George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Each year, the team at Canada's Top 100 Employers evaluates organizations based on equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) initiatives in five key areas: women, racialized people, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA) individuals.
"This ranking underscores our ongoing commitment to enhance workforce practices to foster a culture where everyone feels welcomed and valued," said Leslie Quinlan, Senior Vice-President of People Enablement and Experience. "Every area of the polytechnic plays a part in advancing equity and inclusion. We can all take great pride in receiving this national recognition."
Check out our Best Diversity Employer profile
Black Futures Co-ordinator Susie Mensah and Director of Sustainability Mary Livera Ranaweera are featured in a special section on Canada's Best Diversity Employers in the February 24 edition of The Globe and Mail, which outlines the important work they are doing to advance EDII at George Brown.
At a time of ongoing change in how organizations approach EDII, George Brown continues to advance this important work.
"Over the past year, we have taken steps to strengthen workforce strategies, policies and organizational culture with an equity-focused approach," said Jennifer Grant, Associate Vice-President of the Office of Anti-Racism, Equity and Human Rights Services. "This recognition speaks to the hard work of people across the polytechnic, and how we bring our shared values to life, ensuring equity and belonging are a lived experience for employees at George Brown."
Employee-focused EDII initiatives
OAREHRS collaborates with departments across George Brown, including People and Culture, Research and Innovation, and the Teaching and Learning Exchange (TLX), among many others, to enhance our organizational culture and practices. Highlights of key initiatives over the past year include:
- Employment Systems Review: This four-phase plan to examine employment practices and culture began in the fall of 2024. The ESR is a direct response to recommendation 13 in George Brown's 2023 Employment Equity Census.
- Inclusive Hiring Toolkit: An end-to-end guide to enable a recruitment process free of bias.
- Multi-Year Accessibility and Inclusion Plan: We continue to make progress on this five-year plan to create a barrier-free polytechnic and be an accessibility leader in the post-secondary education sector.
- Ongoing programming, training and gathering spaces: The OAREHRS team, TLX, and People and Culture continue to lead programming that delivers learning opportunities and helps employees connect. This programming includes AODA training, Black Futures Initiatives, the Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Series, Universal Design for Learning training, resources for accessible and anti-racist pedagogy, and more.
Other employer recognitions
George Brown received other prestigious employer recognitions in 2026. For the tenth straight year, we have been named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers, and for the second time, we have made the Forbes list of Canada's Best Employers.
"The dedication employees show to our students and to one another is essential as George Brown Polytechnic continues to advance our strategic goals," said Susan Bowrah, Vice-President of People and Culture. "We continue enhancing how we recruit and retain employees, putting inclusion at the centre of everything we do so employees feel supported and free to be their authentic selves at George Brown."