experience. Through experiential learning
partnerships with employers – including
field education placements and applied
research projects – colleges are able to deliver
both.
Field education placements allow students
to gain practical workplace experience
while honing the technical skills and people
skills they’ve developed at college. But
students aren’t the only ones who benefit.
Employers tell us that hosting a field
education student increases productivity,
brings fresh energy into the workplace and
offers a way to meet and assess potential
future employees.
Because of the career-focused education
they’ve received at college, students
arrive ready to contribute to the workplace
immediately by filling in short-term
employment gaps or supporting new projects.
Many partners are so pleased with
their field education experience that they
end up hiring the students as permanent
staff or requesting field education students
from additional academic areas.
Of course, field education is just one
of the partnership opportunities available
to employers at Canadian colleges.
Visit campuses and you’ll find industry
partners working with students and
staff to prototype and test new products
ranging from healthy snack foods to
heart monitoring devices. Tour state-ofthe
art labs and you’ll see them learning
how to use new capabilities like building
information modeling, a 3D imaging
technology that’s radically changing the
construction industry. The depth and
breadth of applied research opportunities
available at today’s colleges is truly
remarkable.
Collaborating on applied research allows
small- and medium-sized businesses
to access resources that might otherwise
be out of reach, including the expertise,
equipment and funding support needed
to develop innovative products and services.
By engaging college students and staff
as researchers, these businesses are able
to stay competitive, while helping prepare
job-ready graduates with the skills to innovate
and lead. Like field education, it’s
truly a win-win opportunity.
As you can see, employer collaboration
is essential to the educational process,
and these partnerships carry an impressive
return on investment for employers.
Whether you’re looking to fill roles at your
organization now or enhance the quality
of future job candidates, you’ll find a
powerful talent recruitment partner in
today’s colleges. n
Anne Sado is president of George Brown
College, a position she’s held since 2004.
Attend Sado’s session at the HRPA Annual
Conference, entitled, “Colleges: Your Talent
Recruitment Partner,” on February 2 at
3:00 p.m.
workforce planning
EMPLOYER COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL
TO THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS, AND THESE
PARTNERSHIPS CARRY AN IMPRESSIVE
RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR EMPLOYERS.
booledozer/flickr.com
George Brown College’s
waterfront campus
66 ❚ SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION 2017 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL