Safeway is committed to helping our employees be the best that they can be. Whether it’s within the store walls or in their personal lives, we support our employees in taking risks, making bold moves, and striving for greatness – and when they achieve success, we celebrate together.

Hasan Ulutas was born in a small village in Turkey. His mother had seven children, and dreamed of the opportunity for them to receive an education, as she believed it was the only way to escape the quality of life in their town.

After graduating high school in 2008, Hasan came to Canada in search of higher education. With the immediate goal of bettering his English, Hasan applied for a role with Safeway where he could speak to customers and improve his language skills. During this time, Hasan was taking courses to upgrade his high school degree and hoped to one day becoming an engineer.

Hasan genuinely enjoyed his time spent at Safeway, and when his Store Manager went on an extended leave, he happily stepped into the role of temporary Assistant Manager.

“During my time as Assistant Manager, I noticed how many long term employees were working at Safeway, and how happy they all looked,” Said Hasan. “That’s when I knew that I wanted to stay at Safeway. I put my dream of becoming an Engineer on hold, and put my full focus on my job – with the downside of not receiving the higher education that my mom wished for me.”

While at Safeway, Hasan took every opportunity to connect with customers and colleagues to better his language and social skills. Little did he know that these simple connections would lead him to success. “I was casually talking to few colleagues who mentioned Safeway’s Education Assistance Program, and I became hopeful and excited again,” said Hasan. “It offered the possibility of getting the education that I was supposed to get.”

With the mentorship of his Store Managers, Ahmad Abdallah and Ric Lockhart, and the support of Safeway’s Education Assistance Program, Hasan continued his studies and recently graduated from the University of Calgary with a Certificate in Professional Management.

“I started life a few steps behind the average person,” shared Hasan. “I was born in a small village in Turkey. My family was poor and uneducated. I came to Canada without knowing English and had no life or work experience. If Safeway didn’t offer such a great education program, I wouldn’t be able to go to school, continue improving myself, and overcome the disadvantages that I was born into.”

Not only has Hasan excelled within his store and studies, but his hard work, dedication and commitment has paid off in his personal life. In addition to receiving his Certificate, Hasan purchased his first home and became a Canadian citizen – all in one month.

Through our Education Assistance program, we support our employees in pursuing education in job-related areas that will help them perform more effectively in their current role, or to support their development for future advancement with Safeway. We know that continuing education and lifelong learning are important parts of personal and professional development, and strive to equip our employees with the skills they need to win.

If you’re a full-time employee with six months of continuous service, or a part-time employee with two years of continues service, and are interested in learning more about the Education Assistance program, speak to your Store Manager for information on how we can help you to build a long-term career with Safeway.

“The value of the Education Assistance program is more than a dollar amount to me,” said Hasan.