Transcript
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NEXT STEPS FOR IMPROVEMENT Identifying the Gaps Between Education and Employability in Ontario High Schools

A whitepaper by the Human Resources Professionals AssociationMay, 2017

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2 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

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Table of Contents 1. Introduction 5

2. Is there a gap? 6

3. What skills are missing? 8

4. Ontario’s Secondary Education System 12

5. What Action Have Employers Taken? 14

6. What Can Government Do? 16

7. Conclusion 20

8. Endnotes 22

NEXT STEPS FOR IMPROVEMENTIdentifying the Gaps Between Education and Employability in Ontario High Schools

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4 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

Introduction01

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5N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) undertook to identify whether there is a skills gap in Ontario, and if so, what particular skills are missing. Through its own unique research, the HRPA has found that various soft skills are missing from the skillset of entry-level workers today, not the hard skills that are easiest for employers to teach.

The development of soft skills continues to be a focus of Ontario’s high school curriculum. These skills have been a measurable outcome on report cards since 1998, and are critical to building a competitive workforce for the 21st century. Without a strong foundation of soft skills developed in high school, students have challenges that progress through higher levels of learning and into the workforce.

With this in mind, this paper explores whether gaps between the current Ontario high school curriculum and employability may be a root cause of this skills challenge, and whether students are being taught the way employers need them to be taught. It provides quantitative evidence directly from employers that a soft skills gap does indeed exist.

Based on this discovery, the paper makes a series of recommendations on how this soft skill gap can be closed.

These recommendations are focused in two key areas: • The need for experiential learning; and, • The need to work with industry.

The recommendations laid out below are based upon a detailed survey of 633 HRPA members conducted online from March 26 to April 5 2017, as well as a scan of different studies and reports from around the world.

Employers continue to voice concerns that new graduates entering the workforce are lacking the core skills required to take on entry-level jobs. This skills gap directly impacts productivity and creates a competitive challenge in today’s global economy. When workers are not able to do the jobs they are hired for, businesses must train them or hope they learn on the job. This takes time, energy and resources, and can impact the economy.

Problem solving

62%

THE SKILLS GAP

of HRPA survey respondents say new hires are NOT prepared

42%

Interpersonal/teamwork

Attention to detail

Schools Local Business

Make experiential learning mandatory

Encourage employers

Explore the Swiss Model

Which skills are missing?

48%56%of HRPA survey respondents say these skills are missing

RECOMMENDATIONS

Experiential Learning

Work with Industry

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6 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

Is There a Gap?02

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7N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

According to human resource professionals, many entry-level workers are not prepared. The HRPA surveyed its members and found that of those with an opinion, 58.1 per cent of respondents said that entry-level hires within the past year have been sufficiently prepared to do the jobs they have been hired for by their pre-hire education and/or training, while 41.2 per cent said they were not.

NOT HAVING ENOUGH EDUCATION ISN’T THE PROBLEM. Ontario students have the highest proportion of post-secondary attainment amongst all OECD countries.iii This is a significant achievement, but at the same time, may help to demonstrate the problem. According to a study by Dr. Rick Miner at Miner Management Consultants, many students are earning multiple post-secondary degrees, certificates or diplomas in an attempt to gain the skills necessary to get a job.iv As students graduate different post-secondary programs, they continue to be left wanting in terms of soft skills. Similar findings come out of the United States.

A recent study by Accenture Strategy found that 51 per cent of those who graduated in the United States in the last two years believed they were underemployed.v Meanwhile, a Payscale study found that 50 per cent of hiring managers believed recent grads were either “minimally” or “unprepared” for their jobs. This data helps demonstrate that entry-level workers lack the skills that jobs and managers require.vi

Are students properly prepared for their entry-level jobs? In the United States, a recent survey of almost 64,000 hiring managers found that only half of managers felt recent graduates were prepared for their entry-level jobi. Research conducted by YouGov in the United Kingdom found that of the 635 employers they surveyed, over half reported that either none or few of their entry-level workers were “work ready.”ii Unfortunately, Ontario is not sheltered from this issue.

Indeed, the HRPA asked survey respondents what level of education their entry-level hires typically have, and a full 63.6 per cent said post-secondary graduates, while another 14 per cent said they were still in their post-secondary education.

So with almost 1/3 of students ill prepared for their entry-level jobs, while more than 3/4 of them are in the process or have already obtained a post-secondary degree, the question is, what skills are missing? Evidence shows that post-secondary graduates are going on to do further degrees, but will this additional education help them with the skillsets they are lacking, or can the current system be reformed to help fill in the gap earlier?

Would you agree or disagree with the following statement:

Entry-level workers we have hired within the past

they were hired for.”

Q:“

Agree Disgree

58% 42%

PREPARED NOT PREPARED

Would you agree or disagree with the following statement:

Entry-level workers we have hired within the past

they were hired for.”

Q:“

Agree Disgree

58% 42%

PREPARED NOT PREPARED

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8 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

03What Skills are Missing

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9N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

REQUIRED HARD SKILLS Hard skills are tangible, easily identifiable, and can be improved throughout life. They are also the skills that are the most easily taught by employers.

The HRPA surveyed its members to gauge which hard skills are the most indicative of success in their entry-level positions, and found there was a heavy emphasis towards communications skills. The top three hard skills selected by respondents were “oral communication” (77.3 per cent), “writing proficiency” (62.5 per cent), and “database usage/management” (30 per cent). Other hard skills that were highlighted in the survey were heavily focused around specific industry needs, as well a technical familiarity with Microsoft Office software.

Given this data, it is clear that strong communications skills are paramount to success in today’s workforce.

THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO SUCCEED IN TODAY’S JOB MARKET COME IN TWO MAIN CATEGORIES: “hard skills,” which are tangible, teachable skills such as typing and reading, and “soft skills,” which are less tangible, and more personality-based such as listening, or getting along with others.vii In addition, a literature review by the Higher Education Council of Ontario reveals an “experience gap” where workers are lacking skills they would gain through experience on the job.viii These sets of skills are critically important components of a well-rounded worker, and no one set of skills is superior to another in today’s modern economy. In fact, a study by CareerBuilder that surveyed over 2,000 human resource professionals found that a full 77 per cent of respondents rate hard and soft skills as equally as important.ix Given this, it is important to understand which sets of skills are required to succeed in entry-level jobs.

REQUIRED SOFT SKILLS Soft skills are much more difficult to teach, especially as students get older. They are personal and are not easily taught in the workplace.

HRPA survey respondents were asked to list the three most important soft skills required to succeed in their entry-level jobs. Here too there was a clear distinction. “Interpersonal skills/teamwork” was the most selected skill, at 70.1 per cent, “attention to detail” was the second most chosen skill at 61.7 per cent and “problem solving” was the third most selected with 60 per cent.

MISSING SKILLS:With a firm understanding of what hard and soft skills are required to succeed in entry-level jobs, the HRPA surveyed its members to determine which skills are missing. Offering them a mix of hard and soft skills, the HRPA asked respondents to select up to five skills that were missing from entry-level workers they hired in the last year.

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10 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

THE STUDY REVEALED SOME TROUBLING RESULTS.

Of the skills that were missing, the top five selected were all soft skills, as were eight out of the top ten. The two most selected skills missing from entry-level hires in the past year were “problem solving” (62.3 per cent) and “attention to detail” (56.3 per cent).

The HRPA’s findings are similar to those from PayScale’s 2016 Workforce-Skills Preparedness Report,x but the HRPA’s study offers a unique perspective by having respondents choose between hard and soft skills rather than from two mutually exclusive lists.

Through this method of questioning, the report identifies that Ontario students continue to lack the required soft skills more than the required hard skills. Indeed, the hard skills that respondents did identify as lacking were nowhere near the top five missing skills.

As the World Economic Forum explains, employers often seek these practical competencies in potential employees. The Forum’s Future of Jobs Report identifies that the impact of disruptive changes such as technological trends will put an even greater emphasis on these types of soft skills. By 2020 they suggest there may be an even greater need for skills such as creativity and the ability to coordinate with others.xi

This is particularly significant given that one of the core focuses of Ontario’s secondary education curriculum is the development of soft skills, as well as the fact that soft skills are difficult for employers to train.

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What are the top three soft skills required to succeed in entry-level jobs at your organization?

What are the main skills missing from entry-level workers you have hired in the past year?

Interpersonal/teamwork

REQUIRED SKILLS MISSING SKILLS

Q: Q:

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Ability to follow instructions

Coordinating with others

Ownership

Stress management

13% required

Leadership

9% required

15% missing

14% required

23% required

37% required

57% required

62% required

70% req.

26% missing

29% missing

26% missing

36% missing

62% missing

56% missing

48% missing

Creativity

Oral communication

Writing proficiency

26% missing

5% required

27% missing

9% missing

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12 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

04Ontario’s Secondary Education System

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13N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

These categories capture each of the soft skills that employers identified as still lacking in entry-level hires.

As the province has moved towards preparing students for the 21st century, there has been a continued focus on improving these soft skills, or “competencies,” in addition to the hard skills such as mathematics and literacy. These skills are focused on “both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, knowledge and attitudes,” and are also the focus of countries and researchers around the world.xiii

Extensive research has been conducted in an attempt to determine what skills are required to succeed in the workforce. Despite this effort, there has been no single common course of action identified for educators to follow. The Ontario government has acknowledged that whatever solutions are put forward, they need to address the specific “needs and goals of Ontario educators and students.”xiv The HRPA suggests, however, that this is an incomplete statement that misses a critical component: the needs of employers.

Responsibility

Independent Work

Initiative

Organization

Collaboration

Self-Regulation

PROVINCIAL REPORT CARD GRADES 9–12

LEARNING SKILLS AND WORK HABITS

E — Excellent G — Good S — Satisfactory N — Needs Improvement

Ontario’s secondary education system has a heavy focus on teaching students soft skills. According to conversations with the Ontario Ministry of Education, soft skills have been listed on student report cards since 1998.xii

These “learning skills and work habits” help track how well students are developing 6 key soft skills:1. Responsibility

2. Independent Work

3. Initiative

4. Organization

5. Collaboration

6. Self-Regulation

While Ontario’s secondary education system is designed to prepare students for the next stage of learning rather than teach them to join the workforce,xv the needs of employers should not be overlooked, especially if graduates continue to underperform in the foundational skills the system claims to be building.

In addition, how skills are taught is almost as important as what skills are taught. As explained later in this paper, experiential learning opportunities can be beneficial to helping students develop soft skills. While enrolment rates in experiential learning such as co-operative education classes in Ontario are relatively high, they are not mandatory for high school students. As a report by the Learning Partnership explains, students in Ontario are not required to participate in experiential learning to graduate, while other provinces such as British Columbia do have such a requirement.xvi

Despite current soft skill development initiatives in the Ontario curriculum, the findings show more must be done to ensure students are properly equipped to take on future challenges.

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14 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

05What Action Have Employers Taken?

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15N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

Yet not every company is prepared or able to invest in training for entry-level workers. According to a 2016 Accenture study, 54 per cent of new graduates surveyed in the United States were not given any specific training for the jobs they were hired for.xvii Previous research conducted by the HRPA has shown its member organizations train at a higher rate than others surveyed,xviii but the evidence indicates room for improvement.

The HRPA asked respondents to indicate what steps they take to establish missing soft skills among entry-level hires. The overwhelming majority of responses pinpointed job training, coaching and different forms of mentorship programs. Employers feel direct interaction with other team members and hands-on training are instrumental in bridging the gap.

“We are working on developing soft skill training to help address this gap. We are also building a needs assessment for training to better assess gaps.” – HRPA Sur vey Respondent

“We do some job-related training, but competencies such as having ownership/accountability and ability to follow instructions are hard to train.” – HRPA Sur vey Respondent

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06Our Recommendations

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Identified solutions fell into four main categories: a continued focus on problem solving and critical thinking, practical hands-on training, and two separate but related suggestions: a focus individual responsibility and on meeting deadlines. In addition, the word “real” was consistently used in suggestions, highlighting the need for more real-world examples and experiences.

Finally, the HRPA asked its members if there was anything else the government could be doing to help better prepare students to join the workforce. Their answers provided two clear sets of recommendations.

These are: 1) Offer more experiential learning opportunities; and, 2) Work with industry to involve stakeholders in skills

development programs.

1. MORE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING The single greatest feedback from human resource professionals called for students to be given greater experiential learning opportunities, in which

students go out into the community to witness workplaces firsthand. U.S. university professor Janet Eyler explains that experiential learning is a process “whereby the learner interacts with the world and integrates new learning into old constructs” xix and that this educational approach “helps students both to bridge classroom study and life in the real world and to transform inert knowledge into knowledge-in-use.” According to the HRPA’s research, 66.1 per cent of respondent organizations have been asked to participate in a high school co-op or experiential learning opportunity, while 33.9 per cent have not, and only 45.8 per cent currently participate in one. Many respondents suggested the government also consider greater incentives such as tax rebates for employers to hire apprentices or participate in experiential learning programs.

The benefits of experiential learning are well known. This type of education can teach students work ethic and social skills, and can assist with developing critical thinking capacity and learning in the workplace.xx These are exactly the soft skills that HRPA members say are missing among today’s entry-level workers.

Currently, the Ministry of Education’s Cooperative Education Policy and Procedures manual lists six different programs ranging from single day Job Shadowing to the +2 year Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, but none of these are a requirement for students to graduate. Given the benefits, this is something that could be considered.

In the spring of 2017, the province launched a new Career Kick-Start Strategy to create additional opportunities to develop skills for the workplace. In the announcement, the government recognized that experiential learning opportunities are critical for entry-level workers. This strategy includes funding to create 40,000 new experiential learning opportunities over three years.xxi While these new opportunities will go a long way, the announcement still falls short of making these learning opportunities mandatory.

Recommendation – Make Experiential Learning Mandatory Given the direct connection between the benefits of experiential learning and the soft skills missing in entry-level employees, the government should consider making programs like co-ops mandatory for high school students.

The HRPA asked survey respondents whether changes to the high school curriculum could help students gain the specific skills identified as missing. Almost three quarters (70.7 per cent) of respondents said high school curriculum changes could help students gain the specific skills that are missing.

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Recommendation- Encourage Employers Programs such as the Provincial Partnership Council’s Ontario Employer designation should be expanded. This designation recognizes employers who have “provided outstanding school-work experiences to high school students in their community. xxii Similar programs should be considered that are targeted towards small and medium sized business to encourage a greater number of them to participate in co-operative education programs.

The province should also consider using its various business funding programs such as the Jobs and Prosperity grants to encourage businesses to participate in co-op programs. Funding conditions of these types of grant programs could easily be updated to require corporate participation.

Recommendation- Explore The Swiss Model In Switzerland, secondary students have two high school models available to them. One prepares them to go to university, and another gives them the opportunity to participate in an apprenticeship program. This dual system is extremely successful, and the apprenticeship opportunities are not limited to trade jobs but also extend to fields such as pharmaceuticals and banking. In this system, many students will spend only a couple days in the classroom during a week and the rest of the time applying their learning to a workplace setting. xxii This model also pays students for their work, and students sign contracts with their employers that can last up to four years. xxiv

While the Swiss Model has some parallels to Ontario’s Youth Apprenticeship Program, the wide variety of industries available make it something to be further considered here.

2. WORK WITH INDUSTRY As an extention of the need to provide more

experiential learning opporutnities to students, the HRPA recommends that educators work more closely with industry to arrange these opportunities and to also improve the career guidance offered to students.

While local engagement falls to the school boards and individual high schools, further requirements for this type of engagement can be written into policy and procedure documentation, and incentives can be established to encourage more businesses to become involved.

A study from McKinsey & Company that looked at engagement between employers and educators in Canada, found that 20 per cent did not coordinate or even interact with educators. This participation falls behind other global leaders such as Britain, the United States and Germany.

Recommendation – Enhance Partnerships Between Schools And Local Businesses The government should explore ways to create stronger partnerships between schools and local businesses, as recommended by the Learning Partnership in their report “It’s Their Future: A Pan-Canadian Study of Career Education”. xxvi Another option is to provide support to organizations like Industry Education Councils, who are providing youth with direct experiential learning opportunities. This will give both students and educators a direct understanding of the needs of the workforce.

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19N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

“The government needs to work with industry and education to identify gaps in soft and hard skills, and develop curriculum with real content and application to what is needed to enter workforce. Enough with the ivory tower focus groups... get real leaders involved with practical, realistic solutions. Set up and support placement for students into work situations to gain practical experience.” – HRPA Sur vey Respondent

“There needs to be repercussions to their actions when they don’t complete assignments or participate in group projects. They need to be accountable for their actions.” – HRPA Sur vey Respondent

“Curriculum is not current - there is a whole suite of practical and experiential skill development missing; greater co-op like opportunities to experience real world learning” – HRPA Sur vey Respondent

“Make a coop experience mandatory for all programs so that new graduates come out of school with a minimum amount of experience to add something to their resume that’s relevant to their field of study.” – HRPA Sur vey Respondent

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20 N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

Conclusion07

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21N E X T S T E P S F O R I M P R O V E M E N TI D E N T I F Y I N G T H E G A P S B E T W E E N E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O YA B I L I T Y I N O N TA R I O H I G H S C H O O L

Ontario’s entry-level workers lack a specific set of soft skills - problem solving, attention to detail, and interpersonal and teamwork skills. This gap poses a significant challenge to employers, as these are some of the most difficult skills to teach their workers.

The earlier these complex soft skills can be taught, the better. To make headway, this gap must be addressed long before students enter post-secondary education or the workforce. The Ontario education system makes an effort in this regard but more can and should be done.

Soft skills can be further developed by making experiential learning opportunities, such as real life work experiences, mandatory for all Ontario high school students. In addition,

the government can provide incentives to encourage greater collaboration between schools and local business partners. By taking these steps the government will go a long way to breaking down this challenging skills gap and preparing students for the workforce. This will help improve Ontario’s productivity and competitiveness in the global economy.

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08Endnotes

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i PayScale Human Capital. (2016). Workforce-Skills Preparedness Report. Accessed at: http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/job-skillsii Dathan, Matt. (September 13, 2013). How can we equip graduates with the workplace skills that they need? The Guardian. Accessed at: https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/equip-graduates-workplace-skills iii Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. (December 20, 2014). Guiding Growth in Ontario’s Postsecondary Education System: Province Committed to Sustainable Growth to Meet Demand. Accessed at https://news.ontario.ca/tcu/en/2013/12/ guiding-growth-in-ontarios-postsecondary-education-system.htmliv Miner, R. (2010). People without Jobs, Jobs without People: Ontario’s Labour Market Future. Toronto: Miner Management Consul-

tants. Accessed at http://www.collegesontario.org/research/research_reports/people-without-jobs-jobs-without-people-final.pdfv Smith, David et al. (2016). Insights from the Accenture Strategy 2016 U.S. College Graduate Employment Study. Accenture Strategy. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-2016-accenture-college-graduate-employment-researchvi PayScale Human Capital. (2016). Workforce-Skills Preparedness Report. Accessed at: http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/job-skillsvii Investopedia. Hard Skills. Accessed at: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hard-skills.asp Borwein, S. (2014). The Great Skills Divide: A Review of the Literature. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario. Accessed at: http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/Skills%20Part%201.pdfviii Borwein, S. (2014). The Great Skills Divide: A Review of the Literature. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario. http://www.heqco.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/Skills%20Part%201.pdf ix Careerbuilder.com. (2014). Overwhelming Majority of Companies Say Soft Skills Are Just As Important as Hard Skills. Accessed at: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=4/10/2014&id=pr817&ed=12/31/2014 x PayScale Human Capital. (2016). Workforce-Skills Preparedness Report. Accessed at: http://www.payscale.com/data-packages/job-skillsxi World Economic Forum. (2016). The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Accessed at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf xii Meeting with Ministry of Education. April 19, 2017xiii Government of Ontario. (2016) Phase 1: Towards Defining 21st Century Competencies for Ontario. Accessed at: http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/About21stCentury/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdfxiv Government of Ontario. (2016) Phase 1: Towards Defining 21st Century Competencies for Ontario. Accessed at: http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/About21stCentury/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdfxv Meeting with Ministry of Education. April 19, 2017xvi Connelly, Gerry, Blair, Gareth, and Ko, Albert. (2013). It’s Their Future: A Pan-Canadian Study of Career Education. The Learning Partnership. Accessed at: www.thelearningpartnership.ca/files/download/333d0409f3d6d42xvii Smith, David et al. (2016). Insights from the Accenture Strategy 2016 U.S. College Graduate Employment Study. Accenture Strategy. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-2016-accenture-college-graduate-employment-research xviii Human Resources Professionals Association. (2016). Strengthening Ontario’s Workforce for the Jobs of Tomorrow. Accessed at: https://www.hrpa.ca/Documents/Public/Thought-Leadership/Strengthening-Ontarios-Workforce-for-the-Jobs-of-Tomorrow.pdf xix Eyler, Janet. (2009). The Power of Experiential Education. Association of American Colleges & Universities. Accessed at: https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/power-experiential-educationxx Eyler, Janet. (2009). The Power of Experiential Education. Association of American Colleges & Universities. Accessed at: https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/power-experiential-educationxxi Ontario Ministry of Finance. (2017. Ontario Boosting On-the-Job Learning Opportunities for Students [News Release]. Accessed at: https://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2017/04/ontario-boosting-on-the-job-learning-opportunities-for-students.htmlxxii http://www.ontarioemployer.ca/ontarioemployers.phpxxiii Singmaster, Heather. (2016). An Apprenticeship Model from Switzerland. Center for Global Education. Accessed at: http://asiasociety.org/global-cities-education-network/apprenticeship-model-switzerland xxiv Gurchiek, Kathy. (2015). U.S.-Swiss Collaboration Planned for Apprenticeships. Society for Human Resources Management. Accessed at: https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/Pages/US-Swiss-Apprenticeships.aspxxxv http://www.cacee.com/_Library/docs/Youth_in_transition_Bridging_Canadas_path_from_education_to_employment_2_.pdf xxvi Connelly, Gerry, Blair, Gareth, and Ko, Albert. (2013). It’s Their Future: A Pan-Canadian Study of Career Education. The Learning Partnership. Accessed at: www.thelearningpartnership.ca/files/download/333d0409f3d6d42

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