IKEA named one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People for the second consecutive year

BURLINGTON, ON, Sept. 25, 2012 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada announced today that the retailer has been named one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People by Mediacorp for the second consecutive year. This competition recognizes Canada's leaders who effectively attract and retain younger employees to their organizations.

"More and more people are recognizing that retail is a great industry to build a career. At IKEA, we continue to attract ambitious young people by offering exceptional leadership opportunities within many areas of our business," says Kerri Molinaro, President of IKEA Canada. "With one of the lowest turnover rates in the retail industry, we believe it is our strong culture and values that attract young IKEA enthusiasts. We offer the opportunity to pursue an exciting and fulfilling career with a global company, which is what keeps them with us."

The IKEA Backpacker initiative is one of the many unique professional development programs for younger co-workers that are offered by IKEA.  This program provides co-workers with the opportunity to travel for a year and work alongside an experienced mentor in different store locations around the world. Today, Canadian Backpackers have gained practical hands-on experience working in Turkey, Sweden, UK, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Belgium and Russia.

Each year, IKEA Canada publishes a Learning & Development program guide that includes a myriad of unique training opportunities in the form of local in-store training, national training and specialized workshops to develop job competence, management and leadership abilities. Co-workers are also offered an educational assistance reimbursement of 75 per cent for academic courses related to their career path at IKEA.

IKEA co-workers also have opportunities to expand their professional development by working on one of several expansion projects such as new store build-ups and store re-locations. Co-workers on these teams gain leadership skills, knowledge and experience critical for their next career advancement within IKEA.

With many different types of jobs within this global company, the possibilities for personal and professional growth are endless. When co-workers are ready for a new challenge or a new career direction it's available within IKEA, not outside IKEA.

About IKEA

IKEA is a leading home furnishings retailer with 280 stores in 26 countries worldwide, which are visited by 626 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 11 stores, which are visited by over 25 million people every year. Last year the IKEA.com websites attracted 712 million visitors. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information visit www.IKEA.ca.

SOURCE: IKEA Canada