friday, february 28, 2014 special · pdf filestudents, saysdr.luke. ... anextraedge,...

olinor Aviation aircrafttechnician Mathieu La-boeuf is living his dream,

discovering new places and travel-ling to remote locations to helpensure pilot and passenger safety.

The gateway to his adventur-ous, rewarding career was ÉcoleNationale d’Aérotechnique inQuebec, from which Mr. Laboeufgraduated in 2011. Affiliated withCollège Édouard-Montpetit, theschool is the largest college-levelaeronautical educational institutein Canada.

Aviation technology was also apractical career choice for Mr. La-boeuf: the aerospace industry inthe greater Montreal area createsaverage annual revenues of $12billion and has grown by almostsix per cent per year since 1990despite recessions and currencyheadwinds.

Quebec’s aerospace sectoris a success story the provinceof Ontario is eager to replicate,starting with its investment of upto $26 million in an expansionof Centennial College’s aviationprogram. Centennial’s strongrelationship with nearby Bom-bardier Aerospace resulted in aninvitation to join the manufac-turer at Downsview, where thecollege’s aviation programs will berelocated.

The move is the first step in theestablishment of the DownsviewPark Aerospace Innovation andResearch Hub, which will also in-clude the University of Toronto In-stitute for Aerospace Studies andan innovation zone. Currently, agroup of industry and academialeaders is working towards therealization of the hub.

For students, the DownsviewCentennial campus will mean be-ing able to walk across a runwayinto a facility where 4,000 peopleare building the latest planes,says Andrew Petrou, Centennial’sspecial projects officer.

Centennial is also in discussionwith Ryerson University to ex-pand career pathways by enablingstudents to either move betweencollege and university programsor enroll in new joint programs.“It’s not a matter of saying, ‘I wentto college and now I’m going touniversity,’ but of taking the firsttheoretical class with a Ryersonprofessor, for example, and the

second at Centennial, learningmore hands-on skills,” Mr. Petrouexplains.

Innovative partnership mod-els mean that colleges such asCentennial become career andinnovation portals, says Mr. Pe-trou. In this case, he adds, “it putsthe Centennial student on theleading edge, but it also benefitsother institutions – we’re partof an aerospace ecosystem thatwill allow Canada to continue tocompete on a global scale.”

Across Canada, colleges andtechnical institutes are initiatingsimilar multi-sector partner-ships designed to bridge the gapdescribed by educators as “peoplewithout jobs; jobs withoutpeople.”

At stake, says Robert Luke,George Brown College’s vicepresident of research and innova-tion, is the future productivityand prosperity of the country. Henotes that the Canadian Manu-facturers & Exporters estimatethat Canada will have 1.3 millionskilled labour jobs sitting vacantby 2016. But at the same time, hesays, “youth are largely shut out ofOntario’s slow economic recovery,with youth unemployment ataround 17 per cent in 2013.”

This “skills mismatch affectspurchasing power and the abilityof companies to grow and in-novate,” says Dr. Luke. “It creates afunctional malaise in industry andprevents industry from investingin increasing productivity.”

The Angelo Del Zotto Schoolof Construction Management atGeorge Brown exemplifies theway that colleges and industry canwork together to address theseproblems, he says. The construc-tion management program wascreated in response to the indus-try’s call for “the next generationin construction managers;” stu-dents graduating from appren-ticeship and diploma programscan now transfer into the degreeprogram. “It’s an investment thatcontinues to deliver positive re-turns, because the graduates thatcome out of that program eachyear are immediately snapped upby industry,” reports Dr. Luke.

Another example is the col-lege’s Green Building Centre, builtwith funding from the federaland provincial governments and

the Canada Foundation for In-novation. One Ontario company,Garden Connections, worked withstudents and faculty in the cen-tre’s building information model-ling lab to create 3D renderingsof balcony spaces in high rises sorealistic and detailed that theyare mistaken for photographs.“It’s a key advantage that has ledto really an entirely new line ofbusiness for this company, andbecause their business is takingoff as a result, they’ve hired ourstudents,” says Dr. Luke.

In the aim of further strength-ening the ties between industryand education, the Associationof Canadian Community Col-leges (ACCC) recently launched acoalition of leading industry andlabour organizations to identify

solutions to Canada’s currentskills challenges.

“Business and research part-nerships with public collegesand institutes lead to economicgrowth and employment oppor-tunities across Canada every day,”says ACCC president and CEODenise Amyot, who will co-chairthe coalition. “Our economy andthe members of our coalitionpartners depend on Canadianswith advanced skills to innovateand grow their businesses.”

SpecialCanada’s Colleges, Institutes and Polytechnics

F R I DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 8 , 2 014 ACCC 1

AN INFORMATION FEATURE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES (ACCC)

Working with industry to fill nationwide need

“Business and researchpartnerships with publiccolleges and instituteslead to economic growthand employmentopportunities acrossCanada every day.”

Denise Amyotis ACCC president and CEO

Expansion of Centennial College’s aviation program will allow more students to prepare for rewarding careers inthe aerospace sector. CENTENNIAL COLLEGE

Bridging Canada’s skills gap ACCC 2

International partnerships ACCC 3

Great careers with skilled trades ACCC 4

A new generation of entrepreneurs ACCC 5

Pathways to success ACCC 6

ONLINE?

For more information, visit accc.caor follow @ACCC_Comms.

This report was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc. (www.randallanthony.com) in conjunction with the advertising department of The Globe and Mail. Richard Deacon, National Business Development Manager, [email protected].

INSIDE

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges 2012-13 highlights:

132 24,700immigrants (and counting)

prepared for integration intoCanadian life /employment

48 internationalresearch partnerships

underway in

21countries

members equip

1.5 millionlearners with advanced

skills in 3,000communities across Canada

BRIDGING THE GAP

Visit www.globeandmail.com/colleges

90%of college and institute grads

find employment within6 months of graduation

5,444companies partnered withcolleges and institutes on

applied research projects, a19% increase over 2011-12

May 25-27Ottawa Convention Centre

ACCC 20 1 4 CONFERENCE

Colleges start careers

Know the facts: Colleges offer certificates, diplomas, degrees and postgraduate diplomas in many

disciplines and most offer pathways to degrees through articulation agreements with partner universities.

Explore your options: Aerospace, animation, biotech, business, communications, construction,

culinary, oil and gas, engineering, mining, retail, technology, forestry and more!

Research: Colleges support knowledge, growth and entrepreneurship. Last year, 29,356 students

worked on applied research projects through partnerships with 5,444 companies.

With a course or program for almost every job out there, colleges and institutes in Canada have

got you covered.

accc.caSERV I NG COL LEGES AND I N S T I T U T E S I N C A N A D A

90% of students find employment within six months of graduation.

Did you know? A team from Niagara College's Canadian Food and Wine Institute won the title of Junior Culinary Team Canada and will represent Canada at the next two World Culinary Championships and the 2016 World Culinary Olympics.

*

College-based applied research keyto bridging productivity gap

T H E G LO B E A N D M A I L • F R I DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 8 , 2 014ACCC2 • AN INFORMATION FEATURE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES (ACCC)

conomists estimate thatCanada’s productivity lagsthat of the U.S. by about

$13 per hour of labour, the result ofchronic underinvestment in inno-vation and technology. However,dynamic new research partner-ships between businesses andCanada’s colleges and polytechnicinstitutes are helping to close thegap.

For small and medium-sizedcompanies in particular, post-sec-ondary institutions serve as R&Dand human resources partners,providing research funding, facili-ties, talent and resource networks.“It’s helped a lot of our companiesgrow,” says Dr. Darren Lawless,dean of undergraduate researchat Sheridan College, which wasrecently ranked first in Ontariofor applied research by ResearchInfosource.

REM Equipment, a vacuumequipment company, partneredwith Sheridan to test ideas thecompany’s founder saw as havingnew revenue potential, such asselling their systems globally. “Ourmechanical technologists andengineers got involved and made anumber of recommendations thecompany was able to implement,”reports Dean Lawless.

As a result, REM is now sellinginto those markets and has hireda number of Sheridan students inorder to keep up with the new de-mand. “The students were thrilledto see their ideas implemented,and the owner of the companywas thrilled because he didn’thave to take his staff off criticalput-bread-on-the-table operationsto explore other opportunities,”

explains Dean Lawless. “The riskwas shared with the college andthe federal government, whichprovided funding for the project.”

Solving industry problemsopens up new opportunities forstudents, offering them a glimpseat careers they might not other-wise imagine, he says. “It givesour students the opportunity topractice what we teach, to engagein real-life problems.”

As a result, he says, “they maysee the possibility of becoming an‘in-trepreneur’ within a company,or realize they want to go on toadditional education to furtherenhance their skills. It reinforcesthe idea that the skills they learnhere will enable them to launchsuccessful careers and have animpact in the marketplace.”

College-based applied researchpartnerships are changing learn-ing and spurring innovation rightacross the country. For example,since launching its applied re-search program in 2005, CamosunCollege in Victoria has built thelargest college-based researchprogram west of Winnipeg, withgrants and donations to thecollege approaching the $10- mil-lion mark. Its principal fundingagencies often disburse funds tothe college as matching grants,inspiring local investment.

Camosun provides a one-stopgateway to its portfolio of en-trepreneurial services throughEnterprise Point, an industrypartnership service centre. But thesuccess and rapid expansion ofthe college’s partnerships dependsjust as much on the motivationand dedication of students and

faculty providing on-time industrysolutions, says Tom Roemer, vicepresident of strategic develop-ment. “Once we provide the solu-tions businesses need, in prototyp-ing, for example, we’re also able toshow them what else we can do forthem, from product developmentto leadership training.”

Camosun’s role in trainingskilled workers for the shipbuild-ing industry attracted a very largedonation from Wärtsilä Canadain 2013, a 19-tonne ship engineworth more than $940,000. Real-izing that the engine would onlybe used for hands-on training forabout six weeks each year, Dr. Ro-emer and his team made contactwith Ionada, an Ontario companydeveloping an innovative marineengine scrubber technology.

The engine will become a coreelement in a waterfront inno-vation centre, where Ionada’sengineers will work with Camosunstudents to advance their technol-ogy.

“We live in a very specializedworld, and in order to set yourself

up for a good career, you want tolook for something that gives youan extra edge,” says Dr. Roemer.“The experience our studentsgain by working on these appliedresearch partnerships allows themto stand out.”

Dr. Roemer and his team arenow advising other colleges acrossCanada and in China, India andBrazil to help them build theirown successful applied researchprograms. The ultimate aim,he explains, is to tear down thesilos that separate industry frompost-secondary institutions. “Ifyou look to global industry leaderssuch as Germany, you find moreextensive integration betweeneducational institutions and busi-ness.

“At Audi, for example, studentswork part of the week in the fac-tory and part of the week in theclassroom. If there is somethingthey need to learn for a project,the shop foreman will pick up thephone and call their instructor.It’s that kind of integration we’reultimately aiming for.”

Professional surfer Keoni Watson tests a prototype made by Camosun Collegefor Pro Standard, a company that develops and sells internationally laudedcamera mounts for sports photography. CAMOSUN COLLEGE

“When an industry’s specialized needs can be met by a college, institute or polytechnic, then everyone benefits from thepartnership – the industry, the college, and of course, the graduates.”

Perrin Beattyis the President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

PARTNERS IN RESEARCH

“The students werethrilled to see their ideasimplemented, and theowner of the companywas thrilled because hedidn’t have to take hisstaff off critical put-bread-on-the-table operationsto explore otheropportunities.”

Dr. Darren Lawlessis dean of undergraduate researchat Sheridan College


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CANADA’S COLLEGES, INSTITUTES AND POLYTECHNICS

T H E G LO B E A N D M A I L • F R I DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 8 , 2 014 AN INFORMATION FEATURE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES (ACCC) • ACCC3

Delivering skills for jobs at home and abroadOPINION

By Denise Amyot, Presidentand CEO of the Association ofCanadian Community Colleges(ACCC)

ith entrenched double-digit rates of youth unem-ployment across most of

the country, parents and studentsare taking notice of the fact that90 per cent of college grads findemployment within six monthsof graduation.

Canada’s colleges and institutesprepare graduates with advancedskills that 94 per cent of employ-ers say they are satisfied with andfind easy to hire. That’s becausethere is a college program foralmost every job out there, andcolleges ensure students graduatewith real-world skills that equipthem to start careers or becomesuccessful entrepreneurs.

Colleges and institutes offercertificates, diplomas, degreesand postgraduate diplomasacross a variety of disciplines.Most also offer pathways to de-grees through articulation agree-ments with partner universities.Increasing numbers of universitystudents are choosing college toprepare them for employment. InOntario, for example, the numberof university grads enrolled incollege has increased 40 per centin the last five years.

Public colleges and institutesalso support economic growth,innovation and employmentacross Canada through partner-ships with communities andbusinesses. There is a growinglist of leading Canadian industryorganizations from aerospace,construction, oil and gas, foodservices, engineering, mining,retail, technology, forestry andother sectors all supporting col-leges as key partners to addressCanada’s employment and in-novation challenges.

Canada’s colleges are also play-ing increasingly influential rolesin support of international devel-opment initiatives, with partnersaround the world.

Through links with indus-try and community members,ACCC’s Education for Employ-ment (EFE) programs promotesustainable economic growth andjob creation, reducing povertyand helping communities thrive.Canadian colleges deliver exper-tise in government and businesspartnerships that contributes tojob solutions for students andemployers. ACCC partners on EFEwith our college members in Af-rica as well as the Caribbean andAndes regions to provide supportdeveloping skilled, adaptable andflexible workforces.

ACCC also undertakes develop-ment and executive leadershipinitiatives in China and India, inaddition to international studentrecruitment. Promoting Canada’scolleges as destinations-of-choicefor education is key to creatinglearning opportunities for stu-dents and institutions. Workingwith government and post-sec-ondary partners, we market Cana-dian colleges abroad and increaseopportunities for our colleges,institutes and polytechnics byattracting greater numbers ofinternational students.

While ACCC and its membersassist in delivering Canada’sambitious International Educa-

tion Strategy, we continue to seekgreater inclusion of college stu-dents in international internshipsand scholarships offered throughvarious government and industryfunding mechanisms. We mustprepare all Canadians to becomeglobal professionals, global entre-preneurs and global citizens.

Our economy depends on link-ing employers with employeesthat have the right skills, whichincludes ensuring newcomersare ready for Canada’s workforce.ACCC’s award-winning CanadianImmigrant Integration Program(CIIP) provides tailored pre-de-

parture information and plan-ning services to federal skilledimmigrants and provincialnominees before they arrive inCanada, as well as online referralswith partners across the country.

The federal government rec-ognizes that colleges play a vitalrole in ensuring Canada has askilled workforce.

Increasingly, Canadians arepushing aside old ideas aboutpost-secondary education andrecognizing that colleges startcareers. For high school studentsand their parents as well asuniversity students and experi-

enced employees in need of skillupgrading, colleges, institutesand polytechnics offer educa-tion solutions – and a wealth ofattractive career options.

ACCC is the national andinternational voice of Canada’spublicly funded colleges, institutesand polytechnics, working withindustry and social sectors to train1.5 million learners of all agesand backgrounds at campusesserving over 3,000 urban, ruraland remote communities acrossthe country and in 29 countriesaround the world.

St. Clair College in Ontario is one of many Canadian colleges and institutes equipping students from across thecountry and around the world with the skills they require for rewarding careers. ST. CLAIR COLLEGE

Working with governmentand post-secondarypartners, we marketCanadian collegesabroad and increaseopportunities for ourcolleges, institutes andpolytechnics by attractinggreater numbers ofinternational students.

LEADERSHIP AWARD

On February 13, ACCC waspresented a gold IPAC-Deloitte Public SectorLeadership Award for itspioneering overseas orienta-tion program for economicimmigrants, delivered inmore than 25 countries.

The Canadian ImmigrantIntegration Program (CIIP),developed by ACCC andfunded through Citizenshipand Immigration Canada,provides pre-departureservices for newcomers,including online referralsto an extensive networkof partners across Canada.They include immigrant-serving organizations,regulatory bodies, credentialassessment agencies andemployer-based organiza-tions and others. Nearly25,000 newcomers havebenefited from the service injust a few years.

In accepting the award,ACCC president and CEODenise Amyot shared thehonour with all ACCCmembers, employees and itspartners that “live the visionof public sector leadershipevery day.”

The proof is inour graduates.

25000 full-time students

8000 graduates every year

500+ career options

95% employer satisfaction

#1 in University - College pathwaysUNIQUELYQUALIFIED.


ow is definitely the timefor Canadians, whetherthey are young people

graduating from high school ormid-lifers contemplating a careerchange, to consider skilled trades,says Don Lovisa, the president ofDurham College in Oshawa.

“It’s amazing – we have compa-nies coming from as far away asAlberta and scooping up every-one they can get their handson, including graduates from arange of fields including electri-cal, welding, rigging, hoisting andcrane operation,” he explains.“There are lots of companieslooking for precision machinists,but enrolment is very low.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Lovisapoints out, too many youngpeople still don’t appreciatethe opportunities and benefitsderived from the acquisition ofa skilled trade. “It’s hard to getyoung people, and especiallytheir parents, to understand thatthese jobs offer security, goodpay, and in many cases, very goodbenefits,” he says.

He adds that a lot of potentialstudents have a basic misunder-standing of just what a skilledtrade is. “I like to say that it’s notthe kind of job your grandfatherhad. Skilled trades today can bevery complex and involve a lot oftechnology.”

Durham College skilled tradesstudents are learning about 3-Dprinting, for example. Others arespending many hours program-ming machines and robots toperform very complex tasks inhighly technical environments.

The rapidly evolving technicalneeds of the workplace make itimperative that colleges main-

tain relevance, says Mr. Lovisa.Durham fine-tunes its programofferings by working closely withindustry leaders at the local,provincial and national levels.“We have as many as 75 programadvisory committees,” he notes.“We have industry representativessitting down with academics anddeans twice a year to talk abouttheir needs.”

Loyalist College in Belleville,Ontario, is also striving to addressthe projected shortfall of skilledtrades workers in Canada thatcould see as many as 1.4 million

jobs go begging over the next 15years.

“We offer a wide range of skilledtrades, as well as a scholarships,bursaries and awards designed toincrease access and skills devel-opment among students,” saysLoyalist president Maureen Piercy.And the jobs are anything but“men only,” she adds. An increas-ing number of female students arefinding both opportunity and ac-ceptance in the classroom as wellas in industrial settings.

Ms. Piercy adds that Loyalist,like many colleges, works closely

with local industry partners tohelp graduates find jobs in theregion. “For instance, Kellogg’s islocated here, so we offer programsin food process manufacturing.”

Many young people who wouldlike to become skilled trades work-ers are unsure of their exact areaof interest, so to help them decide,Loyalist offers an opportunity toexplore a range of disciplines in itsstate-of-the-art Sustainable Skills,Technology and Life Sciences Cen-tre. The new College Technologyand Trade Preparation one-yearOntario College Certificate Pro-

gram allows students to sample awide range of trades – includingautomation, construction renova-tion, manufacturing engineering,motive power fundamentals,mechanical techniques and weld-ing – earning credits that can beapplied to a future program oftheir choice.

Loyalist is also making it easierfor students to participate in theeconomy through a new programfunded by the W. Garfield WestonFoundation. The W. GarfieldWeston Fellowship Program offerstuition and bursary incentives toencourage individuals to considerprograms leading to careers inthe skilled trades. Students andapprentices who maintain aminimum 70 per cent average canachieve up to $4,000 in bursariesover the course of their studies.

The college also has a strongcommitment to attracting Ab-original students – who make up asignificant proportion of Loyalist’sfull-time population – and offers a16-week Aboriginal ConstructionRenovation Program. Beginning inFebruary, unemployed or under-employed Aboriginal studentswill be introduced to constructionrenovation through work visitsto projects in the field, hands-onprojects and skills development inthe classroom.

But the biggest job, Mr. Lovisamakes clear, is simply encouragingmore Canadians to take an inter-est in the skilled trades as a career.“As a society, we have some edu-cating to do. Colleges offer manyopportunities for people in skilledtrades, including the opportunityof getting into the job market a lotfaster – and with less investmentin terms of both money and time.”

Not only are careers in today's skilled trades financially rewarding, they are complex and involve the use of sophisti-cated technology. Many also offer paths to entrepreneurship. LOYALIST COLLEGE

Attracting non-traditional workers to skilled tradesPARTNERS IN ADVANCED SKILLS TRAINING

“As the world’s population rapidly approaches 9 billion people, it is imperative we develop new ways to heal, feed andultimately reduce our overall environmental impact. From this imperative flows an enormous global business opportunityfor Canada’s biotech sector, which has many significant strategic advantages, including world-leading post-secondaryeducation facilities, researchers and graduates. Ultimately, our ability to successfully develop global solutions depends onhow effectively we are able to nurture and leverage these core advantages.”

Andrew Casey is the President and CEO of BIOTECanada


THIS CHANGES INDUSTRY.Our commitment to research, innovation and

technology set in motion 10 years ago has made SAITCanada’s number one research college today.

SAIT is setting new standards in applied research andinnovation. Take, for example, the laser induced breakdown

spectrometer, LIBS. One of the first in Canada, thistechnology precisely blasts a tiny piece of solid material

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For our industry partners LIBS means access to newapproaches that boost productivity and profit. For our

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purred by a rapidly chang-ing economic landscapeand a future built on in-

novation, Ontario’s largest collegehas a new five-year strategic planfocused on leadership in multidis-ciplinary polytechnic education.

To position its graduates forsuccess, Toronto’s Humber CollegeInstitute of Technology and Ad-vanced Learning created the planin 2013 after an extensive collabo-ration process with students, staff,faculty and partners. The collegewill strengthen its polytechnicidentity, its outside partnershipsand its commitment to teachingand learning excellence in orderto help graduates succeed in anevolving labour market. Industryinvolvement runs throughout theplan, preparing Humber’s 27,000students to be job-ready whenthey graduate.

“We offer more options andpathways than any other col-lege in Ontario, allowing ourstudents to expand their learningexperience from a diploma-levelprogram right up to a bachelor’sdegree or postgraduate certifi-cate,” says Dr. Patricia Morgan, thedean of research at Humber.

Humber also offers its studentsopportunities to develop entre-preneurial skills. Students andrecent graduates with startupplans can compete for up to$10,000 through Humber’s NewVenture Seed Fund. “We see anincreasing drive among studentsto explore entrepreneurship,” saysDr. Morgan.

Under another competition, theLaunchPad, offered by the Hum-berLaunch incubator, studentsand alumni can compete in aDragons’Den-style contest to wina share of up to $40,000. EveryHumber student and graduate iseligible to join the incubator andreceive coaching and networkingopportunities, along with the useof office space and equipment. Toenter, students submit a 500-wordapplication, produce a promotion-al video and deliver a live pitch toa judging committee consisting ofbusiness professionals and indus-try experts within the community.

“More than 40 students areshowing an interest this semes-ter, and we expect our existingLaunchPad membership todouble,” says Cheryl Mitchell,LaunchPad’s program manager.

A stunning early success isSkyline Farms, a company that

uses vertical hydroponic growingtowers to grow and sell fresh pro-duce. With a mandate to revitalizeand rehabilitate underused urbanspaces for food production, it isco-owned by Humber SustainableEnergy and Building Technologygraduates Gustavo Macias andJake Harding.

Skyline Farms would not existwithout the college’s entrepre-neurship program, says Mr. Ma-cias. They won funding throughthe New Venture Seed Fund andthe LaunchPad competition. “Wesubmitted a pitch video – thejudges liked it and could not stoplaughing – and we did a live pitch,”says Mr. Macias. That $5,000 winalso gave the two partners accessto the full slate of HumberLaunchservices.

Skyline has already generatedincome from the company’s pilottower project at Thistletown Col-legiate Institute, a high school inToronto. The pair is turning themoney back into the company forexpansion, says Mr. Macias.

“Humber supported us rightfrom the beginning,” he notes.“We got funding and then feed-back as we revised our businessplan. Representatives and expertsfrom banks, and technology andsocial media startups come to talkto us. It’s amazing.”

Algonquin College in Ottawa isalso stressing entrepreneurship toits students in innovative ways.

At Incubatorfest in January,six business accelerators thatsupport startups, including InvestOttawa, visited the college topitch to students. “Normally thestudents do the pitching, butwe wanted them to see what agood pitch looks like and learnfirst-hand from entrepreneursabout resources available tolaunch companies,” says AndrewFoti, Algonquin’s executive-in-residence.

The program was oversub-scribed, Mr. Foti reports. “Theroom was too small.”

The college has had a numberof successes helping companiesdevelop prototypes and scaleup through its Office of AppliedResearch and Innovation, whichfunctions as a virtual incubatorat the college, he adds. “We’recontinuing to build interest andcapacity for entrepreneurship aspart of a college-wide initiative todevelop a cohesive entrepreneur-ship ecosystem.”



Skyline Farms owners Jake Harding (left) and Gustavo Macias say the company would not exist without Humber College’s entrepreneurship program. HUMBER COLLEGE

Incubating a new generation of business ownersENTREPRENEURSHIP

By thenumbers

821social innova-tion partner-ships betweencommunity or-ganizations andcompanies andACCC membersin 2012-13, morethan double theprevious year.

20%of Canadiancollege studentshave previousuniversityexperience or adegree

40%increase in thenumber of uni-versity gradu-ates applyingto college inOntario in thelast five years

Transforming research into practice inearly childhood development

he science of braindevelopment – and withit an understanding of

the critical importance of theearly years to a person’s lifelonghealth and well-being – has seensignificant advances over thelast 20 years. The challenge is tocommunicate the research toprogram developers supportingchildren and young families.

Winnipeg’s Red River Col-lege has risen to that challengewith the Science of Early ChildDevelopment (SECD) project –an online multimedia resourcethat brings the latest researchon early human development toeducators, public health pro-grammers, childcare workers andothers from around the globe.

“There is typically a 15-year gapbetween research discoveries andtheir application in practice,”says Janet Jamieson, researchchair in the college’s School of

Health Sciences and CommunityServices. “This resource narrowsthat gap and makes neurosci-ence and other technical subjectsunderstandable for people onthe front lines, who can delivernurturing care.”

Developed in partnershipwith the University of Toronto,the web portal includes con-versational interviews with topresearchers, video of innovativechild development projects in ac-tion and resources for parents.

“Many Canadian colleges anduniversities use SECD as their‘textbook,’ and we have devel-oped an international edition,”says Ms. Jamieson. “With grantsfrom the World Bank and the AgaKhan Development Network,for example, we’ve been able tobring the latest knowledge to stu-dents and workers in countriessuch as Egypt, Bangladesh andAfghanistan.”

RED RIVER COLLEGE • WINNIPEG, MANITOBA

Centennial Collegebrings learning to life.

Your career begins at CentennialCollege.caSee where experience takes you.

Offering over 50 programson campus or online.

he Centre for RapidPrototyping and Addi-tive Manufacturing at

Mohawk College in Hamiltonsets the stage for specialized cur-riculum in applied research andmarks a win for students, whose

career prospects are enhancedby hands-on experience withstate-of-the-art technology.

“The addition of the special3-D laser printer this spring toour mechanical engineeringdepartment strengthens our

position as a leading Canadiancollege in applied research,”says Ted Scott, Mohawk’s chiefinnovation officer and dean ofapplied research.

One of only a few in Canada,the specialized 3-D printer

fabricates models by building uplayers of metal powder – a pro-cess known as direct metal lasersintering – to produce a three-di-mensional metal part, bypassingthe plastic prototype phase andsaving on material costs.

“Normally, we machine awayexcess metal for metal parts. Ad-ditive manufacturing uses onlythe right quantity to make thepart, reducing waste and leadingto more just-in-time delivery,”says Tony Thoma, the dean ofengineering technology andmedia studies.

“We expect that clients fromaerospace, automotive, gen-eral manufacturing, bio-medical,cranial and dental implant, kneeand hip replacement, and medicaltools industries will want accessto the college’s sintering technol-ogy,” notes Mr. Thoma.

The lab will employ three orfour full-time co-op students, plusanother six on a part-time basis.

“As the lab becomes part of theMechanical Engineering Technol-ogy program, we will rotate over100 students through for experi-ments,” Mr. Thoma adds.


Pathways to Success. Across the country, postsecondary institutions are demonstrating

Innovative 3-D printer enables e-manufacturing and just-in-time delivery

Studying with industry greats launchesnew Canadian talent

anshawe College musicstudents study with manyof the heavyweights of

the Canadian music industry:Professor Dan Brodbeck is arecent Juno Award winner andthree faculty members are Junojudges.

With instruction and men-toring from leading figures inCanada’s music scene, it’s unsur-prising than Fanshawe graduateshave gone on to achieve celebritystatus:

Deric Ruttan was just nomi-nated for Country Song of theYear in the recent 56th GrammyAwards for “Mine Would be You”performed by Blake Shelton;Emm Gryner, a prolific Canadianindependent singer-songwriterand 2014 Fanshawe CollegeDistinguished Alumnus, workedwith astronaut Chris Hadfieldto produce his Major Tom covervideo last year; Trevor Morrisengineered the soundtrack forthe 2012 production of the movieImmortals. Two other recordingengineering graduates are Juno

winners, and Les “Survivorman”Stroud is also a graduate.

There is even a Juno Awardnamed after the late Fanshaweprofessor Jack Richardson, aproducer of the Guess Who, AliceCooper and Bob Seger, notesDana Morningstar, chair of theFanshawe School of Contempo-rary Media.

Students train in artist devel-opment and management, musicengineering, recording, song-writing and contract law, andshowcase their performing andengineering work at an annualconcert at London’s Aeolian Hall.

Founded by retired dean EricAtkinson and former professorTom Lodge, one of the DJs fromRadio Caroline, the program pro-vides a uniquely thrilling learn-ing environment for students. Italso enriches the London regionand Canada’s music industry.“We’ve got the faculty talentand the facilities to continue toincrease the importance of musicin the Canadian economy,” saysMs. Morningstar.

By thenumbers

College of theNorth Atlantic(CNA) partnerswith variousindustry sectors,including oiland gas, mining,forestry andfishery sectors.

CNA alsopartners withsmall-mediumenterprisessuch as MagineSnowboards toresearch andtest the stability,maneuverabil-ity and designof a series ofsnowboard pro-totypes prior tomanufacturing.

65kilowatts ofwave energygenerated persquare metre/per wave, asmeasured byCollege of theNorth Atlantic’sWave EnergyResearchCentre

200total projectscompleted byCNA’s Officeof AppliedResearch sinceits inception in2004 involvingstudents, facul-ty and industrypartners

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“Canada’s community collegesand institutes provide theclassroom instruction for manyconstruction trades during theirapprenticeship training. Theyalso provide an excellent sourcefor the industry’s supervisoryand managerial personnel. More

importantly, through effective Industry ProgramAdvisory Committees, colleges can ensure that theirtraining and education efforts are truly meetingthe labour market needs of business and industry,including through special joint industry initiatives,providing training opportunities for traditionallyunder-represented groups like women andAboriginals.”

Michael Atkinson is the President of the Canadian ConstructionAssociation


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science, technology and environment; health; trades; and business. We’re recognized at home and around the world. We are essential.

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leadership and innovation in applied research, skills development and partnerships

Welcoming Aboriginal students tocollege with a circle of support

Students score with new skatetechnology

ast-tracking an innova-tive skate lace extenderfrom prototype to

production readiness in therecord time of nine months hasinventors flocking to the doorsof the Applied Research andInnovation Services (ARIS) de-partment at SAIT Polytechnic inCalgary, says Jim Nikkel, a prin-cipal investigator in the sportsand wellness area of ARIS.

Applied research projectslike the skate lace extenderfurther student learning at SAITthrough real-world involvementin industry-based research andinnovation, benefiting studentsas well as the inventors who usethe applied research service,says Mr. Nikkel.

The development process forTrue Stride Inc.’s 55 Flex lace ex-tension system, the brainchild

of a former NHL right wing,involved over 60 students fromdifferent disciplines.

Students in marketing didmarket analysis; mechanicalengineering technology andmechanical design technologystudents participated in the 3-Dmodelling and materials discus-sions. “We had student athletestest the extenders, which willsell as an add-on to new skates,for stiffness, comfort and dura-bility,” he explains.

Mr. Nikkel’s team tuckedinto the challenge to producea workable prototype forthe device and moved from3-D printed samples to tradi-tional injection moulded andmachined production-readyprototypes.

The 55 Flex lace extension sys-tem is now in full production.

College and alcohol-free beveragecompany join forces in productinnovation

hen MADD VirginDrinks launches its newalcohol-free beer this

April, students and faculty at theCanadian Food & Wine Instituteat Niagara College will be feelingproud.

The college was a true partnerin the venture, lending its know-how to the young company tohelp develop a craft-brewed,alcohol-free lager with the fullflavour of regular beer.

“There was a flavour gap inproducts on the market, and wewanted to do better with a great-tasting, alcohol-free lager,” saysBrian Bolshin, CEO of Toronto-based MADD Virgin Drinks,which donates 10 per cent of netsales to MADD Canada. “We havean impressive new product thatcame from a made-in-Canadapartnership between a small

company and a Canadian col-lege with renowned expertise inbrewing, marketing and more.”

“The science of food-productdevelopment was unleashed tomeet this challenge,” says MarcNantel, associate vice-presidentof research and innovation atNiagara College. Led by masterbrewer Jon Downing, researchersworked with beer-tasting expertsto build a taste profile for lagerbeer. Through numerous recipes,they conducted taste tests withstudents and the public.

The college also designed thebeer can and is helping withmarketing. This partnershipbenefits both participants, saysDr. Nantel. “We’ve helped a grow-ing company achieve successwhile giving our students valu-able experience with real-worldindustry challenges.”

New Kawartha Trades and TechnologyCentre creates training partnershipopportunities

new trades and technol-ogy facility at FlemingCollege will serve as a

unique training hub for not onlyFleming students, but also sec-ondary school students and localindustry.

The Kawartha Trades andTechnology Centre (KTTC) is a$36.6-million, 87,000-square-foot addition to Fleming’s mainSutherland Campus in Peterbor-ough. Through unique partner-ships developed with regionalschool boards, businesses andcommunity organizations, theKTTC aims to serve the currentand future skill requirementsof employers in central easternOntario.

In planning for the KTTC, andas part of an analysis into localand regional employment, Flem-ing College’s president Dr. TonyTilly toured more than 50 indus-trial organizations in the region.This initiative proved valuablein assessing employer needs aswell as garnishing support for theKTTC.

The support from Fleming’spartners is ongoing and has been

demonstrated through generousdonations from local employersthat also have a global reach suchas McCloskey International andGeneral Electric.

McCloskey International em-ploys more than 200 people andoperates out of PeterboroughCounty. It has an office in Irelandas well as dealerships all overthe world selling its equipment.President and CEO Paschal Mc-Closkey says he owes a lot to theexcellent training he’s receivedthroughout his life, and he’shappy to support student learn-ing at Fleming College.

“It’s great to be a part of this,”he says. “We’re looking forwardto opening day.”

When it opens, the KTTC willadd space and equipment fortraining in carpentry, welding,plumbing and HRAC (heating,refrigeration, air conditioning).With sustainable shop facilities,smart-wired classrooms, and labswith the newest technology, thecentre will offer Fleming studentsand the community access to astate-of-the-art learning environ-ment.

o help First Nations,Métis and Inuit (FNMI)students make the tran-

sition from their home com-munities into college life andlearning, Lethbridge College hascreated a unique circle of sup-port in an effort to turn aroundlower-than-average retentionand college completion rates.

The FNMI Career Pathwayscertificate program reflects thecollege’s commitment to Aborig-inal students and is consistentwith the college’s commitmentto caring for the person as awhole, says Dr. Paula Burns, theschool’s president. “The collegeabuts the Blood Tribe Reserve,

with a population of 12,000. Wewanted to find a way to servethem better.”

The program provides thestudents with an FNMI studentadviser, a cultural support pro-gram that includes elders, and awelcoming gathering space. “Itbetter prepares them to studyother programs in our institu-tions,” says Dr. Burns. “Theybecome part of a family, whilethey study fields such as bank-ing, policing and corrections.”

The Blackfoot, Métis and Inuitelders use storytelling whileteaching, and lessons taught thisway are retained longer, notesDr. Burns.

By thenumbers

485specializedresearch cen-tres and labsamong ACCCcolleges andinstitutes, a 25%increase from2011–12

$49millioninvested bycolleges andinstitutes forthe administra-tion of appliedresearch andassociatedprojects, up 29%from 2011-12

654areas of ACCCmember re-search special-ization identi-fied in naturalresources,energy, environ-ment, health,informationand com-municationstechnologies;manufacturingand social in-novation

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al Hobenshield looksat the job board for theprogram he oversees at

Northern Lights College’s DawsonCreek campus and counts morepostings than he has students.

Mr. Hobenshield, who is chair ofaircraft maintenance engineeringat Northern Lights College – whichserves northern British Columbiathrough campuses in DawsonCreek, Chetwynd, Fort Nelson,Fort St. John and Tumbler Ridge,and access centres in Atlin andDease Lake – says it’s not surpris-ing that practically every one ofhis students who wants a job getsone.

“Our students are in highdemand,” says Mr. Hobenshield.“Employers are coming righthere for job interviews, and rightnow more than 50 per cent of ourgraduating students already havesolid job offers.”

Mr. Hobenshield’s studentshave something that, according toresearchers and economists, is be-coming an increasingly preciouscommodity in B.C. and in the restof Canada: advanced skills. Asthe province’s industry landscapeshifts towards the manufacturing,construction and services sectors,and as hundreds of thousands ofBritish Columbians retire fromthe workforce, employers over thenext decade will be left scram-bling to fill jobs that require spe-cialized, post-secondary training.

The B.C. government esti-mates more than 1.2 million jobopenings over the next decade.Of these openings, more than

481,000 – or about 43 per cent –will be technical, paraprofessionaland skilled occupations requir-ing a college education or tradecertificate. By comparison, profes-sional and managerial occupa-tions will account for 35 per centof job openings, while intermedi-ate and clerical roles will accountfor about 19 per cent.

“We are facing a serious discrep-ancy between what employersneed and the skills people have,”says Randall Heidt, executivedirector of external relations atthe College of New Caledonia

(CNC) in Prince George, B.C. “Thebig challenge for British Columbiatoday is, how do we close thatskills gap?”

The province’s colleges – whoseprograms are focused on skillstraining to match the needs ofindustry – are responding to thischallenge through a wide range ofactions and initiatives.

CNC, for one, has a long list ofinitiatives, including a President’sIndustry Council to facilitate com-munication with the province’sindustries, partnerships with localbusinesses to sponsor programs

and work directly with students,and an innovative Career Techni-cal Centre that allows 11th- and12th-grade students to earn two-for-one credits in high school andin a trade in college at the sametime.

This year, CNC also began reach-ing out to elementary and juniorhigh school students. “We’re look-ing to introduce kids to the tradesat an earlier age, instead of wait-ing until high school when they’vealready chosen their streams,”says Mr. Heidt.

CNC isn’t the only B.C. col-

lege working to close the skillsgap. Last December, OkanaganCollege partnered with DiscoverTrades BC, a provincial govern-ment initiative, to host a confer-ence for parents, school counsel-lors and teachers. The college wasparticularly interested in meetingwith parents, many of whomtend to nudge their kids towardsuniversity education over skilledtrades training.

The province’s colleges are alsoaddressing barriers to education,such as lack of access to post-secondary education in remotelocations. Northern Lights Col-lege, for example, offers a teachereducation program – called theAlaska Highway Consortium onTeacher Education (AHCOTE) –in partnership with Simon FraserUniversity and the University ofNorthern British Columbia.

“The mission of the programis to train teachers in the northfor the north, and the uniquething is it allows local residentsto do their training here,” saysSteve Roe, dean of academic andvocational programs at NorthernLights. “Today so many teachersin the region are AHCOTE gradu-ates.”

Whether it’s training teachersor industrial mechanics, BritishColumbia needs to do everythingit can now to arm its current andfuture workforce with the skillsemployers need, points out Dr.Roe.

“This is where colleges canreally play a critical role,” he says,“and we’re taking action.”

Students in the automotive collision and refinishing program at Vancouver Community College restore a vintagetruck. VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“As our workforce ages, the success of industry, and of our economy, becomes increasingly dependent on employingthe right people in the right jobs. The Automotive Industries Association of Canada has long been committed to formingstrong partnerships with Canadian post-secondary institutions to ensure programs reflect the realities of our industry andequip our future workforce with the skills and confidence they need to affect positive change in our sector.”

Marc Brazeau is the President and CEO of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada

B.C.’s post-secondary schools aggressivelyaddressing skills gap

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ooking at his high schoolmarks, it’s logical toassume that Andrew

Koobeer would have gone fromGrade 12 to a post-secondaryprogram in science, technology,engineering or mathematics – orSTEM, as these fields are knowncollectively.

But he didn’t.“I didn’t have the confidence

to do it, even though I was strongin math and science,” says Mr.Koobeer. “So I became an automechanic and did that for sevenyears.”

Mr. Koobeer eventually wentback to school, enrolling in thegeneral arts and science programat Seneca College in Torontobefore advancing to the school’sCivil Engineering Technologyprogram. Today he works atPowerline Plus, a Toronto-basedinfrastructure company thatprovides design, engineering andproject management solutions

for electrical and street lightingprojects.

Mr. Koobeer was lucky – andwise – to realize that his true call-ing lay in a STEM career. But noteveryone is as fortunate. In Cana-da, less than 20 per cent of adultshave a post-secondary certificate,diploma or degree in a STEM fieldof study – a statistic that suggestsmany Canadians may be missingout on great career opportunities.

“Math and science can beintimidating subjects,” says Dr.Christine Bradaric-Baus, dean ofapplied science and engineeringtechnology at Seneca College.“However, by using real-lifeexamples that link students to fu-ture careers, these STEM subjectsare less intimidating and becomeof greater interest.”

Canadians often think ofuniversities when they’re con-sidering studies in a STEM field.Yet throughout the country,Canada’s colleges and polytechnic

institutes are leading the waywith programs that range frombiotechnology and 3-D anima-tion to finance and petroleumengineering.

What sets colleges apart is theiremphasis on applied educationand research. Jon Buckley, a grad-uate of Seneca College’s softwaredevelopment program, felt theimpact of this applied approachright in his first year.

“In terms of course load, itstarted off with lots and lots ofprogramming, which really ap-pealed to me because I wantedto get hands-on right away,” saysMr. Buckley, who now works fortechnology company Mozilla as aresult of applied research work hedid at Seneca.

But while Canada’s collegesare engaging students with theirapplied approach to education,attracting more scholars to STEMprograms continues to be asignificant challenge. That’s why

many of the country’s collegeshave embarked on initiativesdesigned to increase awarenessabout the many STEM optionsand to get young students excitedabout math and science.

Robert Murad, chair of theschool of engineering technolo-gies at St. Clair College in Wind-sor, Ont., points to some exam-ples of what his school is doing.

“We have chemistry days wherehigh school students tour ourlabs and do actual experiments,like making ice cream,” he says.“Recently we launched a programwhere Grade 6 students workon projects in our computer lab,and we also host science fairs forgrades 6, 7 and 8 students.”

This year, St. Clair College issponsoring 14 high school teamsin the region’s first robotics com-petition. This summer, the collegeis launching a post-secondaryprep course in math and English,free of charge to high schoolgraduates.

Waseem Habash, associate vicepresident of academic operationsat St. Clair College, says the prepcourse is meant to address highschool students’ lack of confi-dence in math and English – fun-damental courses that are criticalto success in any STEM field.

“Our intention is to helpstudents succeed when they hitthat first year in post-secondary,”he says.

Dr. Bradaric-Baus at Seneca Col-lege says it’s important to engagekids while they are young. Senecareaches out to high schools ona regular basis through sciencefairs, robotics competitions andMarch break tours of its state-of-the-art laboratories.

“We design highly interactiveexperiential learning oppor-tunities and experiments thatare fun and engaging for futurestudents,” says Dr. Bradaric-Baus.“This shows students how mathand science can be applied in ev-eryday life and opens their mindsto the possibility of pursuing aSTEM career.”



Applied research, experiential learning pathwaysto rewarding STEM careers

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At Seneca College, linking education in science, technology and math to real-life scenarios and future career optionsmakes the subjects less intimidating to students. SENECA COLLEGE

“Math and science canbe intimidating subjects.However, by using real-life examples that linkstudents to future careers,these STEM subjectsare less intimidatingand become of greaterinterest.”

Dr. Christine Bradaric-Bausis dean of applied science andengineering technology at SenecaCollege

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rime Minister StephenHarper’s early Februaryannouncement outlining

the federal government’s plan toreform Aboriginal education re-flects a growing awareness: fulllabour market participation ofCanada’s Aboriginal populationis critical to the country’s futureprosperity.

“In Canada, we have never hadthe First Nation education sys-tem that we need,” he said in hisaddress to an audience gatheredat the Kainai High School on theBlood Tribe reserve in southernAlberta.

It’s a reality that Canada’s col-leges and polytechnic instituteshave been working to overcomefor some time.

When it comes to post-sec-ondary education, Aboriginallearners face significant barri-ers, starting very early in life,says Ken Tourand, president ofBritish Columbia’s Nicola ValleyInstitute of Technology (NVIT).About 50 per cent of Aboriginalstudents don’t graduate fromhigh school as teenagers, andeven students who graduatemay not learn the essential skillsthey need to succeed at a post-secondary level.

“We have students come to uswith high school diplomas whoare at a Grade 10 level in Englishor math, so we must first providethem with the foundationalskills they need,” he says.

Lack of confidence and rolemodels are also formidablebarriers for many Aboriginalstudents, adds Mr. Tourand: “Wesee it every day – many are the

first in their families to study ata postsecondary institution, andmost didn’t have a good experi-ence in the K-to-12 system.”

But institutes such as NVITare helping students meet thesechallenges, in part by providinga supportive learning environ-ment to help ease the transitioninto the post-secondary main-stream. “Elders play an activerole. NVIT was established bythe five First Nations bands ofthe Nicola Valley, and we basi-

cally have grandparents on site.It’s very much a family environ-ment,” notes Mr. Tourand.

Once they feel a sense of be-longing and are given a chanceto succeed, many studentsdiscover an untapped passionand talent for learning, he notes.“Students come in at a Grade 10level; soon they’re graduatingwith their certificate or diplomaand transferring into UBC, SFUor the University of Calgary.Many then go on to graduate

with a master’s degree.“Less than 10 years before,

they had a Grade 9 educationand university wasn’t even intheir realm of possibilities,” saysMr. Tourand.

Aboriginal students, includ-ing mature learners, also findtheir way into skilled tradescareers through programs suchas NVIT’s Bridges into Tradesprogram. Taught out of a mobiletrades trailer in First Nationscommunities, the program intro-duces students to trades throughtwo weeks each of training inwelding, millwright, electricaland plumbing.

The usual next step is a tradesprogram at Okanagan Collegeor Thomson Rivers University,but one adult student decidedto post his resumé on Kijijiinstead. He received a call froman employer in northern Albertawithin 24 hours. “Last time Iheard, he was making more than$40 an hour helping his em-ployer transition more Aborigi-nal people into skilled tradescareers,” reports Mr. Tourand.

In Saskatchewan, home tomore than 70 Aboriginal com-munities as well as a keen short-age of skilled labour, Aboriginalstudents now make up morethan 18 per cent of the studentpopulation at the SaskatchewanInstitute of Applied Scienceand Technology (SIAST). “Wehave a long-standing commit-ment to helping Saskatchewan’sAboriginal people captureopportunities, and to the socialand economic development ofthe province,” says Larry Rosia,

SIAST’s president and CEO.Aboriginal activity centres

and elder access at each campushelp students adapt to the post-secondary environment, buttheir success is also consideredto be the responsibility of eachmember of SIAST’s faculty andstaff, Dr. Rosia explains.

That commitment includespartnerships between SIAST, FirstNations and community-basedtraining institutions such as theSaskatchewan Indian Instituteof Technologies (SIIT), GabrielDumont Institute and regionalcolleges, aimed at deliveringpost-secondary education to stu-dents in their communities.

Building on more than a de-cade of leadership in attractingand serving Aboriginal learners,SIAST is in the process of recruit-ing a director of Aboriginalstrategy to “operationalize ourplans to forge even stronger re-lationships with the Aboriginalcommunities,” adds Dr. Rosia.“Our ultimate goal is to close thegap in program completion ratethat exists between Aboriginaland non-Aboriginal students.”

With similarly innovativeinitiatives underway in col-leges and institutes across thecountry, “there is no better timefor an Aboriginal adult learnerto consider post-secondaryeducation in order to build theskills and knowledge necessaryto find employment,” says Mr.Tourand. “We have a long way togo, but government, institutionsand First Nations are workingtogether in unprecedented waysto support students.”

Aboriginal students now make up more than 18 per cent of the studentpopulation at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology(SIAST). SIAST

Aboriginal education an imperative forCanada’s economic prosperity

FIRST NATIONS

“Our member companies in the residential construction industry are facing real challenges in finding the skilled workers weneed – a problem projected to get worse. We are therefore very pleased to be helping to form a coalition between collegesand industry, across sectors, to ensure we have the workers we need for Canada’s skilled jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Kevin Lee is the CEO of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. Learn more about the coalition at www.accc.ca/industry.


rrc.ca/appliedresearch

Fostering Innovationthrough CollaborationRed River College is a global leader in applied research andcommercialization, the twin engines driving our capacity for technologicalinnovation. By matching industry problems and needs with RRCexpertise, resources and facilities, we deliver practical, real-worldsolutions while enriching the experiences of students and staff.

friday, february 28, 2014 special · pdf filestudents, saysdr.luke. ... anextraedge,...

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