Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 58
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CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (2025)
PCL Construction is building the country’s new builders
J
acob Bardati remembers
the moment that cemented
his desire to work with PCL
Construction.
It was the heat of summer on
Toronto’s busy King Street and,
standing several storeys high on
a commercial office tower, the
then co-op student saw the full
scope of the work he was doing
with Canada’s largest general
contractor.
“I remember that sense of
organization and doing something
impactful,” says the assistant
superintendent. “I always wanted
the opportunity to leave a legacy
or do something meaningful.”
After three terms as a co-op
student Bardati was hired
full-time and, with the help of professional development initiatives
from PCL such as the Accelerated
Superintendent Development
(ASD) program, he was able to
quickly grow his career.
I remember that sense
of organization and
doing something
impactful. I always
wanted the opportunity
to leave a legacy or do
something meaningful.
— Jacob Bardati
Assistant Superintendent
The program gave Bardati
the opportunity to connect and
learn from experienced mentors
in his field, something he found
invaluable in broadening his
understanding of how to handle
real life challenges that may arise.
Employees at PCL are supported in their personal and professional development through various educational
and training programs.
“You don't get to see every job
that we're working on, so it's an
opportunity for other people to
showcase what they've learned
and done,” he explains.
“It helps everyone, because you
always have problems in construction, so having other people share
what worked helps better your
knowledge as a superintendent.”
The ASD program is just one
piece of the broader training
culture at the Edmonton-based
general contractor, which uses
innovative methodologies to
sharpen employees’ technical,
leadership and interpersonal
skills.
At PCL, investing in employee skills development is an
integral piece of how it stays at
the forefront of innovation in the
construction industry.
“As the company grows, we
want to make sure that our growth
potential is beyond where we are
currently,” says Harmony Carter,
vice president of people and
culture.
“We’re always asking, ‘How
do we accelerate our ability to
grow and also make sure that our
employees are ready for it?’”
PCL’s College of Construction
ensures employees have a clear
understanding of their career
opportunities and can access the
necessary skills for growth. The
company is also implementing a
new learning award that recognizes the importance of growth in the
workplace.
“We’ve created a learning culture where everyone is constantly
learning new things and also
about the skills for tomorrow,”
says Carter, who started at PCL
23 years ago as a co-op student
herself.
While some kinds of training
are more niche and geared toward
a specific department, PCL also
offers robust leadership programs
that are available to any employee.
For Bardati, leadership training
has been another key to success
because, as he explains, he’s not
the one swinging the hammer,
but directing the person with the
hammer.
“Interpersonal skills are what
drive us, especially in my role,” he
says. “You can always teach someone how to build something, but
teaching someone how to interact
with people is a very special skill.”
