A key indicator of a great place to work is when an organization sees your value and continues to invest in your growth. In fact, a recent LinkedIn Learning study reported 94% of employees are more likely to remain with their current employer if they feel there is an investment being made in their career. 

This awareness is top of mind for Ontario’s Your Neighbourhood Credit Union (YNCU), which has made investing in the growth of employees central to its culture of learning and development. Embedded within their guiding principles of being a “Great Place to Work,” YNCU’s investment in their employee’s growth isn’t just wishful thinking, but rather a strategic priority for the organization.  

“YNCU understands that credit unions require strong leadership to thrive, and that employees are attracted to and stay at companies that invest in employee learning and development,” said Joe Aspden, Manager of Learning and Development at YNCU.  “We have increased our training budget and the number of employees in our learning and development department in order to provide our employees with the skills and knowledge they require to perform well in their jobs. We have also developed an extensive leadership initiative that is accessible to all our employees,” he added.  

Aspden worked with Sherice Claridge, CCUA Education and Development Account Manager, to identify the programs that would meet their needs, and eLeadership Academy, a CCUA partner, was engaged for the leadership and coaching components of the plan.  

Claridge explains, “Building a successful leadership team takes time, energy and is a valuable investment. Successful organizations are driven by strong and successful leaders who help build trust between employees and management. They create a welcoming and engaging culture for all employees, and I applaud YNCU for their clear vision and strategy towards leadership training.” 

YNCU offers three leadership programs to its employees: 

1. People Leadership Program: All people leaders are on track to earn a Certificate in Applied Leadership (CAL) through eLeadership Academy. The certificate program offered in collaboration with CCUA includes more than 100 hours of leadership and coaching training over four courses. It begins with the 12-month micro-training program eLeaderHUB, followed by the 8-week cohort-based program eLEAD. Then, leaders take the 8-week cohort-based program eCOACH, followed by a flexible, self-paced eFOCUS elective in either Building Resilience or Inclusive Leadership.   

2. Internal Leadership Series: This leadership development initiative is available to all YNCU employees that are not people leaders. The 10-month leadership program provides access to monthly webinars facilitated by YNCU people leaders. This gives people leaders an opportunity to teach back what they are learning and work with individuals they normally would not work with. Participants also participate in leadership discussion groups, and the completion of a Leadership Action Plan at the end of the program. 

3. Emerging Leader Program: This 12-month limited enrollment program is designed to help identify and grow the future leaders of YNCU. Applicants apply to be an emerging leader and their application must be supported by their direct people leader and CLT member. In this program, emerging leaders get to meet with Chief Leadership Team members, complete the eLeaderHUB 12-month program, and participate in leadership meetings to discuss their learning, growth, challenges, and opportunities.  

Sandra McDowell, CEO of eLeadership Academy, launched the academy ten years ago to help credit unions develop talent from within. She notes, 

“The investment that YNCU is making in their leaders to deliver on their promise of being a great place to work is significant. We applaud their commitment to develop leaders of all levels and provide access to training for all. Having worked with the YNCU leaders for over a year, I am impressed by their positive culture, and the work the learning and development team is doing to foster a shared understanding of leadership best practices across the organization.” 

Sherice Claridge also adds, 

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Joe Aspden and the team at YNCU. It’s rewarding to partner with such a forward-thinking, driven credit union and to witness their amazing growth and transformation. I’m impressed by the dedication and ambition that YNCU has demonstrated as they’ve implemented their stellar leadership program and other professional development activities for their employees. Aligning their training programs to their guiding principle of being a ‘Great Place to Work’ was always an important focus and key consideration at every step.” 

In addition to leadership training, YNCU partners with CCUA on a variety of learning initiatives, including the Reconciliation Education Indigenous Awareness Professional Development course, and the CUIC 210 Consumer & Residential Mortgage Lending Cohort.  

YNCU is committed to staff growth and development and has established a culture of learning that understands the importance of equipping their employees with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the workplace.