Scotiabank makes $500,000 donation to support career-readiness for Black and other racialized Laurier students

With a generous gift of $500,000 over four years in support of the Laurier Career Discovery Program, Scotiabank will help empower Black and other racially marginalized undergraduate Laurier students to overcome barriers to career entry and advancement that lead to their underrepresentation in leadership positions in many industries. The program will provide individualized support to help students navigate career decision-making, to build a professional network, to gain an understanding of self and to develop, identify and articulate employment-related skills. 

Led by Laurier’s Career Centre in collaboration with the Office of the Associate Vice-President: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the Laurier Career Discovery Program will foster personal growth and the development of personalized career planning and job search strategies through a lens of community and belonging.

“Through its award-winning, nationally recognized programming and services, the Career Centre at Laurier is dedicated to empowering and guiding students on their path to success,” says Interim Assistant Vice-President: Experiential Learning and Career Development, Colleen Myronyk. “The foundation on which the centre was built will support and enable the growth needed to ensure Black and other racially marginalized students receive dedicated programming to address the barriers they encounter that are unique to their lived experience.”

In the six-year pilot program, students will work toward the Career Discovery Certificate from their first year through to graduation in cohorts of 35 participants with staggered intakes in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Programming will begin in January 2026. Over the course of their studies, students will have access to personalized career consulting and facilitated group sessions that explore their cultural beliefs, values and experiences, and reflect on how they may draw on these experiences to advance their potential career paths. Students will build on this learning with opportunities to make connections in their desired fields through events, workshops, conferences and paid summer work placements.

Participants will also have access to a broad range of instructional sessions on topics related to preparing for their future and career-related events where they can connect with professionals, alumni and potential employers. By the end of the program, students will be equipped with the knowledge, resources and connections to navigate the job market confidently and manage their career throughout a lifetime.

Scotiabank funding for the Laurier Career Discovery Program is provided through ScotiaRISE, the Bank’s $500 million community investment initiative designed to help people reach their full potential. ScotiaRISE supports programs that help remove barriers and increase access to a more resilient future for individuals, families and communities. The Laurier Career Discovery Program will enable greater inclusion and economic opportunity for underrepresented students while generating benefits for the community at large.

Every year, a portion of the funding will subsidize summer employment opportunities for participants at non-profit or charitable organizations, where organizational resources are insufficient to support hiring a student. This means Laurier program participants will gain paid work experience in a much wider array of opportunities that align with their aspirations – while non-profit organizations will benefit from skilled, passionate workers to support their community mission.

“Black and other racially marginalized students at Laurier have consistently stated the need for a more equitable and inclusive environment that fosters a sense of belonging,” says Associate Vice-President: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Andrea Davis. “The Laurier Career Discovery program is an exciting step forward in nurturing a culture of understanding, access and inclusion in career development at Laurier.”