BioTalent Canada Awards 2022 Catalyst Award for Top New Hire

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioTalent Canada announced today that Erin Ward has won the 2022 Catalyst Award for Top New Hire.

Erin earned this recognition for her contributions as a CleanSlate UV co-op student. CleanSlate UV is a healthcare start-up that harnesses UV light to sanitize mobile devices.

“I am incredibly excited and honoured to have been chosen [as winner of the Catalyst Award], and I know that this day wouldn't have come without the unwavering support from my mentors at CleanSlate UV, Manju Anand and Rochelle Mary Gonzales,” says Erin Ward, Honours Immunology student at McGill University. “Having a chance to work in an industry position while studying at university opened up so many different career options to me that I never knew existed, and showed me that you don't need to enter a position as an expert to achieve things that you will be proud of if you have enough curiosity and determination."

Erin joined the CleanSlate UV team as a Clinical Affairs Intern in 2021 as part of a three-and-a-half month work placement. From the get-go, she was quick to adopt the “all-hands-on-deck” culture and started joining meetings with other departments across the company to see how she could add value and make an impact. From creating scientific enablement documents to product testing, Erin’s curiosity allowed her to develop skills beyond her area of knowledge.

“During the pandemic, the need for a solution like CleanSlate UV became more prominent to protect the general public from acquired infections including COVID-19,” says Manjunath Anand, President and Chief Technology Officer at CleanSlate UV. “Today, CleanSlate UV is deployed in Pearson International Airport, Metrolinx stations, and many other airports in the US. This wouldn’t have been possible without Erin.”

BioTalent Canada’s recent LMI Study addressed the need to hire an additional 65,000 workers by 2029 to meet the demands of the growing bio-economy. Among their solutions to meet this impending talent shortage was to increase on-the-job training through work-integrated learning which helps build the practical skills in addition to putting to use the skills learned in the classroom.

“Our wage subsidies are meant to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises in Canada’s biotechnology sector to onboard talent and continue innovating,” says Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada. “It’s an honour to give out this award and recognize Canada’s brightest young minds.”

The Catalyst Award for Top New Hire demonstrates the potentially transformative contributions wage subsidies can have on organizations in the Canadian bio-economy.

Learn more about which programs your organization may qualify for, visit biotalent.ca/programs.

About BioTalent Canada

BioTalent Canada™ is the HR partner of and catalyst for growth in Canada’s bio-economy. Our engagement with employers, associations, post-secondary institutions, immigrant serving agencies and service providers has built a dynamic network that is strengthening skills, connecting job-ready talent to industry and creating opportunities. Recently awarded a Great Place to Work® Certification, BioTalent Canada practices the same industry standards they recommend to their stakeholders. For more information visit biotalent.ca.

About the Catalyst Award for Top New Hire

BioTalent Canada’s Catalyst Award is an employee recognition award, granting $1,000 prize to the young employee who has contributed most significantly to their Canadian biotechnology employer in 2020-2021. Biotechnology employers are invited to submit applications, detailing their most recent hires through the programs – how these young scientists and entrepreneurs have enhanced innovation, and made substantial contributions to their companies.