BioTalent Canada—an organization that helps support the people behind life-changing science— recently announced recipients of its inaugural I.D.E.A.L. Bioscience Employer designation.
Recognizing entities within the Canadian bio-economy that embody the principles of ‘inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility leadership’ (IDEAL) throughout their operations and practices, the I.D.E.A.L. Recognition Program has been developed to encourage and facilitate the best practices required in order to promote growth and success in the country’s biotech sector.
Launched at the beginning of 2022, BioTalent Canada accepted applications from organizations of all sizes across Canada, evaluating them each through an impartial process to determine nine recipients to receive the I.D.E.A.L. Bioscience Employer designation. It represents a critical step in ensuring diversity within the sector. And, according to Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada, it also represents a way forward toward future growth for Canadian Bioscience companies.
“Diversity is critical to attract and retain talent in Canada and is a key strategy cited in our Labour Market Research, particularly in our study of creating resiliency in the bio-economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he says. “We developed the I.D.E.A.L. Bioscience Employer Recognition Program as the culmination of a study we conducted in partnership with the Future Skills Centre to showcase some of the great things happening and what’s possible when organizations make equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility a priority.”