1.
Workforce Development Initiative

2.
Developing Career Ready Graduates
We at St. Lawrence College are developing career ready graduates, and in so
doing are an engine for regional economic development. Through our
Corporate Community Outreach we know what job skills and competencies are
required for regional SMEs to grow and prosper.
The strength of these organizations are the people. As a College, we are
focused on supporting employers with career ready graduates and, to that end,
we place 1000s of SLC students in organizations where they can make
their mark and help the employer advance their objectives - while
simultaneously gaining critical real world experiential learning
opportunities.

3.
The economy is changing and so is our approach. We have more graduate
certificate programs than ever before, this is to support the many - many university
graduates coming to refine their job competencies and prepare for the job market.
We know the Ontario economy has a demand for College grads: that’s why over
87% of our grads get jobs. Employers are impressed as well – over 91% of them
tell us they are more than satisfied with our graduates.
We know as a nation we are facing a skilled trades gap, requiring over 300,000
people even today. In terms of skilled trades, this issue is getting worse - but
much is being done.
Developing Career Ready Graduates

4.
Ontario’s skill shortages cost the
economy up to $24.3 billion in
forgone GDP and $3.7 billion in
provincial tax revenues annually.
Conference Board of Canada: A Looming Skills Gap Threatens Ontario’s Future
www.conferenceboard.ca/infographics/skills-gap-info.aspx

5.
The Workforce Challenges
Conference Board of Canada: A Looming Skills Gap Threatens Ontario’s Future
www.conferenceboard.ca/infographics/skills-gap-info.aspx

6.
What Can Be Done?
Governments
Employers
Allocate new resources to post-secondary educational institutions to support experiential learning
and investment in industry-relevant technology. Collect and share more relevant labour market
information to inform students’, educators’, and businesses’ planning and decision-marking.
Invest more in training and development for current and prospective employees and offer more
workplace -based learning opportunities.
Educators
Collect and share information about labour market outcomes (e.g., employment rates, income) of
educational programs and use this information to shape program curricula and advise students.
Students & Parents
Be attentive to labour market trends and incorporate this information into decisions about
educational paths and career options.
Conference Board of Canada: A Looming Skills Gap Threatens Ontario’s Future
www.conferenceboard.ca/infographics/skills-gap-info.aspx

7.
Meeting Local Challenges
We are enhancing our Career & Placement Centre so that it is aligned with the needs of
over 4500 regional employers. This will provide pathways for 8000 college students
and over 88,000 graduates! Here we provide career readiness resources, workshops,
and labour market intelligence information which all is in support of workforce
integration. For employers, we provide a port of entry to help recruit the best graduates
available. Employers are able to post jobs on our job board that boost job alert software
while highlighting opportunities and connecting jobs to current students and alumni. We
also support micro-job fairs and one on one interview space: all with the goal of
highlighting employers to our students and connecting people to careers.
Through our Corporate Learning & Performance Improvement team we work with over
350 organizations and support workforce training for managers, supervisors and front
line employees all with the goal of increasing productivity, profitability and human
capital capacity building. Our mandate is to increase talent and workforce skills in our
region and that, we are happy to report, is exactly what St. Lawrence College is doing.

8.
http://slc.totalhire.com/
https://stlawrence.emsicareercoach.ca/
https://stlawrenceccs.interviewstream.com/