Alberta's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 5
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DEVELOPMENT IS KEY
Continued
out within a “very competitive” labour
market.
At De Havilland Aircraft of Canada,
the 2,600-person aerospace company has
not shied away from going all in on
employee development.
COVENANT HEALTH
ALBERTA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
“We believe there’s
a compelling
growth story here
that’s unique in
Alberta”
– MIKE VAN HEE, V.P. HUMAN RESOURCES,
DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT OF CANADA
Mike Van Hee, vice-president of human
resources at De Havilland, says the
company has leaned into several new
robust onboarding processes and
career-pathway initiatives. For example,
the first-time Alberta’s Top Employers
winner operates a 12-week training
academy for many of its new hires, and it
is developing a “2.0” version intended for
employees who are looking to advance
their careers within the company.
De Havilland is also continuing to invest
in its relationships with post-secondaries
such as SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute
of Technology) and Red Deer Polytechnic,
as well as high schools throughout the
province.
“It’s about educating them about our
business and making sure they are aware
of opportunities. We believe there’s a
compelling growth story here that’s
unique in Alberta,” says Van Hee.
Yerema notes success stories such as De
Havilland’s illustrate the growing diversity
of Alberta’s economy. He adds that this
year’s competition drew a noticeable
increase in applications from small and
medium-sized enterprises and the
professional services category.
“You can be an accountant, a lawyer or
an engineer,” Yerema says of working in
Alberta. “You can work in the oil and gas
industry. You can be a field worker. You
can be in the lab. It’s all there. There’s no
limit for most professions.”
This story was created by Content Works,
Postmedia’s commercial content division, on
behalf of Alberta’s Top Employers.
This is the 12th year that Edmonton-based Covenant Health has been named one of Alberta’s Top Employers.
