Inaugural training and mentorship/coaching program for corporate Canada recruitment
TORONTO – The Onyx Initiative, a Toronto based non-profit established to bridge the pervasive gap in the recruitment and selection of Black college and university students, and recent graduates for roles in corporate Canada, announced Thursday over 300 applications for its Scholars Program and the selection of 170 participants for the first cohort.
This is both the result of a targeted outreach and engagement campaign with regional Black Student Associations, campus career centres, community organizations, and prominent social media forums, said the press release sent out by Bell Canada, which is a founding participant.
“Onyx also boasts strong continued support for its unique, collaborative approach to transforming the hiring and promotion practices that disproportionately exclude Black students and professionals. Telus, Hyundai, CIBC, Air Miles, City of Mississauga, Absolute, PSP Investments, GoEasy, IGM Financial, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, and Oxford Properties Group… are amongst the new organizations joining an already impressive list of forward-thinking companies like Bell, TD, PwC, Manulife, and the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), whose members include MLSE, J.P. Morgan Chase, MaRS, and many others,” reads the release.
Education and community partners which have come on board include McGill University, Trent University, Queen’s University, Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, University of Waterloo, University of Guelph, UBC Sauder School of Business, and Centennial College, as well as Black in Sport Business, the Hamilton Black History Council, Empowerment Squared, and Aardvark Inc.
“Our desire to maximize the impact of the social justice movement and ensure key awareness, access, and expansion milestones were achieved meant that we had to hit the ground running,” said Nigela Purboo, co-founder and executive director, Onyx Initiative. “Too often progressive movements aimed at addressing systemic disparities turn into moments once the media spotlight dims. Thankfully, the current, global awakening has retained its relevance and afforded us the opportunity to forge amazing alliances in a short period of time.”
For the full release and explanation of the Onyx Initiative, please click here.
