduates, he recently found a new home in Ontario.
“I feel like I belong here,” says the financial analyst with the digital industries business. “I’m proud of this company and proud of myself that I’m part of such a community.”
In 2022, Iakovchuk entered the Experience@Siemens program. Developed during the pandemic, this program helps new graduates transition from their academic career to the workplace through up to a year of experiential learning.
“It has become a successful program and launching pad for new grads,” says Jennifer Giudice, head of talent acquisition at Siemens Canada. “Over 50 per cent of our grads who went through the program have been hired on at Siemens.”
Iakovchuk is one of them. After leaving Kyiv for a vacation in Europe, he never returned home because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Iakovchuk completed his economic studies and worked remotely in Ireland before applying to Siemens Canada. Familiar with the company name from his work experience in Ukraine with Siemens Energy, he was accepted into the Experience@Siemens program. In the summer of 2022, he arrived in Toronto ready for a new challenge.
Based in Oakville, Ont., Siemens Canada is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport and health care. Active in Canada since 1912, the company has more than 33 office and production facilities across the country.
Iakovchuk immediately felt welcomed. He joined the digital industries finance team working with order management and received on-the-job training as well as mentorship, something he especially appreciated having just arrived in a new country.
“At Siemens, everyone is part of a big family,” he says. “It is always about people.”
Siemens Canada takes training and investing in its future work force seriously. Currently, about 20 per cent of new job opportunities are geared toward young people and last year, there were early career opportunities for 130 new graduates.
“We look for that fresh, diverse perspective that young people offer,” says Giudice. “They inspire innovation, and they foster a culture of learning and growth.”
Giudice, who started with Siemens Canada 15 years ago as a co-op student herself, says co-op and the Experience@Siemens program are just two of the many opportunities available for young people to gain valuable work experience.
Now entering its 10th cohort, the Siemens Certified Education and Talent Academy (SCETA) is another successful work-integrated learning program offered at Siemens, designed to equip students with the educational and professional foundation needed for a career within the company.
During the program’s 17-month term, students work within a Siemens business and receive experiential learning while completing their academics. SCETA students are paid, and those who are part of the 17-month term receive tuition reimbursement. Once the program is finished, they are ready for available jobs within Siemens. SCETA also offers a five-month term targeting new grads.
“Our student and new graduate programs are bridging the gap between academics and early careers,” says Giudice. “Offering opportunities for skills development and professional growth is not only important to us, but to society as we build a sustainable work force.”
Iakovchuk was thrilled to be offered a full-time position as a financial analyst less than a year after joining the Experience@Siemens program. Although he has completed the program, his learning hasn’t stopped. He takes advantage of in-house training and mentoring available to employees.
“Especially for young employees like me, it is good to see that the company culture is always about growing, learning and getting better,” he says.
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.