Hire the Human, Train the Skill: Inside FCC’s Decade-Long Partnership with 4to40
When Farm Credit Canada’s Tech Enablement team took on a big project converting workstations across its Regina offices, Roger Lareau picked up a power drill and got to work.
“After one or two configurations, he was just doing it on his own,” said Mandy McAfee-Hasz, Deskside Supervisor at FCC. “And the cable management — it blew everybody away.”
For Mandy, it was an “aha” moment. “It was a no-brainer. We thought we needed this type of skill, and he was here all along.”
Roger is one of three current FCC employees hired through the 4to40 Inclusive Employment Initiative, alongside Taylor Carter and Lesley Beaulieu, who was FCC’s very first hire through the program. Roger recently marked 10 years with the organization, making FCC one of the program’s longest-standing partners.
Run through a collaborative partnership between Creative Options Regina and the University of Regina’s inclusive post-secondary education initiative (IPSE), Campus For All, 4to40 is an inclusive employment initiative that connects employers with job seekers who experience intellectual disabilities. Every role is built around a real business need, with flexible hours (anywhere from four to 40 a week) that work for both employer and employee.
The Little Things Are the Big Things
When an opportunity opened up on Mandy’s team, Roger and Taylor brought skills from their previous roles that fit naturally with the hands-on work of Tech Enablement.
“We didn’t know how good it could be until they were part of the team,” Mandy said. “It’s like we’ve all been one team from the get-go.”
Every Monday, Taylor, a Mail Attendant, restocks supplies and meeting rooms across FCC’s corporate office: two towers, 10-plus floors. “He has his routine and his attention to detail,” Mandy said. “It’s a big job. He’s got his system, and he just goes.”
“I love working at FCC and the employees on my team are very nice to me,” Taylor said.
Roger, also a Mail Attendant, works almost two days a week. He handles the team’s mail, sorts inventory, and helps configure hardware when there’s capacity.
“I like working with all the people at FCC. Everyone is friendly, and I’m proud to help FCC get computers ready to be sent to schools,” Roger said.
It’s work that has to get done, and Mandy says it’s some of the most noticed work in the building. “We think it’s small, but it’s so impactful. People rely on meeting rooms to be ready, supplies to be filled, workstations to be neat and tidy.”
Taylor’s impact reaches beyond the office, too. When the Special Olympics golfer hit a hole-in-one at the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat this August, a shot that went viral and made it onto TSN, Mandy shared it on FCC’s internal network. Hundreds of colleagues across the country chimed in.
Mandy recalled the reaction: “The most common thing we heard for weeks was, ‘I know that guy on TV!’ For a moment, everyone could just celebrate somebody accomplishing something that none of us can accomplish. It brought everyone together, coast to coast, regardless of what your role is.”
Part of the Team
On FCC’s AgExpert Customer Care team, Lesley, an Admin Officer, handles key administrative work: collecting the mail, processing cheque orders in the customer system, clearing outstanding charges each month, and emailing customers about returned mail.
She works three hours a day, three days a week, on a schedule set around her life outside of work. “Lesley’s hours are flexible, and they meet her needs,” said Janelle Schaffer, Manager, Product Training & Support at FCC.
Janelle has managed Lesley since last November and approached it the same way she would with anyone. “I didn’t treat her any differently or do anything different. We bring her to the team meetings. We ask at stand-up what’s going on in her day, just like everyone else’s.”
When typing became hard on her hands, Lesley asked for speech-to-text software, and it’s made a real difference in her day-to-day. “She’s really good at speaking up and saying what she needs, and I love that,” Janelle said. “And she’s willing to learn.”
That showed recently, when Lesley took on a big batch of outstanding charges. Together, they broke the task down, and she cleared it within a week.
In Lesley’s words: “My team has my back, and I feel supported in what I do. I’d say I’ve got a pretty good thing going!”
Hiring the Human
For both supervisors, 4to40 comes down to seeing the person first.
“For me, it’s all about hiring the human, and then training the skill that fits their capability,” Mandy said. “Everyone’s capable, given the right support with the right tools.”
It’s also a natural fit for an organization built around agriculture. “We can’t run a one-person farm, just like we can’t run a one-person support team,” Mandy said. “We all bring something different.”
Janelle sees the same connection in how FCC serves its customers. “Lesley has that same care and compassion that we want to have at FCC with our customers.”
For employers considering hiring through 4to40, both were quick to encourage it.
“Do it. No question,” Mandy said. “It’s the value it brings, the morale it brings. It’s almost emotional, the impact that it has.”
“Don’t hesitate,” Janelle added. “It’s our responsibility as leaders to challenge traditional assumptions. Having [Lesley] on our team just enhances the team. It makes us better.”
Learn More About 4to40
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM). We’re sharing local stories that show what inclusive employment looks like in practice.
To learn more about inclusive employment and the 4to40 program, visit https://4to40.ca/.
Watch Roger’s story here.
Watch Lesley’ story here.
