This session will explore the approaches needed to engage with employers and industry representatives to build a curriculum that delivers the skills industry needs. It will look at key themes such as finding the middle ground between technical and vocational training capability and industry expectation. It will also cover various ways of engaging with industry and positioning technical and vocational training as a key driver to both company success, increased competitiveness and as essential in ensuring a pipeline of skilled talent that meets the ever-changing needs of industry. 

Colleges and institutes play a key role in driving community and industry innovation and building a sustainable economy for the future. As applied research partners pursue new and emerging markets and opportunities, colleges and institutes must continue to meet this new demand for expertise in a wide range of fields and sectors.

This self-moderated panel discussion will explore the theme of collective intelligence in an educational context that leverages our diverse knowledge, skills, and perspectives to address challenges and achieve shared goals. Humber and Mohawk will each showcase an initiative and its impact on the institution’s capabilities to meet the critical needs of their communities and strategically grow their opportunities to attract new partners.

Two approaches to applied research capacity building will be shared, with the presenters reflecting upon how their college’s priorities and applied research opportunities informed the two different, but complimentary approaches.

· With a focus on the individual researcher’s journey, Mohawk will share how it launched the Applied Researcher Pathway as a framework to develop promising faculty and staff into applied research experts. The structured pathway takes the large goal of “doing” applied research and breaks the process into five manageable stages.

· Prioritizing the interconnectedness of its entire innovation ecosystem, Humber will share how its interdepartmental approach to helping industry partners respond and grow has helped build strategic partnerships and applied research capacity through interdisciplinary, interdepartmental collaborations.

Most programs for struggling youth focus on them as problems, as people who must be transformed or “fixed” to be at all successful in post-secondary education and careers. Reboot Plus takes a different approach. We are as interested in how employers can adapt to and benefit from interacting with idiosyncratic young people as we are in preparing our youth participants for educational and career pathways. Our partnerships with Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce, and the business community in general open their eyes to a previously untapped talent source, encouraging them to be more open to a demographic they may previously have excluded from hiring consideration (to the detriment of their EDI objectives). Participants will learn how these partnerships work, how they might create similar ones to the benefit of their own youth programs and our preliminary results. Reboot Plus is a national youth education and career development program delivered in partnership by Douglas College and PEERs Employment and Education Resources and funded by the Future Skills Centre, designed to support youth struggling to finish high school who lack a plan for their future. This research project explores the impact of the program on both youth and professionals’ perceptions of this group as potential members of the workforce. Reboot Plus is running in BC, Alberta, Ontario, and Newfoundland in urban, rural, and ex-urban communities. the panel includes representatives from local and national post-secondary partners, the business community, and youth participants.

Global partnerships in education are essential to expanding quality programming in less developed countries, including small island countries. It is important that Canadian post-secondary institutions collaborate with international institutions to support enrolment in higher education, including vocational and technical training. This session will outline the framework used to build and execute a successful mutually beneficial long-term international partnership. Over the last 15 years Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and the NESC Technical Training Institute (NTI) in Trinidad and Tobago have worked together to develop a strong partnership and framework focused on technical trades training and faculty development and mentorship within Trinidad and Tobago. RDP assisted NTI in the development of curriculum and assessments for nine technical trades programs. NTI evolved the programming into their own diploma programs over time and RDP has continued to provide quality assurance and faculty training and mentorship. This collaborative model allows graduates to work within the Caribbean or they can challenge the Trades Qualification Examination for Journeyman Certification in Alberta, Canada, which provides international recognition for the Diploma programs offered in Trinidad and Tobago. With over 700 current students and over 375 graduates the partnership has been a successful partnership for both institutions, the graduates, and employers.

How can development projects contribute to an institution’s internationalization strategy? Three post-secondary institutions will provide Canadian perspectives on international engagement using the case study of an on-going project in Kenya. Speakers from Marine Institute, Nova Scotia Community College, and Seneca College speak to how and why Canadian institutions pursue international projects, strategic decision making, implementation challenges, and innovative approaches. To truly internationalize Canadian institutions must be active in regions that are hubs of global developments. After the Kenyan Government identified Blue Economy as a strategic development priority the east Africa nation quickly became a focus of geopolitical engagement in Blue Economy.  Kenya sits on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa. While it is Africa’s biggest source of inland fish production, the industry needs to be further professionalized to create economic opportunities and food security for vulnerable communities. The TVET-19 project, funded by the Mastercard Foundation focused on fisheries/aquaculture, aims to leverage Canadian and Kenyan knowledge and expertise to address opportunities for growth.

The 3-year project involves a partnership between the three Canadian and two Kenyan institutions (Kisumu National Polytechnic, and Mawego Technical Training Institute). It utilizes a partner-driven approach, prioritizing stakeholder engagement and consultation throughout the life of the project.

In Atlantic Canada, colleges collaborate with one another and with key stakeholders in applied research. We do this with support from Atlantic Colleges Atlantique, the Springboard Atlantic Network and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. As a small region, we benefit from working together with our partners. We know how important industry and community stakeholders are to the work we do. We also know collaboration drives innovation and socio-economic growth. Stakeholder engagement means involving people who are invested in us and interacting to benefit one another. Levels of engagement can range from communication, consultation, participation, and partnership. This session will focus on best practices in initiating, developing and sustaining strong partnerships in applied research and innovation to increase the competitiveness of Atlantic Canada’s industries.

Strong academic, industry and community partnerships are essential for advancing college innovation beyond the classroom.

At George Brown College, two goals drive our work in this space: to be a recognized industry champion and community and city builder by enabling innovation, prosperity, sustainability, and vibrancy of our local, regional, and international communities; and to advance the GBC brand and reputation as a renowned Canadian college to facilitate future growth by building trust and loyalty among key audiences. This session will explore the different types of existing partnerships underway at GBC and share the college’s partnerships framework and guiding principles that inform our approach to developing and sustaining partnerships in our respective areas of expertise.

At Lambton College, applied research has proven to be an effective platform to support industry-college partnerships, student-college and researcher-college engagements. The growth and sustainability of the portfolio is a complex process and requires a comprehensive approach. In this presentation, the College will share Lambton’s 6-pillar Model on how to build an effective research portfolio. The 6-pillar model includes Strategy, Operations, People, Partnership, Promotion and Culture.

Attendees will be invited to discuss their experiences with partnership development at their respective institutions, explore challenges and opportunities for maintaining high-quality partnerships, and share best practices for engaging in this important work.