Embracing Diversity: How PLATO Challenges Traditional Hiring Norms

Written By: Hannah Macready

When Keith McIntosh started PLATO, a Fredericton-based software testing company, in the late 1990s, there wasn’t a lot of technology work being done in New Brunswick. Most of his peers were going out West to work, but McIntosh wasn’t ready to jump ship just yet. He wanted to bring work to New Brunswick, not take it away.

Still, finding and retaining talent, in a province where most skilled workers were fleeing, wasn’t easy. He was interested in hiring more Indigenous talent, but realized there weren’t enough Indigenous youth going to post secondary or studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). “There were lots of people looking for work, and I had work that needed to be done,” he said. “So, the question was, how can I get them to a place where I can hire them?”

This question would lead McIntosh down a nearly two decade journey of PLATO’s train-and-employ model, which offers a compensated, five-month training program to burgeoning talent that may not have access to a four-year degree program.

After completing the program, students have an opportunity to move into a full-time apprenticeship program, complete with benefits and paid vacation. They are guaranteed a full-time position once they complete the program. To date, the program boasts an 80% completion rate, and at the end of the first-year 50-60% of trainees are still employed by the company.

PLATO’s program is just one of many ways companies are reimagining their hiring practices and moving away from traditional four-year degree requirements. While traditionally seen as a hallmark of professional readiness, there is growing sentiment suggesting that the requirement of a bachelor's degree may disproportionately disadvantage minority groups. This is due, in part, to low rates of higher education access for first-generation students, Indigenous students, and students with disabilities, as well as rising tuition fees.

Indigenous youth face a multitude of barriers when trying to access post-secondary education. Economic, cultural, and geographical barriers have led to a loss of Indigenous representation in postsecondary education, and therefore the wider professional market. Data from the Government of Canada found that non-Indigenous youth were nearly twice as likely to have completed or recently attended a postsecondary program than Indigenous youth.

Moving away from traditional bachelor-degree requirements could be one way to help mitigate systemic barriers and increase representation in the workplace. Dr. Wendy Cukier, Founder of Diversity Institute and Research Lead of Future Skills Centre, has spent her career researching and promoting workplace diversity.

Cukier argues that while we should continue to push for representation in STEM degrees, we must also recognize these degree programs are not the only pathways to success — especially in an increasingly digital job market. Alternative learning paths, such as micro credentialing, apprenticeship programs, and work experience programs, can help people gain practical skills to transition into the technical workforce.

She also suggests looking beyond simply technology skills, and into other disciplines such as humanities or social sciences. "Often people who [work] in non-tech disciplines, they just need support and coaching, and there are good and interesting jobs that they can enter," she said. Adding, "The key issues are engaging with employers to understand competencies as opposed to credentials, and ensuring there are wrap-around supports to address the challenges that underrepresented groups may face in transitioning into these roles."

Wrap-around support has been a key factor in the success of PLATO's train-and-employ model, which emphasizes meeting people where they are and providing them with the necessary tools and support to succeed. Part of this approach involves adjusting traditional workplace expectations and schedules.

Indigenous talent have diverse cultural needs and responsibilities that may not fit within the traditional nine to five workday. As McIntosh explained, childcare needs, cultural events, and even the death of a community member can all lead an individual to needing more time off. Employers looking to increase diversity need to commit to more flexibility in work hours and extended leave. "You have to be willing to change the way the work is delivered,” he said.

Still, he believes change is coming to the Canadian workforce at large, though much remains to be done. "Companies are opening the doors and saying the job is here, we want you here, but it's not enough to say the doors are open,” he noted. “You have to change how you expect them to show up and be present. Then you have to wrap your arms around them, meet them in the middle, and find a compromise.”