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TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
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Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
1!
EXECUTIVE&SUMMARY!
!
Connecting! skilled! human! capital! with! the!
needs!of!employers,!starting!with!our!students!
and!the!culture!of!innovation!we!instill!in!them,!
will! inspire! future! economic! growth! in!
Mississauga.! Translating! this! philosophy! into!
reality!has!become!the!task!of!a!new!economic!
development! partnership! that! has! been!
created,! Advantage! Mississauga,! led! by!
Mississauga!Board!of!Trade.!
!
Numerous! surveys! and! focus! groups! with!
employers! in! our! community! conducted! by!
Mississauga! Board! of! Trade! and! other!
community! organizations! have! indicated! that!
the! top! issue! of! concern! is! attraction! and!
retention!of!talent.!Mississauga!has!the!benefit!
of! being! home! to! two! outstanding! postF
secondary! institutions;! University! of! Toronto!
Mississauga!(UTM)!and!Sheridan!College.!!Each!
has! a! strong! desire! to! better! connect! with!
industry! for! engagement! on! curriculum!
development!but!also!for!experiential!learning!
opportunities! for! students,! summer! jobs,! and!
employment! for! graduates.! ! Experiential!
learning! provides! students! with! applied!
learning! opportunities! in! industry!
environments! and! contributes! to! their! jobF
ready! skills,! attitudes,! and! behaviors.!
Connecting! students! with! employers! leads! to!
better! longFterm! employment! outcomes! F! a!
pipeline! of! talent! from! local! schools! to! local!
business,! addressing! skilled! labour! attraction!
and!retention.!
!
Advantage! Mississauga! has! developed! a!
program,! Talent' Connections,! that! will! be!
proactive! in! engaging! employers! to! identify!
needs! and! challenges,! and! translating! these!
into! projects! for! students! through! coFops,!
internships,! summer! jobs! and! even! full! time!
employment!opportunities.!
!
!
!
PROJECT&ORIGIN!
!
The! Mississauga! Board! of! Trade! (MBOT)! has!
partnered!with!Sheridan!College,!the!University!
of! Toronto! Mississauga! (UTM),! the! Research!
Innovation! Commercialization! Centre! (RICC),!
the!City!of!Mississauga!Economic!Development!
Office,! and! private! industry! on! the! creation! of!
Advantage!Mississauga.!!As!this!partnership!of!
leading! local! economic! development!
organizations! has! evolved! over! the! last! 18!
months,!MBOT!has!taken!the!leadership!role!in!
this! business! driven! initiative.! ! All! of! our!
partners!are!in!consensus!that!we!need!better!
linkages! between! our! post! secondary!
institutions!and!employers!to!address!the!skills!
gaps,! skills! mismatches,! and! the! under!
utilization!of!student!talent.!!
!
A!new!Business!Innovation!Connector!role!has!
been! developed! as! a! major! component! of! the!
project! with! significant! input! from! both!
Sheridan!and!UTM.!!It!was!decided!that!the!best!
place!to!house!this!businessFfacing!role!was!to!
have! it! as! part! of! the! MBOT! team.! ! The!
overwhelming!value!proposition!for!this!is!the!
direct! connection! MBOT! has! to! Mississauga!
businesses,! our! long! standing! leadership! and!
strong! profile! in! the! business! community,! our!
ability!to!educate!businesses,!understanding!of!
the! local! economy,! the! connection! to! local!
service! organizations,! and! the! immense! value!
this!initiative!brings!to!MBOT’s!members.!!The!
Business! Innovation! Connector! role! will! be!
highly!integrated!into!the!business!community!
through! MBOT! as! well! as! the! postFsecondary!
institutions! and! their! respective! personnel!
responsible!for!student!project!placements!and!
employment.! ! It! will! be! an! important! linkage!
between! the! schools! and! employers! that! is!
needed!to!enhance!talent!connections.!!!
!
!
!
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TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
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Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
2!
This! initiative! will! positively! impact! the! local!
supplyFdemand!equation!by:!
• Providing! students! with! meaningful!
experience! through! experiential! learning!
opportunities!with!local!businesses!
• Students! have! the! opportunity! to! develop!
important!skills!that!fit!into!the!current!and!
future!labour!needs!of!employers!
• Businesses! can! leverage! high! quality,!
readilyFavailable! underutilized! existing!
talent! to! address! immediate! needs,!
particularly! when! there! are! increasing!
challenges!and!limited!resources!
• Businesses! will! have! a! better!
understanding!and!appreciation!of!student!
capabilities,! using! them! as! project!
resources,! and! by! engaging! them! in!
internship!/!coFop!opportunities!
• Businesses!will!have!a!direct!connection!to!
graduates,! many! with! local! practical!
experience!thereby!having!a!direct!positive!
impact! on! youth! unemployment! while!
meeting!talent!needs!of!employers!
• Students! will! have! experience! completing!
relevant! real! world! work! related! projects!
that!are!of!value!to!Mississauga!businesses!
• Working! with! Sheridan! and! UTM! towards!
students!having!placement!opportunities!in!
their! first! or! second! year,! as! opposed! to!
only!their!third!year!
• Improving! the! employment! prospects! and!
resiliency! to! labour! market! shifts! for!
students! through! specific! occupations!
skills,!but!also!employability,!essential,!and!
innovation!skills!
• International! students! will! be! matched! to!
local! businesses! with! similar! cultural! and!
language! backgrounds! in! order! to! remove!
barriers! to! getting! Canadian! business!
experience.! ! These! students! will! then! be!
ambassadors! back! home! about! their!
Canadian! experience! and! increase! the!
likelihood! of! these! students! staying! in!
Mississauga!
• Businesses! will! be! better! prepared! with!
their!requests!for!assistance!from!the!postF
secondary!institutions!by!using!our!project!
services!
• There! will! be! an! improved! alignment! of!
business! expectations,! business!
requirements!and!academic!curriculum!
!
Mississauga! is! strong! across! a! number! of!
business! sectors! with! the! four! key! sectors!
identified!by!the!Economic!Development!Office!
of!the!City!of!Mississauga!as:!
1. Aerospace! and! Automotive! Advanced!
Manufacturing!!
2. Information,! Communications! &!
Technology!!
3. Life!Sciences!!
4. Financial!Services!!
According! to! the! Ontario! Chamber! of!
Commerce,! depending! on! the! sector! being!
surveyed,! between! 21! and! 52! per! cent! of!
employers! report! “difficulty! hiring! someone!
with!the!right!qualifications.”!
!
Advantage! Mississauga! was! formed! out! of! a!
commissioned! report! by! the! City! of!
Mississauga,!“An!Action!Plan!for!Innovation!in!
Mississauga,”! that! contained! a! number! of!
priority! actions! to! define! our! City’s! future!
competitive!advantage,!including:!Implement!a!
Mississauga!Talent!Project!comprising!a!series!
of! pilot! projects! designed! to! connect! and!
develop! human! capital! in! support! of!
innovation.! ! Attracting,! creating,! integrating,!
and! enriching! talent! and! connecting! people! to!
the!right!jobs!in!the!right!firms!is!a!key!driver!
of! innovation.! ! This! emphasis! on! developing!
skills!and!matching!them!to!the!human!capital!
needs! of! local! industry! to! drive! innovation!
would! clearly! enhance! Mississauga’s!
innovation! support! system! and! be! a! key!
attraction! for! business! and! jobs.! Some! of! the!
suggested!pilots!that!are!related!to!our!project!
are!as!follows:!
!
TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
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Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
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• Pilot! 2:! a! ‘Talent! Development’! program!
between! the! University! of! Toronto!
Mississauga! and! Sheridan! College! to!
explore!the!development!of!local!industryF
focused!experiential!education!programs.!
• Pilot! 5:! a! ‘Talent! Connection’! program!
involving!local!industry!and!local!networks!
of! immigrant! employment! and! settlement!
organizations! to! connect! foreignFtrained!
professionals!with!jobs!that!use!their!skills.!
• Pilot! 6:! a! ‘Talent! Enrichment’! program!
involving! local! employers! and! postF
secondary! educational! institutions! to!
identify! opportunities! and! develop!
customized! programs! for! skills! upgrading!
for!employed!workers.!
!
PROJECT&PARAMETERS&
!
MBOT! is! the! lead! organization! for! Advantage!
Mississauga! with! financial! support! from! the!
City! of! Mississauga! and! Sheridan! College,! and!
inFkind! contributions! from! other! partners.!!
Sheridan!College!has!committed!to!funding!the!
initial! oneFyear! contract! of! the! Business!
Innovation!Connector!to!be!reviewed!yearly!for!
further! extensions.! ! To! date! the! City! has!
supported!the!Advantage!Mississauga!initiative!
by! providing! the! Executive! CoFordinator!
resource! (secondment! from! City)! with! the!
current!contract!extended!until!the!end!of!the!
year.! ! Both! positions! are! housed! at! MBOT.!!
MBOT,! Sheridan,! UTM,! and! the! City! all! expect!
that! this! project! will! run! indefinitely,! as! the!
services! offered! are! in! dire! need! in! both! the!
academic!and!business!communities.!!
!
The! overall! project! can! be! broken! down! into!
the!following!components:!
1. Business!Innovation!Connector!!
2. International!Student!Internships!
3. Team!Projects!
!
UTM! and! Sheridan! College! are! both! highly!
ranked! institutions,! each! with! internationally!
recognized! programs! drawing! students! from!
within!Mississauga,!the!GTA,!and!from!around!
the! world.! ! Mississauga! has! a! greater!
concentration! of! postFsecondary! qualifications!
in! Business! Management! &! Public!
Administration! &! Architecture,! Engineering! &!
Related! Technologies! when! compared! with!
Canada,! Ontario! and! the! Toronto! Census!
Metropolitan!Area!(CMA).!
!
!
!
Mississauga! is! home! to! University! of! Toronto!
Mississauga! (UTM),! part! of! Canada’s! largest!
university,!which!is!also!one!of!the!most!highly,!
respected! research! institutions! in! North!
America.! UTM! has! 15! academic! departments,!
an! Institute! of! Communication,! Culture! and!
Information!Technology,!148!programs!and!89!
areas! of! study.! Its! population! numbers! about!
11,600! undergraduate! students! and! 470!
graduate! students,! along! with! 700! faculty! and!
staff.!
!
!
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TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
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Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
4!
Sheridan! College’s! Hazel! McCallion! Campus,!
located! in! the! heart! of! the! Mississauga! city!
centre,!is!the!newest!Sheridan!College!campus,!
which!opened!in!September!2011.!The!campus!
was! built! with! the! latest! in! technology! and!
provides! a! creative,! collaborative! learning!
environment.! FullFtime! postsecondary! and!
postFgraduate! Business! programs! are! offered!
here,! as! well! as! programs! designed! to! help!
newcomers!to!Canada!integrate!fully!into!their!
communities! with! the! ability! to! accommodate!
up! to! 3000! students.! ! Phase! II! of! the! campus!
will!accommodate!an!additional!5000!students,!
bringing! the! total! enrolment! capacity! at! the!
Hazel!McCallion!Campus!to!8000!when!the!new!
building!opens!in!2015.!
!
PROJECT&RESOURCE&REQUIREMENTS!
The!resource!requirements!for!this!project!can!
be!summarized!as!follows:!
• Project! Coordination! provided! by!
Advantage! Mississauga! with! a! resource!
funded!by!the!City!of!Mississauga.!
• The! Business! Innovation! Connector!
resource! funded! by! Sheridan! College! for! a!
minimum!of!one!year!starting!August!2013.!
• Other! project! resources! will! be! required!
from!both!Sheridan!College!and!UTM!on!an!
as!needed!basis!to!connect!students/faculty!
to! local! businesses! with! the! facilitation!
component! done! by! the! Business!
Innovation!Connector!
• MBOT! is! the! home! for! Advantage!
Mississauga,!providing!physical!office!space!
for! Advantage! Mississauga! personnel,!
governance!and!management!leadership,!as!
well! as! staffing! support! to! help! with!
business!liaisons,!events!and!administrative!
duties!
!
1.&Business&Innovation&Connector:!
The!Business!Innovation!Connector!position!is!
part! of! the! MBOT! team! working! with!
Advantage! Mississauga.! The! Business!
Innovation! Connector! creates! and! facilitates!
relationships! between! business! and! academia,!
builds! collaborative! project! teams! with!
members!from!business,!University!of!Toronto!
Mississauga,! and! Sheridan! College,! and! works!
with!business!to!translate!business!needs!into!
student!projects.!!An!inFdepth!understanding!of!
each!institution!is!key!to!being!able!to!navigate!
the! matching! of! the! business! requirements! to!
the! ability! to! fulfill! the! needs! by! these!
institutions.!
!
The! Business! Innovation! Connector! position!
was! posted! in! June! 2013,! we! have! shortlisted!
for!interviews!and!will!be!conducting!the!first!
round! interviews! on! July! 29th! and! 30th.! ! Our!
objective! is! to! have! this! person! onboard! in!
September.!
!
Through! consultation! with! UTM! and! Sheridan!
the!needs!that!were!identified!for!the!Business!
Innovation!Connector!position!included:!
• Educate! business! on! how! to! engage! both!
institutions!
• Proactively! work! with! business! to! identify!
their! needs! and! requirements! when!
engaging! students! for! projects! and! as! a!
resource.! ! Part! of! this! is! to! help! business!
“clean! up”! what! they! think! they! need! and!
are!asking!for!
• Ability! to! bring! clarity! and! present! the!
reality! of! how! to! engage! academia! to!
business!
• To! be! the! one! door! between! business! and!
academia!in!Mississauga,!which!is!currently!
difficult!to!navigate!
• To! be! unbiased! in! building! the! best! teams!
from!both!institutions!for!team!projects!
• A! dedicated! resource! /! connector! to!
business!
• The!desire!to!extend!the!reach!beyond!the!
institutions’’! traditional! channels! and!
connections!to!create!new!opportunities!for!
students!
• Increase! the! experiential! learning!
opportunities! for! students! through! this!
proactive!engagement!with!local!businesses!
TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
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!
!
Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
5!
!
"Sheridan* College* sees* a* tremendous* value*
proposition* for* the* Business* Innovation*
Connector* to* be* part* of* the* MBOT* team,* we*
are* backing* our* belief* by* funding* this*
position.* *MBOT* has* the* relationships* and*
respect* within* the* Mississauga* business*
community,* they* have* the* organizational*
support* needed* to* educate* business* on* the*
opportunities* to* engage* Sheridan* College*
and*UTM,*and*they*have*the*reach*to*extend*
beyond* our* traditional* channels.* *This*
project* will* connect* student* resources* to*
local* businesses* giving* the*
students*valuable*work* experience* early* on*
and*give*the*employers*the*ability*to*connect*
with*their*future*employees."*
Jeff'Zabudsky,'PhD,'President'and'CEO,'Sheridan'
College'
!
MBOT! is! engaged! with! the! local! business!
community!including! a!partner!in!the!Mayor’s!
local! business! roundtable! discussions! where!
time! and! time! again! access! to! the! right! skills!
and! talent! is! an! overwhelming! issue! for! our!
local! businesses.! ! With! this! project! we! will! be!
connecting! student! resources! to! local!
businesses! to! give! the! students! experience!
early!on!and!to!give!the!employers!the!ability!to!
connect!with!their!potential!future!employees.!!
Over! time! one! of! the! objectives! is! to! have!
business! provide! greater! feedback! into! the!
curriculum!delivered!by!these!two!institutions!
given! the! more! integrated! relationship.! ! From!
our! discussions! with! business! over! the! last!
several! months! many! are! not! aware! of! the!
opportunities! to! engage! students! or! have! no!
idea! how! to! go! about! connecting! with! them.!!
With! Sheridan’s! and! UTM’s! participation! with!
Advantage! Mississauga! initiative! they! have!
both! expressed! their! desire! for! this! position!
and!this!direct!connection!to!the!local!business!
community.! ! Our! team! is! able! to! provide!
unbiased!connections!working!with!business!to!
create! the! best! possible! matches! extending!
both! Sheridan! and! UTM! beyond! their!
traditional! channels! of! student! resource!
matching!with!employers.!
!
2.&International&Student&Internships!
The! International! Student! Internships!
embraces!Mississauga’s!ethnic!diversity!as!one!
of!Canada’s!most!diverse!cities;!approximately!
51%! if! our! local! population! are! immigrants!
representing!over!350,000!people.!The!project!
team!will!be!working!with!the!local!Mississauga!
ethnic! business! associations,! MBOT! members,!
and!local!businesses!to!bridge!connections!with!
Sheridan! and! UTM! for! internship! placements!
for!their!international!students.!!The!objective!
is!to!remove!the!language!and!cultural!barriers!
normally! experienced! by! international!
students.! ! This! will! provide! them! with! the!
opportunity! to! gain! valuable! Canadian!
experience! while! learning! about! our! local!
business!culture.!!Currently!at!UTM!18%!of!new!
undergraduate! intakes! are! international!
students! and! there! were! 3000! international!
students! registered! at! Sheridan! College! in!
2011.!!We!have!met!with!representatives!from!
UTM!that!work!with!International!Students!and!
they!see!this!as!an!opportunity!to!extend!their!
reach!into!the!Mississauga!business!community!
in!addition!to!being!able!to!use!this!project!in!
their! overseas! marketing! campaigns! as! a!
student!attraction!tool.!
!
3.&Team&Projects!
MBOT! and! Advantage! Mississauga! are! in! a!
unique! position! that! they! are! independent! of!
the!academic!institutions!in!Mississauga.!!This!
creates!the!opportunity!to!work!with!the!local!
businesses! to! create! multi! participant! team!
projects!that!had!not!been!available!before,!and!
is! a! welcome! model! for! both! institutions.!!
Resources! for! these! team! projects! can! come!
from!Sheridan!and!UTM!with!respect!to!student!
resources,! in! addition! other! project! resources!
could! come! from! the! participating! business,!
from! local! government,! and! local! service!
organizations.!
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TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
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!
Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
6!
“Examples) of) the) power) of) interdisciplinary)
collective)efforts)to)solve)problems)abound,)from)
the) Manhattan) Project,) to) placing) a) human) on)
the)moon,)to)the)Human)Genome)Project.)While)
most)projects)are)not)of)such)monumental)scope,)
they)can)nonetheless)still)represent)monumental)
obstacles) to) a) company) that) is) searching) for)
practical) and) costAeffective) commercialization)
solutions.) )The) ability) to) assemble) a) responsive)
team) from) beyond) the) confines) of) any) one)
agency)or)institution)is)a)remarkable)advantage)
in) aligning) the) skill) sets) that) are) essential) to)
effectively) address) major) projects) that) require)
collective)insight)and)effort.”)
Ulli' Krull,' ViceAPrincipal,' Special' Initiatives,'
University'of'Toronto'Mississauga'
!
The!team!projects!may!be!relatively!large!and!
complex! projects! requiring! a! fair! amount! of!
preplanning! by! both! the! business! and! the!
academic!institutions.!!These!projects!create!a!
unique!opportunity!for!students!as!they!may!be!
working! with! other! students! from! different!
study! areas! or! they! could! be! a! mix! of! college!
and!university!students.!!Sheridan!College!and!
UTM! have! a! longFstanding! relationship! and!
currently!offer!joint!programming!/!courses.!
!
!
!
The!greatest!challenge!of!these!projects!will!be!
to! get! business! working! and! thinking! on! the!
same!timeline!as!the!two!academic!institutions.!!
Projects!need!to!be!considered!as!longerFterm!
business!objectives!as!there!is!a!need!for!them!
to! fit! with! the! curriculum! and! its! associated!
schedule.!!Business!will!have!an!opportunity!for!
using!students!in!the!shorter!term!through!the!
internship! programs! and! will! have! the!
opportunity! to! engage! them! in! the! upcoming!
academic!year.!
!
PROJECT&RESULTS&AND&IMPACTS&
!
The!first!and!greatest!success!of!our!project!is!
that! Sheridan! College! sees! the! value! and!
opportunity!of!what!the!overall!project!is!about!
and! is! showing! their! support! through! the!
funding! of! the! Business! Innovation! Connector!
position.!!In!addition,!UTM!is!also!a!partner!on!
our! project! team! and! is! tremendously!
supportive!of!the!project.!!They!have!identified!
and! internally! structured! staff! for! us! to! work!
with! and! the! initial! idea! for! the! Team! Project!
component!came!out!of!discussions!with!UTM.!
!
The! project! components! have! both! short! and!
longFterm! impacts! that! will! be! measured!
through!the!duration!of!the!project.!!
!
1.&Business&Innovation&Connector&
In! the! short! term! the! focus! for! the! Business!
Innovation! Connector! will! be! educating!
business! on! how! to! engage! and! working! with!
business!on!the!first!few!projects.!
!
The!number!of!businesses!made!aware!of!this!
opportunity!will!measure!engagement.!!One!of!
our! key! metrics! is! the! connection! with!
businesses!that!have!never!used!the!schools!as!
a!talent!resource.!!In!the!first!six!months!we!are!
expecting!to!connect!and!educate!no!fewer!than!
100!of!these!businesses.!!Another!key!measure!
will! be! the! number! of! projects! defined! with!
business.! ! In! our! first! year! our! objective! is! a!
minimum!of!20!projects!planned!with!varying!
levels! of! engagement! with! both! Sheridan! and!
UTM.!!This!will!grow.!
!
!
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TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE&
MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE&
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!
Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !
2013!Submission!
7!
2.&International&Student&Internships&
MBOT!already!has!great!rapport!with!the!local!
ethnic!business!associations!and!as!part!of!this!
project!we!are!expecting!to!engage!four!ethnic!
business! associations! in! the! project! over! the!
course!of!the!first!year.!!Internally!we!will!work!
with! MBOT! International! Trade! Committee! to!
find!potential!internships!for!students!through!
the!MBOT!members.!
!
3.&Team&Projects&
The! independence! of! MBOT! and! Advantage!
Mississauga! provides! the! group! with! a! unique!
ability! to! develop! multiFparticipant! projects!
working! with! business! and! both! institutions.!!
Within! the! first! year! our! objective! to! develop!
and!get!underway!two!of!these!team!projects.!!
The!rationale!for!a!low!first!year!number!is!that!
these!projects!are!expected!to!be!fairly!complex!
in!nature!with!a!long!leadFtime.!!
!
PROJECT&TRANSFERABILITY&
!
The! approach! that! we! have! taken! is! fully!
transferrable!to!other!chambers!that!have!one!
or!more!postFsecondary!institutions!within!the!
chamber’s! region! or! from! which! their!
community!accesses!talent.!!Components!of!our!
project! such! as! the! Business! Innovation!
Connector!require!funding!to!do!on!a!fullFtime!
basis,!but!most!components!can!be!added!value!
functions! that! the! chamber! can! offer! by! using!
existing! resources! or! partnerships.! ! Having! a!
blend! of! colleges! and! universities! makes! this!
offering! very! attractive! and! provides! the!
diversity!of!students!and!programs!to!match!up!
with!local!business!needs.!!Both!the!college!and!
the! university! are! partners;! their! involvement!
at!the!executive!level!is!critical!as!both!a!project!
champion! and! to! ensure! staff! level! support! at!
those!institutions.!!!!
!
SELFNPROMOTION&
Unlike! traditional! academic! to! business!
engagement!our!approach!has!an!emphasis!on!
business!being!in!the!drivers!seat.!!!
Our! connection! with! the! local! Mississauga!
businesses!enables!us!to!be!the!single!point!of!
contact! for! business! for! engaging! these! two!
institutions.!!We!understand!business!and!what!
business!needs,!enabling!us!to!work!with!them!
to!best!prepare!them!for!engaging!students.!!A!
unique! proposition! to! this! is! that! our!
independence! allows! us! to! create! the! best!
projects!teams!to!the!meet!the!business’s!needs!
regardless! of! whether! it! requires! one! or! both!
institutions.!
!
Marketing! of! the! project! will! be! done! through!
our! project! partners! and! MBOT! along! with!
other! channels! including:! print! media,! social!
media,! email! blasts,! a! web! presence,! MBOT!
newsletter,!and!promotion!at!MBOT!and!other!
local! business! events.! ! Engagement! and!
awareness! workshops! will! be! run! at! both!
Sheridan!College!and!the!University!of!Toronto!
Mississauga! with! the! faculty! and!
administration! to! ensure! a! full! understanding!
of!the!initiatives’!opportunities.!
!
“We) strive) to) not) only) to) be) the) most) talented)
community,)but)to)have)a)highly)developed)and)
integrated) innovation) ecosystem) that) is)
responsive) to) meeting) businesses) needs.))
Businesses) are) attracted) to) communities) where)
there) is) easy) access) to) an) abundant) pool) of)
talent,) and) talent) is) attracted) to) places) where)
there) are) quality) businesses) and) job)
opportunities.) ) By) better) connecting) student)
talent) with) the) labour) needs) of) business,) we)
build)a)culture)of)industryAacademic)partnership)
that) develops,) nurtures) and) connects) talent) to)
business,)to)grow)businesses)and)our)economy.))
Our) Board) of) Trade) is) proud) to) have) taken) a)
taken)a)leadership)role)in)this)initiative,)because)
this)is)what)we)exist)to)do!)”)
Sheldon' Leiba,' President' &' CEO,' Mississauga'
Board'of'Trade'

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Advantage Mississauga and MBOT Canadian Chamber Competition Submission

  • 1.
  • 2. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 1! EXECUTIVE&SUMMARY! ! Connecting! skilled! human! capital! with! the! needs!of!employers,!starting!with!our!students! and!the!culture!of!innovation!we!instill!in!them,! will! inspire! future! economic! growth! in! Mississauga.! Translating! this! philosophy! into! reality!has!become!the!task!of!a!new!economic! development! partnership! that! has! been! created,! Advantage! Mississauga,! led! by! Mississauga!Board!of!Trade.! ! Numerous! surveys! and! focus! groups! with! employers! in! our! community! conducted! by! Mississauga! Board! of! Trade! and! other! community! organizations! have! indicated! that! the! top! issue! of! concern! is! attraction! and! retention!of!talent.!Mississauga!has!the!benefit! of! being! home! to! two! outstanding! postF secondary! institutions;! University! of! Toronto! Mississauga!(UTM)!and!Sheridan!College.!!Each! has! a! strong! desire! to! better! connect! with! industry! for! engagement! on! curriculum! development!but!also!for!experiential!learning! opportunities! for! students,! summer! jobs,! and! employment! for! graduates.! ! Experiential! learning! provides! students! with! applied! learning! opportunities! in! industry! environments! and! contributes! to! their! jobF ready! skills,! attitudes,! and! behaviors.! Connecting! students! with! employers! leads! to! better! longFterm! employment! outcomes! F! a! pipeline! of! talent! from! local! schools! to! local! business,! addressing! skilled! labour! attraction! and!retention.! ! Advantage! Mississauga! has! developed! a! program,! Talent' Connections,! that! will! be! proactive! in! engaging! employers! to! identify! needs! and! challenges,! and! translating! these! into! projects! for! students! through! coFops,! internships,! summer! jobs! and! even! full! time! employment!opportunities.! ! ! ! PROJECT&ORIGIN! ! The! Mississauga! Board! of! Trade! (MBOT)! has! partnered!with!Sheridan!College,!the!University! of! Toronto! Mississauga! (UTM),! the! Research! Innovation! Commercialization! Centre! (RICC),! the!City!of!Mississauga!Economic!Development! Office,! and! private! industry! on! the! creation! of! Advantage!Mississauga.!!As!this!partnership!of! leading! local! economic! development! organizations! has! evolved! over! the! last! 18! months,!MBOT!has!taken!the!leadership!role!in! this! business! driven! initiative.! ! All! of! our! partners!are!in!consensus!that!we!need!better! linkages! between! our! post! secondary! institutions!and!employers!to!address!the!skills! gaps,! skills! mismatches,! and! the! under! utilization!of!student!talent.!! ! A!new!Business!Innovation!Connector!role!has! been! developed! as! a! major! component! of! the! project! with! significant! input! from! both! Sheridan!and!UTM.!!It!was!decided!that!the!best! place!to!house!this!businessFfacing!role!was!to! have! it! as! part! of! the! MBOT! team.! ! The! overwhelming!value!proposition!for!this!is!the! direct! connection! MBOT! has! to! Mississauga! businesses,! our! long! standing! leadership! and! strong! profile! in! the! business! community,! our! ability!to!educate!businesses,!understanding!of! the! local! economy,! the! connection! to! local! service! organizations,! and! the! immense! value! this!initiative!brings!to!MBOT’s!members.!!The! Business! Innovation! Connector! role! will! be! highly!integrated!into!the!business!community! through! MBOT! as! well! as! the! postFsecondary! institutions! and! their! respective! personnel! responsible!for!student!project!placements!and! employment.! ! It! will! be! an! important! linkage! between! the! schools! and! employers! that! is! needed!to!enhance!talent!connections.!!! ! ! ! ! !
  • 3. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 2! This! initiative! will! positively! impact! the! local! supplyFdemand!equation!by:! • Providing! students! with! meaningful! experience! through! experiential! learning! opportunities!with!local!businesses! • Students! have! the! opportunity! to! develop! important!skills!that!fit!into!the!current!and! future!labour!needs!of!employers! • Businesses! can! leverage! high! quality,! readilyFavailable! underutilized! existing! talent! to! address! immediate! needs,! particularly! when! there! are! increasing! challenges!and!limited!resources! • Businesses! will! have! a! better! understanding!and!appreciation!of!student! capabilities,! using! them! as! project! resources,! and! by! engaging! them! in! internship!/!coFop!opportunities! • Businesses!will!have!a!direct!connection!to! graduates,! many! with! local! practical! experience!thereby!having!a!direct!positive! impact! on! youth! unemployment! while! meeting!talent!needs!of!employers! • Students! will! have! experience! completing! relevant! real! world! work! related! projects! that!are!of!value!to!Mississauga!businesses! • Working! with! Sheridan! and! UTM! towards! students!having!placement!opportunities!in! their! first! or! second! year,! as! opposed! to! only!their!third!year! • Improving! the! employment! prospects! and! resiliency! to! labour! market! shifts! for! students! through! specific! occupations! skills,!but!also!employability,!essential,!and! innovation!skills! • International! students! will! be! matched! to! local! businesses! with! similar! cultural! and! language! backgrounds! in! order! to! remove! barriers! to! getting! Canadian! business! experience.! ! These! students! will! then! be! ambassadors! back! home! about! their! Canadian! experience! and! increase! the! likelihood! of! these! students! staying! in! Mississauga! • Businesses! will! be! better! prepared! with! their!requests!for!assistance!from!the!postF secondary!institutions!by!using!our!project! services! • There! will! be! an! improved! alignment! of! business! expectations,! business! requirements!and!academic!curriculum! ! Mississauga! is! strong! across! a! number! of! business! sectors! with! the! four! key! sectors! identified!by!the!Economic!Development!Office! of!the!City!of!Mississauga!as:! 1. Aerospace! and! Automotive! Advanced! Manufacturing!! 2. Information,! Communications! &! Technology!! 3. Life!Sciences!! 4. Financial!Services!! According! to! the! Ontario! Chamber! of! Commerce,! depending! on! the! sector! being! surveyed,! between! 21! and! 52! per! cent! of! employers! report! “difficulty! hiring! someone! with!the!right!qualifications.”! ! Advantage! Mississauga! was! formed! out! of! a! commissioned! report! by! the! City! of! Mississauga,!“An!Action!Plan!for!Innovation!in! Mississauga,”! that! contained! a! number! of! priority! actions! to! define! our! City’s! future! competitive!advantage,!including:!Implement!a! Mississauga!Talent!Project!comprising!a!series! of! pilot! projects! designed! to! connect! and! develop! human! capital! in! support! of! innovation.! ! Attracting,! creating,! integrating,! and! enriching! talent! and! connecting! people! to! the!right!jobs!in!the!right!firms!is!a!key!driver! of! innovation.! ! This! emphasis! on! developing! skills!and!matching!them!to!the!human!capital! needs! of! local! industry! to! drive! innovation! would! clearly! enhance! Mississauga’s! innovation! support! system! and! be! a! key! attraction! for! business! and! jobs.! Some! of! the! suggested!pilots!that!are!related!to!our!project! are!as!follows:! !
  • 4. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 3! • Pilot! 2:! a! ‘Talent! Development’! program! between! the! University! of! Toronto! Mississauga! and! Sheridan! College! to! explore!the!development!of!local!industryF focused!experiential!education!programs.! • Pilot! 5:! a! ‘Talent! Connection’! program! involving!local!industry!and!local!networks! of! immigrant! employment! and! settlement! organizations! to! connect! foreignFtrained! professionals!with!jobs!that!use!their!skills.! • Pilot! 6:! a! ‘Talent! Enrichment’! program! involving! local! employers! and! postF secondary! educational! institutions! to! identify! opportunities! and! develop! customized! programs! for! skills! upgrading! for!employed!workers.! ! PROJECT&PARAMETERS& ! MBOT! is! the! lead! organization! for! Advantage! Mississauga! with! financial! support! from! the! City! of! Mississauga! and! Sheridan! College,! and! inFkind! contributions! from! other! partners.!! Sheridan!College!has!committed!to!funding!the! initial! oneFyear! contract! of! the! Business! Innovation!Connector!to!be!reviewed!yearly!for! further! extensions.! ! To! date! the! City! has! supported!the!Advantage!Mississauga!initiative! by! providing! the! Executive! CoFordinator! resource! (secondment! from! City)! with! the! current!contract!extended!until!the!end!of!the! year.! ! Both! positions! are! housed! at! MBOT.!! MBOT,! Sheridan,! UTM,! and! the! City! all! expect! that! this! project! will! run! indefinitely,! as! the! services! offered! are! in! dire! need! in! both! the! academic!and!business!communities.!! ! The! overall! project! can! be! broken! down! into! the!following!components:! 1. Business!Innovation!Connector!! 2. International!Student!Internships! 3. Team!Projects! ! UTM! and! Sheridan! College! are! both! highly! ranked! institutions,! each! with! internationally! recognized! programs! drawing! students! from! within!Mississauga,!the!GTA,!and!from!around! the! world.! ! Mississauga! has! a! greater! concentration! of! postFsecondary! qualifications! in! Business! Management! &! Public! Administration! &! Architecture,! Engineering! &! Related! Technologies! when! compared! with! Canada,! Ontario! and! the! Toronto! Census! Metropolitan!Area!(CMA).! ! ! ! Mississauga! is! home! to! University! of! Toronto! Mississauga! (UTM),! part! of! Canada’s! largest! university,!which!is!also!one!of!the!most!highly,! respected! research! institutions! in! North! America.! UTM! has! 15! academic! departments,! an! Institute! of! Communication,! Culture! and! Information!Technology,!148!programs!and!89! areas! of! study.! Its! population! numbers! about! 11,600! undergraduate! students! and! 470! graduate! students,! along! with! 700! faculty! and! staff.! ! ! !
  • 5. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 4! Sheridan! College’s! Hazel! McCallion! Campus,! located! in! the! heart! of! the! Mississauga! city! centre,!is!the!newest!Sheridan!College!campus,! which!opened!in!September!2011.!The!campus! was! built! with! the! latest! in! technology! and! provides! a! creative,! collaborative! learning! environment.! FullFtime! postsecondary! and! postFgraduate! Business! programs! are! offered! here,! as! well! as! programs! designed! to! help! newcomers!to!Canada!integrate!fully!into!their! communities! with! the! ability! to! accommodate! up! to! 3000! students.! ! Phase! II! of! the! campus! will!accommodate!an!additional!5000!students,! bringing! the! total! enrolment! capacity! at! the! Hazel!McCallion!Campus!to!8000!when!the!new! building!opens!in!2015.! ! PROJECT&RESOURCE&REQUIREMENTS! The!resource!requirements!for!this!project!can! be!summarized!as!follows:! • Project! Coordination! provided! by! Advantage! Mississauga! with! a! resource! funded!by!the!City!of!Mississauga.! • The! Business! Innovation! Connector! resource! funded! by! Sheridan! College! for! a! minimum!of!one!year!starting!August!2013.! • Other! project! resources! will! be! required! from!both!Sheridan!College!and!UTM!on!an! as!needed!basis!to!connect!students/faculty! to! local! businesses! with! the! facilitation! component! done! by! the! Business! Innovation!Connector! • MBOT! is! the! home! for! Advantage! Mississauga,!providing!physical!office!space! for! Advantage! Mississauga! personnel,! governance!and!management!leadership,!as! well! as! staffing! support! to! help! with! business!liaisons,!events!and!administrative! duties! ! 1.&Business&Innovation&Connector:! The!Business!Innovation!Connector!position!is! part! of! the! MBOT! team! working! with! Advantage! Mississauga.! The! Business! Innovation! Connector! creates! and! facilitates! relationships! between! business! and! academia,! builds! collaborative! project! teams! with! members!from!business,!University!of!Toronto! Mississauga,! and! Sheridan! College,! and! works! with!business!to!translate!business!needs!into! student!projects.!!An!inFdepth!understanding!of! each!institution!is!key!to!being!able!to!navigate! the! matching! of! the! business! requirements! to! the! ability! to! fulfill! the! needs! by! these! institutions.! ! The! Business! Innovation! Connector! position! was! posted! in! June! 2013,! we! have! shortlisted! for!interviews!and!will!be!conducting!the!first! round! interviews! on! July! 29th! and! 30th.! ! Our! objective! is! to! have! this! person! onboard! in! September.! ! Through! consultation! with! UTM! and! Sheridan! the!needs!that!were!identified!for!the!Business! Innovation!Connector!position!included:! • Educate! business! on! how! to! engage! both! institutions! • Proactively! work! with! business! to! identify! their! needs! and! requirements! when! engaging! students! for! projects! and! as! a! resource.! ! Part! of! this! is! to! help! business! “clean! up”! what! they! think! they! need! and! are!asking!for! • Ability! to! bring! clarity! and! present! the! reality! of! how! to! engage! academia! to! business! • To! be! the! one! door! between! business! and! academia!in!Mississauga,!which!is!currently! difficult!to!navigate! • To! be! unbiased! in! building! the! best! teams! from!both!institutions!for!team!projects! • A! dedicated! resource! /! connector! to! business! • The!desire!to!extend!the!reach!beyond!the! institutions’’! traditional! channels! and! connections!to!create!new!opportunities!for! students! • Increase! the! experiential! learning! opportunities! for! students! through! this! proactive!engagement!with!local!businesses!
  • 6. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 5! ! "Sheridan* College* sees* a* tremendous* value* proposition* for* the* Business* Innovation* Connector* to* be* part* of* the* MBOT* team,* we* are* backing* our* belief* by* funding* this* position.* *MBOT* has* the* relationships* and* respect* within* the* Mississauga* business* community,* they* have* the* organizational* support* needed* to* educate* business* on* the* opportunities* to* engage* Sheridan* College* and*UTM,*and*they*have*the*reach*to*extend* beyond* our* traditional* channels.* *This* project* will* connect* student* resources* to* local* businesses* giving* the* students*valuable*work* experience* early* on* and*give*the*employers*the*ability*to*connect* with*their*future*employees."* Jeff'Zabudsky,'PhD,'President'and'CEO,'Sheridan' College' ! MBOT! is! engaged! with! the! local! business! community!including! a!partner!in!the!Mayor’s! local! business! roundtable! discussions! where! time! and! time! again! access! to! the! right! skills! and! talent! is! an! overwhelming! issue! for! our! local! businesses.! ! With! this! project! we! will! be! connecting! student! resources! to! local! businesses! to! give! the! students! experience! early!on!and!to!give!the!employers!the!ability!to! connect!with!their!potential!future!employees.!! Over! time! one! of! the! objectives! is! to! have! business! provide! greater! feedback! into! the! curriculum!delivered!by!these!two!institutions! given! the! more! integrated! relationship.! ! From! our! discussions! with! business! over! the! last! several! months! many! are! not! aware! of! the! opportunities! to! engage! students! or! have! no! idea! how! to! go! about! connecting! with! them.!! With! Sheridan’s! and! UTM’s! participation! with! Advantage! Mississauga! initiative! they! have! both! expressed! their! desire! for! this! position! and!this!direct!connection!to!the!local!business! community.! ! Our! team! is! able! to! provide! unbiased!connections!working!with!business!to! create! the! best! possible! matches! extending! both! Sheridan! and! UTM! beyond! their! traditional! channels! of! student! resource! matching!with!employers.! ! 2.&International&Student&Internships! The! International! Student! Internships! embraces!Mississauga’s!ethnic!diversity!as!one! of!Canada’s!most!diverse!cities;!approximately! 51%! if! our! local! population! are! immigrants! representing!over!350,000!people.!The!project! team!will!be!working!with!the!local!Mississauga! ethnic! business! associations,! MBOT! members,! and!local!businesses!to!bridge!connections!with! Sheridan! and! UTM! for! internship! placements! for!their!international!students.!!The!objective! is!to!remove!the!language!and!cultural!barriers! normally! experienced! by! international! students.! ! This! will! provide! them! with! the! opportunity! to! gain! valuable! Canadian! experience! while! learning! about! our! local! business!culture.!!Currently!at!UTM!18%!of!new! undergraduate! intakes! are! international! students! and! there! were! 3000! international! students! registered! at! Sheridan! College! in! 2011.!!We!have!met!with!representatives!from! UTM!that!work!with!International!Students!and! they!see!this!as!an!opportunity!to!extend!their! reach!into!the!Mississauga!business!community! in!addition!to!being!able!to!use!this!project!in! their! overseas! marketing! campaigns! as! a! student!attraction!tool.! ! 3.&Team&Projects! MBOT! and! Advantage! Mississauga! are! in! a! unique! position! that! they! are! independent! of! the!academic!institutions!in!Mississauga.!!This! creates!the!opportunity!to!work!with!the!local! businesses! to! create! multi! participant! team! projects!that!had!not!been!available!before,!and! is! a! welcome! model! for! both! institutions.!! Resources! for! these! team! projects! can! come! from!Sheridan!and!UTM!with!respect!to!student! resources,! in! addition! other! project! resources! could! come! from! the! participating! business,! from! local! government,! and! local! service! organizations.! !
  • 7. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 6! “Examples) of) the) power) of) interdisciplinary) collective)efforts)to)solve)problems)abound,)from) the) Manhattan) Project,) to) placing) a) human) on) the)moon,)to)the)Human)Genome)Project.)While) most)projects)are)not)of)such)monumental)scope,) they)can)nonetheless)still)represent)monumental) obstacles) to) a) company) that) is) searching) for) practical) and) costAeffective) commercialization) solutions.) )The) ability) to) assemble) a) responsive) team) from) beyond) the) confines) of) any) one) agency)or)institution)is)a)remarkable)advantage) in) aligning) the) skill) sets) that) are) essential) to) effectively) address) major) projects) that) require) collective)insight)and)effort.”) Ulli' Krull,' ViceAPrincipal,' Special' Initiatives,' University'of'Toronto'Mississauga' ! The!team!projects!may!be!relatively!large!and! complex! projects! requiring! a! fair! amount! of! preplanning! by! both! the! business! and! the! academic!institutions.!!These!projects!create!a! unique!opportunity!for!students!as!they!may!be! working! with! other! students! from! different! study! areas! or! they! could! be! a! mix! of! college! and!university!students.!!Sheridan!College!and! UTM! have! a! longFstanding! relationship! and! currently!offer!joint!programming!/!courses.! ! ! ! The!greatest!challenge!of!these!projects!will!be! to! get! business! working! and! thinking! on! the! same!timeline!as!the!two!academic!institutions.!! Projects!need!to!be!considered!as!longerFterm! business!objectives!as!there!is!a!need!for!them! to! fit! with! the! curriculum! and! its! associated! schedule.!!Business!will!have!an!opportunity!for! using!students!in!the!shorter!term!through!the! internship! programs! and! will! have! the! opportunity! to! engage! them! in! the! upcoming! academic!year.! ! PROJECT&RESULTS&AND&IMPACTS& ! The!first!and!greatest!success!of!our!project!is! that! Sheridan! College! sees! the! value! and! opportunity!of!what!the!overall!project!is!about! and! is! showing! their! support! through! the! funding! of! the! Business! Innovation! Connector! position.!!In!addition,!UTM!is!also!a!partner!on! our! project! team! and! is! tremendously! supportive!of!the!project.!!They!have!identified! and! internally! structured! staff! for! us! to! work! with! and! the! initial! idea! for! the! Team! Project! component!came!out!of!discussions!with!UTM.! ! The! project! components! have! both! short! and! longFterm! impacts! that! will! be! measured! through!the!duration!of!the!project.!! ! 1.&Business&Innovation&Connector& In! the! short! term! the! focus! for! the! Business! Innovation! Connector! will! be! educating! business! on! how! to! engage! and! working! with! business!on!the!first!few!projects.! ! The!number!of!businesses!made!aware!of!this! opportunity!will!measure!engagement.!!One!of! our! key! metrics! is! the! connection! with! businesses!that!have!never!used!the!schools!as! a!talent!resource.!!In!the!first!six!months!we!are! expecting!to!connect!and!educate!no!fewer!than! 100!of!these!businesses.!!Another!key!measure! will! be! the! number! of! projects! defined! with! business.! ! In! our! first! year! our! objective! is! a! minimum!of!20!projects!planned!with!varying! levels! of! engagement! with! both! Sheridan! and! UTM.!!This!will!grow.! ! ! !
  • 8. TALENT&CONNECTIONS&INITIATIVE& MISSISSAUGA&BOARD&OF&TRADE& & ! ! Canadian!Chambers!Competition!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! !!!!!!! ! 2013!Submission! 7! 2.&International&Student&Internships& MBOT!already!has!great!rapport!with!the!local! ethnic!business!associations!and!as!part!of!this! project!we!are!expecting!to!engage!four!ethnic! business! associations! in! the! project! over! the! course!of!the!first!year.!!Internally!we!will!work! with! MBOT! International! Trade! Committee! to! find!potential!internships!for!students!through! the!MBOT!members.! ! 3.&Team&Projects& The! independence! of! MBOT! and! Advantage! Mississauga! provides! the! group! with! a! unique! ability! to! develop! multiFparticipant! projects! working! with! business! and! both! institutions.!! Within! the! first! year! our! objective! to! develop! and!get!underway!two!of!these!team!projects.!! The!rationale!for!a!low!first!year!number!is!that! these!projects!are!expected!to!be!fairly!complex! in!nature!with!a!long!leadFtime.!! ! PROJECT&TRANSFERABILITY& ! The! approach! that! we! have! taken! is! fully! transferrable!to!other!chambers!that!have!one! or!more!postFsecondary!institutions!within!the! chamber’s! region! or! from! which! their! community!accesses!talent.!!Components!of!our! project! such! as! the! Business! Innovation! Connector!require!funding!to!do!on!a!fullFtime! basis,!but!most!components!can!be!added!value! functions! that! the! chamber! can! offer! by! using! existing! resources! or! partnerships.! ! Having! a! blend! of! colleges! and! universities! makes! this! offering! very! attractive! and! provides! the! diversity!of!students!and!programs!to!match!up! with!local!business!needs.!!Both!the!college!and! the! university! are! partners;! their! involvement! at!the!executive!level!is!critical!as!both!a!project! champion! and! to! ensure! staff! level! support! at! those!institutions.!!!! ! SELFNPROMOTION& Unlike! traditional! academic! to! business! engagement!our!approach!has!an!emphasis!on! business!being!in!the!drivers!seat.!!! Our! connection! with! the! local! Mississauga! businesses!enables!us!to!be!the!single!point!of! contact! for! business! for! engaging! these! two! institutions.!!We!understand!business!and!what! business!needs,!enabling!us!to!work!with!them! to!best!prepare!them!for!engaging!students.!!A! unique! proposition! to! this! is! that! our! independence! allows! us! to! create! the! best! projects!teams!to!the!meet!the!business’s!needs! regardless! of! whether! it! requires! one! or! both! institutions.! ! Marketing! of! the! project! will! be! done! through! our! project! partners! and! MBOT! along! with! other! channels! including:! print! media,! social! media,! email! blasts,! a! web! presence,! MBOT! newsletter,!and!promotion!at!MBOT!and!other! local! business! events.! ! Engagement! and! awareness! workshops! will! be! run! at! both! Sheridan!College!and!the!University!of!Toronto! Mississauga! with! the! faculty! and! administration! to! ensure! a! full! understanding! of!the!initiatives’!opportunities.! ! “We) strive) to) not) only) to) be) the) most) talented) community,)but)to)have)a)highly)developed)and) integrated) innovation) ecosystem) that) is) responsive) to) meeting) businesses) needs.)) Businesses) are) attracted) to) communities) where) there) is) easy) access) to) an) abundant) pool) of) talent,) and) talent) is) attracted) to) places) where) there) are) quality) businesses) and) job) opportunities.) ) By) better) connecting) student) talent) with) the) labour) needs) of) business,) we) build)a)culture)of)industryAacademic)partnership) that) develops,) nurtures) and) connects) talent) to) business,)to)grow)businesses)and)our)economy.)) Our) Board) of) Trade) is) proud) to) have) taken) a) taken)a)leadership)role)in)this)initiative,)because) this)is)what)we)exist)to)do!)”) Sheldon' Leiba,' President' &' CEO,' Mississauga' Board'of'Trade'