Skills Challenges: Where Do We Go From Here?

A report by Dr. Rick Miner predicts that 700,000 Ontarians will be unemployable by 2021. The panel will discuss the skills shortage and possible solutions to the challenge.

Panel:
Lesley Brown, executive director, Ontario Literacy Coalition
Deb Newman, deputy minister, Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities
Paul Charette, chair, Bird Construction

Moderator:
Tony Tilly, president, Fleming College

Exploring the steps Ontario can take to better position the province in today’s global environment.

Speaker:
Len Crispino, president and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce

A discussion of the challenges facing Canada as the country seeks to recover from the recession.

Panel:
Warren Jestin, senior vice-president and chief economist, Scotiabank
Jim Stanford, economist, Canadian Auto Workers
Catherine Swift, president and CEO, Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Moderator:
Len Crispino, president and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Session 1 - The Power of an idea - don’t outspend them, outsmart them

Join Terry O’Reilly, ad man and host of CBC-Radio’s the Age of Persuasion, as he tells marketing stories and analyzes amazing campaigns from around the world.

Speaker:
Terry O’Reilly, host of the Art of Persuasion and co-founder, Pirate Radio & Television

Session 2 - What does it take to keep students engaged?

Busting the myths of the millennial invasion, or how I learned to understand today’s youth and stop complaining.

Speaker:
Prof. Rod Carley, Canadore College
Named Ontario's Best Lecturer in TVOntario’s 2009 Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition

Session 3 - School-college pathways

Exploring ways that school boards and colleges can continue to help students make the transition to higher education.

Panel:
David Armstrong, project officer, School College Work Initiative
Richard Franz, director, Student Success/Learning to 18 Strategic Policy Branch, Ministry of Education
Judy Morris, vice president, academic, Lambton College
Patti Redmond, director, Programs Branch, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Moderator:
Sylvia Barnard, president, Cambrian College

Session 4 - University partnerships of tomorrow

Will college-university partnerships still exist in 2020? If so, what will their key features be?

Panel:
Brian Tamblyn, president and CEO, Georgian College
Bonnie Patterson, president and CEO, Council of Ontario Universities
MaryLynn West-Moynes, vice-president external relations, UOIT

Moderator:
Rob MacIsaac, president, Mohawk College

Session 5 - Engaging traditional media

What can colleges do to get their stories in the mainstream media?

Panel:
Steve Paikin, host, TVOntario’s The Agenda
Elizabeth Church, education reporter, The Globe and Mail
Louise Brown, education reporter, The Toronto Star

Session 6 – Innovation in the green economy?

“Green” jobs are often promoted as the path to economic recovery. But is Ontario ready to move to a green economy? What must Ontario’s higher education system do to support this transition?

Panel:
Brian Bentz, president and CEO, PowerStream & Chair, Electricity Distributors Association
Mark Nantais, president, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association
Dr. Ron Dembo, CEO, Zerofootprint

Moderator:
Alex Gill, executive director, Ontario Environment Industry Association

Speaker:
Peter Mansbridge, anchor of CBC-TV’s The National

Session 7 - How great thinkers in science have shifted our perception

There’s no shortage of energy in the world; we just need new ways to capture it. Bob McDonald, host of CBC-Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, will discuss how such innovative thinking can change how we view our world.

Speaker:
Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks

Session 8 - College students: What we know and what we don’t know

Understanding the characteristics of Ontario’s increasingly diverse student population.

Panel:
Henry Decock, associate vice-president, academic, SenecaCollege
Suzanne Dwyer, research officer, Colleges Ontario
Jeff Wright, director of strategy and planning, Fanshawe College

Moderator:
Michael Cooke, vice-president, academic & advancement,
George Brown College


Session 9 - Connective intelligence and collaborative innovation

Better connecting people and their talents in live and virtual environments, in order to adapt faster and more effectively to accelerated change and organizational complexity.

Speaker:
Brett Richards, president, Connective Intelligence Inc.

Panel:

Hon. Chris Bently, Attorney General and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
Hon. Bob Chiarelli, Minister or Infrastructure
Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, Minster of Education
Hon. John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Univerisites

Moderator:
Sean Conway, fellow, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University

Gala Awards Evening

Master of ceremonies:
Prof. Rod Carley, Canadore College and winner of TVOntario’s 2009 Big Ideas Best Lecturer competition