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On its 75th anniversary, the global talent management and workforce advisory firm declares that the organizations which will win the AI era are not those that automate fastest, but those that develop people best
TORONTO, June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Drake International, a global talent management and workforce advisory partner operating across more than 14 countries with a partner network across 128 more, today announced the launch of Drake Force for Good Day, a permanent annual commitment to building talent pipelines in communities where opportunity gaps are widest. Observed every June 1st, Drake Force for Good Day marks Drake’s 75th anniversary with a declaration of intent for the next 75: the future of work belongs to organizations that invest in people, not simply in technology.
“The future of work will not be won by organizations that simply automate faster, but by those that develop people better. Drake Force for Good Day is our permanent, structural commitment to that conviction.”
Karen Meredith, CEO, Drake International
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global labor market faster than institutions can adapt. Entry-level pathways are narrowing. Youth unemployment is rising across markets. Organizations are cutting headcount while facing acute talent scarcity, investing in AI efficiency while losing the institutional knowledge and human judgment that make AI actually useful. Drake’s response is not rhetorical. It is structural.
The inaugural Drake Force for Good Day is anchored by two investments In Canada, where Drake was founded in 1951. Drake has acquired The Whiteboard Collective, a Toronto-based social enterprise specializing in workforce readiness for high-achieving young people in challenging economic circumstances, and made a long-term commitment to the University of Manitoba along with an investment of $1,000,000 empowering students with the gift of education. These investments directly link education to employment through student pathways co-developed with The Whiteboard Collective and the Drake Center at the Asper School of Business. Together, they represent a replicable model Drake intends to bring to other communities it serves globally.
The opportunity behind The Whiteboard Collective acquisition is concrete: only 34 percent of high-needs youth feel confident in their employability at the start of structured programs. Within six weeks of one-to-one supported intervention, that figure rises to 68 percent. The barrier is not capability. It is access. Supported youth enter employer pipelines across Drake’s global client network, giving organizations a supply of motivated, assessed, and workforce-ready candidates that traditional hiring consistently overlooks.
“This is not philanthropy alongside our business. It is our business model. The talent we develop today becomes the workforce our clients need. That is not a trade-off between purpose and performance. This is the strategy.”
Karen Meredith, CEO, Drake International
Drake Force for Good Day is made possible by Profit for Purpose, the operating model that permanently links Drake’s commercial success to its social mission. Drake Force for Good Day is not a one-day campaign. It is the annual anchor of a sustained commitment, returning every June 1st to uplift our communities, deepen investments, and invite new partners into the work. It was designed to endure because the challenge it responds to is not going away. In 2025, Drake International donated more than $3 million in flood recovery bags to Good360 Australia, later distributed through several charities including Inala Community House to support families impacted by severe flooding in Queensland. This is one example of the company’s ongoing commitment to strengthening communities where it operates.
Drake has navigated every major technology disruption since 1951, from the mainframe to the commercial internet, mobile, automation, and now AI. The lesson has been the same every time: the organizations that came through strongest were not the ones that automated fastest. They were the ones that invested most deliberately in developing people. Force for Good Day is Drake’s commitment to building that infrastructure for the next 75 years, globally.
“Bill Pollock built Drake on the conviction that doing good and doing well are the same ambition. Drake Force for Good Day is how a 75-year-old company declares its intent for the next 75 years.”
Karen Meredith, CEO, Drake International
About Drake International
Drake International is a global talent management and workforce advisory partner with operations in more than 14 countries with a partner network spanning 128 more. Founded in Winnipeg in 1951, Drake supports organizations across the full talent lifecycle through Workforce Solutions (flexible staffing, permanent recruitment, on-site services), Certification, Assessment and Training, Health and Wellbeing, HR Advisory, and Drake Ventures. www.drakeinternational.com
About Drake Force for Good Day
Drake Force for Good Day is Drake International’s annual Global Day of Purpose and Action, observed every June 1st. Established in Drake’s 75th anniversary year, it is the annual anchor for community impact and a permanent commitment to building talent pipelines in communities where opportunity gaps are widest.
About The Whiteboard Collective
The Whiteboard Collective is a Toronto-based Canadian social enterprise specializing in equitable hiring and workforce readiness for high-achieving young people in challenging economic circumstances. Operating as part of the Drake International family, The Whiteboard Collective prepares young people who face systemic barriers to employment for meaningful, sustainable careers.
About the University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba is a leading Canadian research university whose mission is to create positive change in communities and around the world. Home to the Asper School of Business and the Drake Center, the University of Manitoba is partnering with Drake International to link education directly to employment pathways. www.umanitoba.ca
Media Contact: Louanne Buckley | [email protected]
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