Women in Capital Markets’ (WCM) Return to Bay Street program led to 18 women being hired back into the financial services industry in 2023, the non-profit organization said Tuesday.
The program is for women with mid- to senior-level experience who’ve been out of the financial industry for at least 18 months. Successful candidates receive paid work at a partner institution, as well as access to WCM programming and mentorship.
The program “benefits not only the individual participants, but contributes to a more equitable workforce overall,” WCM’s chief operating officer Odette Hutchings said in a release. “Women regain confidence, update their skill set and reconnect with vital networks.”
The 18 women hired will work at BMO Capital Markets (one person), CIBC (three), Mackenzie Investments (three), Manulife (one), Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (one), RBC (four), Scotiabank Global Wealth Management (one) and TD Securities (four).
Launched in 2010, WCM has helped place 123 women in roles equivalent, or more senior, to those they left in the finance sector. Applications for the upcoming cohort of the program will be accepted beginning Tuesday until March 8.