On Sept. 30 WestJet employees spent their day mentoring 100 youth from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) by showing them the ins and outs of aviation at the airline’s Calgary headquarters and 28 airports across Canada.
“Over the last 10 years, WestJet Cares for Kids has found meaningful ways to positively impact the health and well-being of Canadian children and youth,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet vice-president, Marketing Communications. “Today, we go beyond the gift of flight to give the gift of insight and experience. More than 100 WestJetters will be taking BBBS youth under their wing to motivate, teach and inspire them to look at all the possibilities a career in aviation can provide. WestJet’s Mentoring Matters day is just another example of our ongoing commitment to investing in the communities we serve.”
“Witnessing the transformation of a child into a confident and motivated young person is a truly remarkable thing,” said Peter Coleridge, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada President and CEO. “Proudly, this is something our staff, volunteer mentors and partners like WestJet help bring about every day by creating truly unique experiences like this Mentoring Matters day.”
From flight crew to mechanics, baggage handlers to customer care agents, and accountants to marketers, BBBS youth will go behind the scenes while job shadowing WestJetters in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown and more. For a complete list of airports involved, visit the WestJet blog. Follow along with WestJet’s Mentoring Matters Day by using the #MentoringMatters hashtag.