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From my first day working as a correctional officer at William Head Institution some 30 years ago, I have felt a strong sense of belonging and purpose in being part of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). For me, CSC is more than simply a career choice. It is a place where the work we do makes a genuine difference in the lives of offenders under our care, our colleagues who we work with each day, and ultimately to the safety and security of Canadians across the country.

Over the years that I have worked in corrections, one constant theme has been the need to continually learn and adapt. This speaks volumes to the unique nature of our business, and to the need, on an individual, team and organizational basis, to constantly assess, modify and adapt new approaches to meet the challenges we face each and every day.

What this tells us is that learning and innovation are part of this organization's DNA, its history and its culture. It is this willingness to be innovative, along with our ability to reach out to our partners, stakeholders, and communities that makes me confident in our ability to transform our organization and to renew our workforce at this critical time.

We all know that Public Service Renewal is a real and urgent organizational priority. Some 40 per cent of our current employees, including many senior managers, are preparing for retirement within the next few years.

As you will read in this issue of Let's Talk, CSC is tackling this challenge head on. For example, we are strengthening our human resources practices, including developing more efficient staffing procedures and tools, to help managers and supervisors across the country hire talented and skilled people to fill their gaps.

While this is just one of the components of Public Service Renewal that we are focused on, there are many others.

We also are looking at ways to better engage our current employees and provide them with meaningful learning and development opportunities to support them in learning and advancing in our organization.

To succeed, we will give supervisors and managers additional tools, strategies and support to foster more innovative workplaces. The trademarks of innovation will include supporting employees' professional development; recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions; and listening and responding to employees' issues and concerns in a timely manner.

Although this sounds like a tall order, we already have strong fundamentals in place to make this happen. I encourage all employees to reflect on their own career goals and to speak to their managers and supervisors about their future plans and learning needs. For those employees who are preparing for retirement, I ask that you continue to share your collective wisdom and to mentor those who are just beginning their careers.

You will also find an update on our Transformation Agenda journey in this issue. I think it is important that we have this opportunity to write and think about our overall renewal - Public Service Renewal and transformation - together, as they are synonymous in my mind. These initiatives are all about change management, and we each have a role to play in our success.

At the end of the day, we all have a stake in strengthening our organization so that we can continue to effectively deliver excellent public safety results for all Canadians.