Lakeland College is celebrating its fifth consecutive year being honoured as one of Alberta's Top 70 Employers.

Lakeland's health benefits plan, family-friendly culture and retirement planning opportunities are listed as a few of the reasons the college was selected as one of Alberta's Top Employers.

“I am very proud that Lakeland is being celebrated as an outstanding place to work - something I have known to be true during my 38 years with Lakeland,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College.

“Ensuring our teams are supported, connected and informed is essential for everyone's wellbeing and ability to operate, especially given the challenges we've faced with the pandemic to date. I am humbled by everyone's commitment and teamwork, and how they continue to go above and beyond. This milestone is a testament to Lakeland's campus community.”

Alberta's Top 70 Employer graphic.

Judges that created Alberta's Top Employer list noted that Lakeland fosters a healthy, ethical and respectable work environment for all with strong senior leadership support and a number of health and safety initiatives. Recent initiatives include:

  • Safe Spaces Training in support of the LGBTQ2+ community
  • Respect in the Workplace Training in support of a positive work environment
  • Working Minds training in support of the college's mental health strategy

Some of the other reasons why Lakeland was selected as a top employer by the judges include:

  • As part of Lakeland's health benefits plan, employees can allocate $800 per year to health and/or wellness spending accounts and are also encouraged to put their health first with 10 paid sick days per year.
  • Lakeland cultivates a family-friendly culture with maternity leave top-up payments for new mothers and the option for employees to extend their leave. The college also makes returning to work a little easier with onsite childcare and paid personal days off to help balance family commitments (up to 12 days annually).
  • Lakeland helps employees prepare for the future with a defined benefit pension plan and retirement planning assistance -- additionally, the organization offers phased-in work options for those nearing retirement.

Lakeland is one of only five post-secondary institutions in Alberta to be recognized as a top employer for 2021.

The Alberta's Top Employers list was released on Jan. 26 by Mediacorp Canada Inc., the company that manages Canada's Top 100 Employers project and competitions such as Alberta's Top Employers.

Employers were evaluated using the same criteria as the national competition: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in Alberta.