BOISBRIAND, Quebec, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yanik Guillemette, Canadian technology entrepreneur and Chairman of Accolad's External Technology and Innovation Advisory Committee, today announced the deployment of a specialized initiative to support talent attraction and retention in the aerospace industry through modern, fully automated employee recognition programs.
This initiative comes as the Canadian aerospace industry enters a new phase of industrial expansion. The federal government anticipates the creation of more than 125,000 jobs over the next decade intensifying global competition for a highly skilled workforce.
According to Accolad, companies' ability to attract and retain these talents now depends as much on employee experience as on technological innovation or production capacity.
An advanced industry… with HR practices that sometimes remain grounded.
While aircraft manufacturers are investing heavily in automation, artificial intelligence, and advanced supply chains, several employee recognition programs still remain relics of another era.
In many industrial organizations, initiatives still rely on one-off or symbolic approaches — standardized gifts, generic physical rewards or programs that are difficult to administer on a large scale.
“The aerospace industry builds some of the most advanced technologies in the world, but its talent recognition tools have not always evolved at the same pace,” explains Yanik Guillemette “Today, companies realize that it's time to replace improvised solutions with structured, measurable, and truly engaging programs.”
Transforming employee recognition into strategic infrastructure
The solution developed by Accolad allows aeronautical companies to integrate reconnaissance directly into their daily operations, rather than treating it as an occasional initiative.
The platform allows, in particular:
- Automating the recognition of years of service and career milestones
- Rewarding objectives related to security, performance, and critical projects
- Centralized management of multi-site and manufacturing teams
- Instant distribution of secure digital rewards
- Complete traceability ensuring compliance and organizational governance
These programs can be deployed quickly while scaling with workforce growth, without burdening HR operations.
Human capital is becoming the true competitive advantage.
In a sector where technical expertise develops over several years and where the loss of an experienced employee can slow down entire production cycles, team stability becomes a major economic factor.
Aerospace companies are thus gradually adopting modern recognition programs in order to:
- strengthen the commitment of specialist employees
- improve retention in critical roles
- supporting organizational culture in a context of rapid expansion
- increase attractiveness to the new generation of industrial workers
“For a long time, recognition was seen as a symbolic gesture. Today, it is becoming a strategic tool for industrial competitiveness,” adds Guillemette. “Successful organizations understand that retaining talent is just as important as modernizing their facilities.”
A transition already underway in the aeronautical ecosystem
Several industry players have already undertaken the modernization of their internal programs in order to offer an employee experience consistent with current technological standards.
According to Accolad, this evolution marks the gradual end of traditional approaches based on uniform or poorly personalized rewards, in favor of flexible digital programs adapted to the realities of a modern and mobile workforce.
“It's never too late to change your practices. The goal is to offer organizations an effective solution that truly recognizes the contribution of the people behind each aeronautical innovation,” concludes Yanik Guillemette.
About Accolad
Accolad is a Canadian technology platform specializing in the automation of employee recognition programs, digital rewards, and organizational incentives. Its technology enables industrial and technology companies to deploy modern, secure, and scalable recognition initiatives that foster engagement, retention, and organizational performance at scale.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0ba4431-b6d1-4b86-acd3-384bcc6ebcda
Media ContactJulie TessierHead of Communications -- Accoladj.tessier@accolad.com579-274-1477
Yanik Guillemette
