Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 56
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CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (2025)
Loblaw looks for young talent from stores to campuses
M
anhar Joshi,
associate merchant at Loblaw
Companies Ltd.,
likes to describe
how he came to his position as a
tale of two schools. “One was the
University of Windsor,” says Joshi,
who arrived in Canada from India
in 2023 to study for his master of
engineering (MEng) degree. “The
other was Loblaw, which was
like another university, one that
was teaching me so much about
business.
“When I graduated with my
MEng, I had two paths to choose
between. I could start a career in
engineering or take up what I had
learned at Loblaw,” Joshi says.
“And I love my world here. So, I
said, ‘You know what? I’m going
into business.’”
The mentorship and
training I have received
at Loblaw has been
fantastic – I have been
provided with all the
tools and resources
I need at every step
along the way.
— Manhar Joshi
Associate Merchant
Joshi had been working
part-time at a Loblaw store to
support his studies. He started
on his Loblaw career path, says
Leena Patel, senior director, talent
strategy, “when senior colleagues
took note of his attitude and his
eagerness to learn, and suggested
The student recruitment program at Loblaw Companies cultivates future leaders through exceptional
experiences and opportunities.
he apply for a co-op position.”
With 2,500 retail outlets across
the country, Loblaw is not only
Canada’s largest private-sector employer but a major source of first
jobs for many young people, notes
Patel. “We do look for young talent
on post-secondary campuses, but
also among our Loblaw colleagues
in our retail stores,” says Patel.
“We’re really trying to help them
on their career journey, whether
it’s store or corporate roles.”
After three co-op roles and
becoming a full-time colleague
at Loblaw’s Brampton, Ont., head
office, Joshi continues to receive
strong support from colleagues
and is confident there is much
more to come. “The mentorship
and training I have received at
Loblaw has been fantastic – I have
been provided with all the tools
and resources I need at every step
along the way,” he says.
“And going forward, if I need
help – say, to learn something
about supply chain – I can talk to
people in supply chain and I know
they will help.”
“There are so many different
avenues that our early talent can
follow and so many resources
designed to help them, from
scholarships to the co-op and internship opportunities, to tuition
reimbursement to the orientation
program,” says Patel. “Then
there’s the Academy, our learning
management portal for all of our
Loblaw colleagues and the Let’s
Talk informal group sessions with
senior leaders.”
The learning management
system, Patel adds, can create
programs tailored to specific roles
or skills. “It allows all of us to do
self-learning in our own time
and really double down on what
it is we’re trying to develop for
ourselves,” she says.
