Manitoba's Top Employers

Generating bright futures Visit us at www.hydro.mb.ca G e n e r a t i n g b r i g h t f u t u r e s Proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers & Manitoba's Top Employers for the 7th consecutive year. There has never been a more exciting time to join Manitoba Hydro. diverse & challenging work • work-life balance protect the environment • great benefits 13 HYDRO ALL ABOUT INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY By Holli Moncrieff Manitoba Hydro prides itself on being one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. T his commitment to diversity helps make the company a more representative and inclusive place to work," says Gary Maksymyk, Manitoba Hydro's Human Resources Division Manager. "When you have employees from different backgrounds, you have a broader range of perspectives, skills and experiences, and more creative ways of solving problems." Five innovative programs ensure Manitoba Hydro's 6,000 employees are among the most diverse in the country. The Disability Access Program helps people with intellectual disabilities integrate into the workforce through vocational assessments, on-the-job training and coaching. "A lot of people have found roles within our company through this program," Maksymyk says. Manitoba Hydro has also partnered with the non- profit SCE Lifeworks to offer Project SEARCH, a unique employment transition program for high school students with developmental disabilities. "Through Project SEARCH we provide work experience placements for students with developmental disabilities who are in their final year of high school," says Maksymyk. "Students rotate through the company, getting exposure to different jobs, so when they graduate they can say they have meaningful work experience to take them into the future." Another aspect of Manitoba Hydro's diversity programming are the Aboriginal Pre-Placement Programs (three in total).These are seven-to-10 months in duration and provide orientation to different technical trades, on-the-job training, and academic upgrading. Participants are paid during the training, and are able to acquire the necessary prerequisites to enter Manitoba Hydro's trades apprenticeship program upon completion. "There are always people retiring or working their way up through the company. We want to ensure we maintain the required number of employees in these specialized trades and our Pre-Placement programs play an important role," Maksymyk says. Of the 430 people who have been hired into the program since it began in 1998, 360 have moved into permanent jobs at Manitoba Hydro. "Our Aboriginal Pre-Placement programs have played a significant role in increasing indigenous employment at Manitoba Hydro," he adds. Manitoba Hydro also offers an Indigenous Cultural Awareness workshop for employees. All employees are encouraged to participate in the two-day sessions. "These sessions are designed to give non-indigenous employees some background to the indigenous way of life," explains Maksymyk. "This program really allows employees to be exposed to the history, cultures and traditions of indigenous communities. "We're working up in northern Manitoba building a new generating station and transmission project, and after these sessions, our employees have a better understanding and appreciation of the indigenous way of life." The company's Internationally Educated Engineers Qualification (IEEQ) program is a partnership with the University of Manitoba to assist engineering graduates who have obtained their undergraduate degree outside of Canada. This program helps international engineers acquire their provincial accreditation. "There are lots of people with engineering degrees from other countries that aren't recognized here," Maksymyk says. "The benefit for us is that we can hire these people once they have upgraded through the U of M IEEQ program." This is the seventh consecutive year Manitoba Hydro has ranked as one of Manitoba's Top Employers. It has also been one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers for the past six years. The company is committed to diversity and having a workforce that is representative of the communities it serves. ❚ "

• Cover