New grads can try different pathways at Siemens
Fizzah Khan applied to Siemens Canada Limited after graduating in building systems engineering. She started out in Siemens Certified Education and Talent Academy (SCETA).
“Right off the bat I was pushed to try different pathways and learn as much as possible,” says Khan, now a service specialist in smart infrastructure. “Every day I get to do mechanical, electric, HVAC and building automation work – exactly what I studied in school.”
Siemens Canada is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport and health care. Active in Canada for 110 years, the company recently provided components for over 10,000 ventilators that were delivered in record time in the early days of the pandemic.
“Our different programs for young people enrich their experience and help us to innovate,” says Rose Rakovalis, head of people and organization. “We’re creating a pipeline for the next generation of leaders.”
Siemens Canada takes approximately 125 students per year in co-op and internship positions. It recruits university graduates to join SCETA, an integrated work and learning program. The graduates take on experiential learning within a business and complete academic requirements, including business skills. Once they finish the program, they are ready for available roles within Siemens.
During the pandemic, Siemens launched the Experience at Siemens program to help new graduates transition from their academic career to the workplace through up to a year of experiential learning.
“The Experience at Siemens program started as a way to support graduates to get experience and to give back during COVID, but the results have been so positive we’ve kept it going,” says Rakovalis. “The conversion to hires has been over 50 per cent.”
One reason for the success of these programs is the culture at Siemens. Khan says the environment encourages continual growth and improvement. Coaching and mentoring are available to employees and there are also mentor pods – groups of individuals mentoring one another.
The company provides tuition reimbursement for courses focused on an employee’s current or future roles, and there are also internal options. Siemens offers thousands of online learning opportunities. There is also a two-year finance leadership development rotation and a one-year leadership development program for talents across the country.
Even with a focus on development opportunities, Rakovalis says employee well-being is the company’s top priority. Siemens has increased its mental health resources and expanded accessibility through webinars and a telehealth option. The pandemic has brought a flexible, hybrid approach to work. Employees can choose to do some work remotely, and Siemens creates a space for people to come in to meet and collaborate.
Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives often come through a bottom-up approach. Employees form their own resource groups, and one group recently delivered a webinar with information on Ramadan.
Although Khan initially felt a bit nervous to be the first woman on her team, she says she finds the environment at Siemens supportive and welcoming. She has a woman from another team as a mentor, her managers make an effort to get her input and her team is always there to answer a call or a text.
“I knew that Siemens was doing meaningful, sustainable work and I wanted to be a part of it,” says Khan. “At the end of the day, being able to make a contribution to a building – that’s incredible!”