At the beginning of each calendar year, the staff of Placement Partners MN, Inc come together to reflect on what has happened the year prior and which employers have made an impact on our clients and our communities. We honor those employers by nominating them for the Employer of the Year Award and voting on an employer we feel is going above and beyond to make an impact. Though many deserving employers were nominated, Canterbury Park in Shakopee was the winner of the 2021 Employer of the Year Award.
Mark Braun (Placement Partners Placement Specialist) nominated Canterbury Park, noting they have “shown more than just hiring candidates with disability, but they go out of their way to make that new employee feel like they are part of the team.” Warsame Qase (Placement Partners Community Support Specialist) is working with an individual employed at Canterbury Park currently and echoed the welcoming and inclusive environment. Warsame noted that all staff regardless of what department they work in seem to go out of their way to greet Placement Partners staff and those we support and strike up pleasant conversations. He stated they are very kind and helpful. For instance, if staff or the individual needed to know where a certain location or task was, the Canterbury staff would even guide them there in a friendly manner instead of just pointing them to a direction and sending them off.
The Placement Partners team presented Canterbury Park with a plaque to commemorate their Employer of the Year award on April 12, 2022. We would like to thank them for graciously hosting us, meeting with us, allowing us some of their time, and for continuing to be an outstanding employer. Canterbury Park has shown the individuals we support and all of their staff kindness, respect, and understanding.
