In early 2023, Garima Malik, 35, was feeling the squeeze at work. After moving from India to Canada four years ago (first to Alberta, then Ontario), she was working as an HR coordinator at a major online retailer when the layoffs started coming. She felt her job was at risk. Her husband, Yash Arora, 38, had been laid off from his job in hospitality five months earlier, and with a young child at home, they craved security. In her research, she came across the Ready to Work program at Toronto Pearson and encouraged her husband to participate with her. Several months later, Malik and Arora are both employed at Pearson, and she’s feeling more optimistic about their professional future. “Leaving my job was a risky thing to do,” says Malik, “but one of my dreams was always to be in aviation and this program was an amazing first step into the industry.”

The Ready to Work program launched as a pilot in the spring of 2023 in partnership with ACCES Employment, a non-profit that offers accessible employment services. Malik and Arora were part of the first cohort of recruits, all of whom received four weeks of Pearson Airport orientation and job training at no cost to participants. But the game-changing part of the program, says Manal Al-Khaled, Program Manager, Airport Employer Engagement for GTAA, is that participants apply for their Transport Canada security clearance at the beginning of the training, which means they can be technically “ready to work” as soon as they complete the program. This aspect of the program not only offers a huge advantage to job seekers, but also addresses a common challenge faced by the roughly 400 Pearson employers who are eager to fill open roles with qualified, pre-cleared candidates.

During training, recruits get an overview of operations at Pearson and of the surprising range of job opportunities available at the airport. “We toured the airport and learned about the culture and how unions work,” says Malik. “We were given training in security procedures, customer service and interviewing skills, and made great connections. It’s a boost to your confidence.”  

So far, says Al-Khaled, the pilot program has produced strong results. “Employers are very receptive, because who wouldn’t want someone who is pre-cleared and who also has general knowledge of the airport and an understanding of its operations and 24-hour demands?”  

Malik was part of the program’s first cohort, which saw 18 of the 19 recruits who completed the program receive job offers from the employers who participated in a hiring event on graduation day — including WestJet, Aviation and Airport Services (AAS) Canada and Dufry. Malik herself was offered three jobs as a result of the event. She ultimately held out for one that felt like the best fit, as an office administrator with Beumer Group, a global leader in baggage handling systems.  

Arora, her husband, found work in security and ground services with ASP Security Services and AAS Canada, and is looking for the right long-term opportunity. Their jobs at Pearson have provided them with flexibility, Malik says, ensuring that one of them can always be at home with their daughter. “I’m very thankful to the program, and to Manal especially,” she says. “It has helped me professionally and guided me as a person when it came to sorting multiple offers from companies.”  

There are more opportunities to join the Ready to Work program. If you’re interested in airport work – or know a friend or family member who is – reach out to pearsonworks@gtaa.com!