Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 24
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CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (2026)
Blakes is deeply committed to its young professionals
A
rif Rahman, business
development
coordinator at Blake,
Cassels & Graydon
LLP (Blakes), one
of Canada’s leading law firms,
has a succinct summary to
describe his time there. “It’s been
fantastic,” says the 26-year-old,
who completed an eight-month
term as a co-op student before his
subsequent three years as a fulltime employee.
As soon as I started,
I was on a call with a
director who explained
how Blakes works.
Everybody here, from
senior management
down, is open to
helping you learn and
develop in your role.
— Arif Rahman
Business Development
Coordinator
“As soon as I started, I was on a
call with a director who explained
how Blakes works,” Rahman says.
“Everybody here, from senior
management down, is open to
helping you learn and develop in
your role.
“After that one-on-one call with
the director, the person who is
now my director took me on a tour
of all the different areas at Blakes,
explaining who my team members
are and who I would likely interact
with.”
Blakes understands the importance of creating a workplace
environment that brings out the
best in all its employees — including co-op students — and is
Law students at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP attend a professional development program as part of
onboarding training.
committed to providing exceptional experiences for young people.
The firm recognizes that co-op
placements provide students with
valuable on-the-job experience
to help them successfully launch
their careers.
All new hires attend a comprehensive orientation program
which includes informational
sessions to introduce them to the
firm’s culture, guided conversations about personal and professional goals and opportunities for
social interaction. In addition to
the orientation program, Blakes
recognizes that starting a new
job is exciting, but it can also be
stressful.
So, the firm launched the Blakes
Ambassador Program, designed
to ensure new hires feel welcome
and have a sense of belonging
from the start. The program pairs
a new hire with someone at the
firm (other than their mentor)
who serves as a trusted additional
layer of support. The program
is designed to further build connections and facilitate knowledge
sharing.
Along with the orientation and
ambassador programs, mentorship and an open path to career
advancement are at the core of
Blakes’ business services co-op
student program, says Courtney
Mack, a human resources manager who oversees the co-op student
program at the firm. “I always like
to say to the students, ‘You’re here
to help us, of course, but we’re
here to help you as well, to give
you the resources that you need to
be successful, whether at Blakes or
elsewhere,’” she says.
During their first week on the
job, each co-op student is paired
with a mentor who acts as a
resource. The mentor provides
on-the-job training, helps the
students build relationships at the
firm and answers any questions
the student may have.
The mentorship program has
proven to be a very successful twoway street, says Mack. Students
regularly comment that it is one
of their favourite aspects of their
co-op experience, while mentors
fully commit to their role and
often stay in touch with their mentees when they return to school.
