It'sNotAcademic: Episode Nine with Val Walker

It's Not Academic, the podcast - education conversations from HEQCO

It’s an often heard complaint. University and college graduates lack the skills that employers seek. They don’t have what it takes to thrive in today’s rapidly changing workplace. To look at this issue, the Business Council of Canada brought together representatives from some of Canada’s largest companies and those from postsecondary institutions to create the Business Higher Education Roundtable. What skills are employers looking for in new hires? Do young Canadians have them? And what can universities and colleges do to ensure they are teaching the skills that employers require? In this episode, we speak with Val Walker, vice-president of talent and skills at the Business Council and the head of the roundtable. Val tells us how employer expectations are changing, what this means for colleges and universities, and the mutual benefits of work-integrated learning.