Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER April 4, 2016 FEATURES 17 The Psychological Safety Award honours companies who strive to support employee mental health. Mental illness in the workplace translates to an annual productivity impact of more than $6 billion, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. If your company has programs, resources and prevention strategies in place for employee mental health, we want to hear from you. We also have a special Wellness Award for companies that go above and beyond for their workers' health and well-being. If you are setting the standard with programs such as heart health clinics, smoking cessation programs and healthy food options, apply now. To nominate your company visit www.safestemployers.com Presented by Nominations close June 1 Calling all employers with excellent mental health strategies & wellness programs Canada's Safest Employers 2016 is looking to honour workplaces with leading mental health and wellness programs. Strategic Partner Diamond Sponsor Reception Sponsor Bronze Sponsor Event Sponsor 2016 Platinum Sponsor EDUCATION Connecting the dots 5 courses of action to connect students, universities, employers and government By Justin Bedi I n January, Ontario held a Talent and Skills Summit attended by post-secondary education stakeholders. The same week, McGill University president Suzanne Fortier sug- gested at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that universities need to prepare students for the modern labour market, while American vice- president Joe Biden indicated that investing in education was one of the keys to saving the middle class. ese sentiments echo what aca- demics, policymakers and stu- dents have been suggesting for years: e relationship between higher education and the labour market has changed. at's meant a shift in student sentiment, where many have begun to question the value of their post-secondary de- gree and their (to-date) lifelong investment in education. After all, there are opportunity costs asso- ciated with pursuing a university education, just as there are oppor- tunity costs facing government when they invest in education over other sectors of the economy. And yet it is through educa- tion that all parties can ultimately achieve their goals. Students want to be qualified for jobs and find employment after graduation. Employers want qualified em- ployees. e government wants a highly skilled workforce that can compete with any in the world, and universities want to see stu- dents succeed in their careers. To realize these attainable, co- existent interests, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) has outlined five courses of action: Address the disconnect: e most apparent manifestation of the disconnect between univer- sities, employers and students is the skills mismatch issue. It has simultaneously created labour shortages for certain sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, and high unemployment rates for specific segments of the work- force, such as youth. It has also affected productivity: Since the early 2000s, labour productivity in Ontario has flatlined; meanwhile, overall hours worked have risen, according to a 2014 report from the Ontario government. ere are many broad factors at play in labour productivity, including innovation, trade and management strategies; however, the most immediate action gov- ernment can take to remedy this issue is to continue its push for more international students with different backgrounds and skill- sets, and make it easier for them to settle in Ontario post-graduation. Government can also encour- age universities to properly artic- ulate the learning outcomes and skills students derive from their courses, so students can then ef- fectively communicate these skills to employers and boost their chances of being hired. Manage everyone's expecta- tions: Students, universities and employers should all be able to anticipate the learned knowledge and skills that graduates will pos- sess when they enter the work- force. Only 44 per cent of Canada's youth believe they are adequately prepared for the workforce, while 34 per cent of employers believe youth are prepared, but an as- tounding 83 per cent of educa- tional institutions believe youth are adequately prepared, accord- ing to the 2015 report Youth in Transition from McKinsey & Co. e percentage gap between educational providers and em- ployers (49 points) is the largest among the selected surveyed countries — including Germany, the United States, India and the United Kingdom. Moreover, only 38 per cent of youth say they have knowledge of job openings, wages and placement rates. Clearly, not everyone is on the same page. To meet student expectations for their education and career prospects, greater levels of on- the-job training should be en- couraged for entry-level employ- ees, such as recent graduates who may lack work experience but have potential, skill and enthu- siasm. e government can aid employers in this by providing in- centives for them to train and hire recent graduates in the form of tax breaks and wage subsidies. To ensure students are also ac- countable for their careers, em- ployers should review their tran- scripts prior to hiring them. Not only would this increase student retention and graduation rates, but it would also encourage aca- demic success and provide greater assurance for the employer that the graduates they are hiring are worth the investment. Grades are by no means the end-all-be-all indicator of success, but they do reflect aptitude, critical thinking, resilience and work ethic. Encourage innovation in the workplace: A highly skilled workforce should leverage the skills of all segments of its popu- lation, including that of students, women, indigenous peoples and immigrants. Government pro- grams must continue to target groups that are underrepresented in the workforce to realize their PROVIDE > pg. 20 Only 44 per cent of youth and 34 per cent of employers believe youth are adequately prepared for the workforce

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