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Future-proofing our workforce

By Mohamed Lachemi

President and Vice-Chancellor

“The investment recognizes our expertise in large-scale research projects that build better communities.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM CRUFT

DO YOU REMEMBER the moment you first decided on a career path?

For most of us, it was not an easy decision, and top of mind were job opportunities and future prospects in our field of choice.

Multiply that single decision by millions, and you have a sense of the complexity—and urgency—for government and industry to get it right when they are planning for the training and education needed to match employees to job opportunities in the years ahead.

To assist in more accurately planning for the emerging workplace, the federal government has chosen Ryerson as the lead in a national, $376-million collaborative project tasked with answering the question: How can we ensure all Canadians have the skills they need for a fair chance at economic success and prosperity?

Predicting employment trends and determining appropriate training needs has never been easy. In this age of disruption, we need the best possible information and innovative, 21st-century programs to match people to good, well-paying jobs.

With partners that include the Conference Board of Canada, Blueprint, universities and community organizations, Ryerson will create and host the Future Skills Centre, the only one of its kind in Canada.

Why Ryerson? The investment is recognition of our university’s expertise in multidisciplinary, large-scale research projects aimed at building better communities, as well as our leadership in the development of talent and human capital. Decades of success by our alumni have played a vital part in establishing the reputation that Ryerson now enjoys.

The work of the Future Skills Centre will involve building a network to collaborate on cutting-edge research, testing and evolution of pilot projects, and sharing and mobilizing knowledge to the benefit of all Canadians. (See the story on page 8 for more details.)

In keeping with Ryerson’s values, the project will pay close attention to making certain that disadvantaged and underrepresented groups will benefit significantly.

We often talk about the need for a strong economy and prosperous Canada. The Future Skills initiative is a bold step to ensure individual Canadians share in the success, and Ryerson is proud to take a leadership role.

Summer 2019 / Ryerson University Magazine 3