Feb. 5, 2018 "Canadian universities are not serving their clients well": Today I found this article by Peter Caven in the Globe and Mail:
Founder and director of Launched Careers, Toronto
A 2015 study by the federal Parliamentary Budget Officer indicated that 56 per cent of university grads under the age of 25 are underemployed – working in jobs that do not require a university degree.
You may have a recent grad living in your basement. You have made a significant investment in your child's education. You have ensured that they attended good schools, helped them with countless projects and assignments, met with dozens of teachers, participated in school events, supported them emotionally and likely contributed significantly to the $60,000 cost of a four-year university program. If they attended an independent high school, you may have added another $100,000 to your investment.
What is going on? In 1980, there were 65 degree-granting universities in Canada – there are now 246. Almost 300,000 university graduates enter the Canadian job market every year; in 1980, the number was 100,000.
The growth in the Canadian economy since 1980 has been less than half the growth in the number of university graduates. Companies are not hiring the way they used to, and major organizations have announced significant staff reductions in the past year. Baby boomers are hanging on. Technology is eliminating many entry-level jobs.
And there's more. In 2016, McKinsey and Co., a global management consultancy, partnered with the United Way and undertook a major research initiative, the results of which were published in their report Youth in transition: Bridging Canada's path from education to employment.
The findings and conclusions in the report are astounding. Here are some of the highlights:
- Canada’s employers in specific sectors think there is an adequate number of graduates.
- The vast majority of educators believe they are graduating high performers, yet more than half of employers believe new graduates are unprepared for the labour force, as do most youth.
- Certain groups including minorities, those whose parents have lower education levels and those with liberal arts degrees face serious barriers, even with postsecondary qualifications.
Of course employers think there are an adequate number of graduates – the supply exceeds the demand in most sectors by a huge margin.
There are major gaps between what educators and employers believe are important skills. Work ethic, English proficiency, teamwork and spoken communication were highly valued by employers but less by educators.
Of particular concern is that Canadian educators do not regard helping their students find employment as a leading priority, ranking it 8th out of 10. The number one priority was "attracting students," which is all about the school and not the students it's supposed to be serving.
The Canadian educational funding model drives some very interesting behaviour.
One in five Canadian employers reported that they had no interaction whatsoever with educators, and 70 per cent said they interacted with educational organizations only occasionally. In Germany, over 25 per cent reported interacting with education providers "monthly or more," whereas in Canada, the same statistic is 9 per cent.
One in five Canadian employers reported that they had no interaction whatsoever with educators, and 70 per cent said they interacted with educational organizations only occasionally. In Germany, over 25 per cent reported interacting with education providers "monthly or more," whereas in Canada, the same statistic is 9 per cent.
Academics will argue that it is not their job to equip students for work; their job is to train their minds and teach them how to think. I would argue that finding a calling – work that is truly meaningful – is critical to us as individuals. It is an integral element of who we are.
Ask students why they go to university. It is not to get their mind trained or learn to think or whatever; it is a to launch them on a career that will help them find their place in the world. They, and their parents, are not getting a good return on their investment.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/leadership-lab/canadian-universities-are-not-serving-their-clients-well/article37764629/
Mar. 9, 2018 "STEM programs should focus on women": Today I found this article by Janet Mcfarland in the Globe and Mail:
Mar. 9, 2018 "STEM programs should focus on women": Today I found this article by Janet Mcfarland in the Globe and Mail:
University curriculums in science and technology programs should be reformed to strengthen their appeal to women by emphasizing inclusiveness and support rather than competitiveness between students, according to a new report by a cross-border women's business group.
The Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders, which was founded last year following a White House meeting between Justin Trudeau and U.S. president Donald Trump, has released a new report on finding ways to boost the proportion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions.
The wide-ranging report urges new methods of teaching STEM subjects as early as middle school, and calls on companies and other organizations to set internal goals to improve diversity in STEM positions.
Women account for about 36 per cent of entry-level workers in the technology sector at large U.S. companies, the report said, and just 17 per cent of top C-Suite executives.
Council member Linda Hasenfratz, chief executive officer of Guelph-based auto parts maker Linamar Corp., said some universities have developed successful approaches that have greatly boosted enrolment of women in STEM programs, demonstrating that progress is already happening and more is possible.
"I actually think great progress has been made, and the key right now is to build on the momentum and keep it going," Ms. Hasenfratz said.
The 2017 engineering class at the University of Toronto, for example, is 42 per cent female, which the department achieved through outreach programs to high schools, targeted personal follow-up with interested female students and broader admission criteria that assess problem-solving skills and successes in challenging environments, the report said. Female faculty members have increased to 22 per cent from 9 per cent over the past decade, providing more role models for women.
Women account for more than half of computer-science graduates at Harvey Mudd College in California, compared with 10 per cent a decade ago, which the report said was achieved by "creating a culture that emphasizes openness, inclusivity and support," rather than competitiveness among students. Students work on group puzzles, 3-D graphics, and other engaging projects, and are offered research opportunities after their first year.
The college has specifically targeted greater diversity of all types in hiring and enrolment, including race and sexual orientation. The computer science faculty is 40 per cent female, the report said.
More than a dozen U.S. colleges have adopted similar teaching methodologies because of the success rate of the program, and the report recommends more universities with STEM programs should adopt the new curriculum approach.
"They did a lot of work in terms of making the curriculum more engaging, more inclusive, and building more confidence, as opposed to being competitive and kind of driving people away from each other," Ms. Hasenfratz said.
She said there are misconceptions that young women aren't interested in STEM professions or that they will find themselves studying and working alone with no other women if they pursue them.
"I think part of the problem why we don't have momentum building everywhere is because of a misconception that we don't have women in STEM, and that's not at all the case," Ms. Hasenfratz said. "That's why one of our key recommendations is that we do a better job broadcasting and sharing this information and also the best practices those institutions used in order to have the results they did."
The report also urges the Canadian and U.S. governments to work with private-sector partners to develop major online Web portals aimed at students in junior high and high school, offering a centralized location to learn about STEM careers and available opportunities.
The portal would allow students interested in an academic subject to research possible career options, or allow students interested in a cause – such as an environmental issue – to find out what kind of jobs exist that are related to the cause and what to study to achieve those careers.
Ms. Hasenfratz said it is also important that the portal provide information on job availability and salary ranges so that students can choose careers that meet their expectations.
The business council was formed last February after Mr. Trudeau visited Washington with a delegation of prominent Canadian female executives and attended a roundtable meeting with Ivanka Trump, who is an adviser to her father, President Trump. Council members include General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra and TransAlta Corp. CEO Dawn Farrell.
The council agreed to prepare five reports on key pillars to advancing women, including a report published in January on expanding women-owned businesses. The second report was published Tuesday on increasing women in STEM occupations, and will be followed by reports on increasing women's access to capital, advancing women in leadership roles and encouraging more female entrepreneurs.
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