With a talent gap looming over B.C.’s economy, the provincial government has put talent development and skills training at the heart of its economic plan.
Post-secondary institutions across the province are stepping up to the challenge with forward-looking programing that is preparing British Columbians for the jobs of tomorrow.
Simon Fraser University is helping to lead the way.
For example, SFU’s School of Sustainable Engineering – a program unique to Western Canada – is training clean tech innovators to build a cleaner and brighter future for everyone in the province.
The new Quantum Algorithms Institute on SFU’s Surrey Campus is positioning B.C. as a world leader in the fast-emerging field of quantum computing technology and helping to build a new innovation corridor in Surrey and the Fraser Valley.
SFU’s Executive MBA in Indigenous and Business Leadership is empowering Indigenous leaders, professionals and managers.
Graduates of this program go on to enter new roles in their organizations and communities, contributing to Nation-building, self-determination and economic reconciliation. It’s the only MBA of its kind in North America.
SFU is also planning for a new medical school focused on driving innovation and change by training primary care, and family practice doctors equipped to meet the needs of underserved populations.
And SFU remains a leader in the delivery of co-op education with one of the largest and most successful co-op programs in the country. With co-op placements, students gain invaluable real-world skills, and the community and business gain access to the enthusiasm and talent its students have to offer.
Taken together, these and many other innovative initiatives build on the province’s commitment to train tomorrow’s work force and to meet the biggest challenges of our time, from lasting reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples to spurring clean and inclusive growth.
SFU is joined in this crucial work by its partners across B.C.’s highly regarded and integrated post-secondary system.
For generations, B.C.’s colleges, institutes and universities have been powerful engines of social and economic mobility. Today, they provide world-class education to hundreds of thousands of students each year, generate billions of dollars in economic activity and attract research funding from across Canada and the world. Graduates across every field report high levels of satisfaction with their post-secondary experience and are well employed soon after earning their degrees.
With labour forecasts projecting 80% of new job openings in B.C. over the next decade will require post-secondary education and training, B.C.’s colleges, institutes and universities are more important than ever – a critical economic and social advantage that helps build a more sustainable, inclusive and innovative future for all British Columbians.
Learn more about how SFU is helping solve B.C.’s talent gap.
