Mediacorp Canada Inc. announced the winners of the annual competition that lists the top employers in the nation for young people on Thursday, and a number of Toronto and Ontari0-based companies are featured.

Canada's Top Employers for Young People is an editorial competition that recognizes employers that offer the best workplaces and programs in the country for young people at the start of their careers, and winners are chosen based on the programs and initiatives they offer to attract and retain younger workers. 

This year, because of the pandemic, employers had to put even more effort into attracting and keeping young talent.

Inspired by today's announcement of Top Employers for Young People ✨ Congrats to all the organizations selected this year & thank you for helping the next generation launch successful careers. For more info, visit: https://t.co/KiYqTCe4g0#TopEmployersforYP #TopEmployers2021 pic.twitter.com/v7cQydxJGs

— Canada's Top 100 Employers (@top_employers) January 19, 2021

"This year's winners moved quickly to offer remote working, transition onboarding programs to virtual formats, double down on skills development and help new recruits foster meaningful connections with peers and managers," reads a news release about the winners. 

"All of this year's finalists provide support for ongoing education and development, such as tuition subsidies for training programs or courses."

The list of employers features all kinds of businesses and organizations from a variety of fields, including a number of companies based in Toronto and other parts of Ontario. 

The Hospital for Sick Children, Metrolinx, Labatt Brewing Company Limited, Sinai Health, YMCA of Greater Toronto, York Regional Police, and Wilfrid Laurier University are just some of the Ontario-based companies included among the 100 winners, and the full list can be found online.

I'm extremely proud that @YRP was recognized as one of Canada's #TopEmployers2021 for Young People.

We believe that mentoring, career guidance and opportunities for young employees will always make our organization stronger.

Want to join the team? https://t.co/crgFpDpbsd pic.twitter.com/FTNyoXPFxV

— Chief Jim MacSween (@chiefmacsween) January 19, 2021

"Connecting and having opportunities to engage socially has always been an important part of the onboarding process, and never more so than right now," said Kristina Leung, senior editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which publishes the competition.

"Some of the employers selected this year had already incorporated interactive and digital elements to their onboarding and orientation programs, which have helped young people integrate and connect, even while working apart."

In total, all of this year's winners created over 63,000 job opportunities for students and new graduates in Canada last year, hired over 20,000 new graduates for full-time positions in Canada, and invested in ongoing training and development while offering up to $20,000 in tuition subsidies.

The winners also supported long-term career advancement through a variety of in-house and online training options, unique development opportunities, and formal mentoring.

"During the pandemic, many winners focused on expanding learning and development opportunities for students and young people," said Stephanie Leung, assistant editor at Mediacorp, in a statement.

"Whether it's job-specific training, soft skills development, or general interest courses, building capacity enables organizations to be more adaptive and innovative – something that will pay dividends long after the pandemic has ended."