Mohawk College has launched a new program that will redefine college-employer partnerships and set a new standard of training experience for the college’s future ready, job-ready graduates.
The Future Ready Premium Program demonstrates Mohawk College’s leadership in partnering with employers to graduate job-ready students, says Jim Vanderveken, Dean of the Centre for Community Partnerships and Experiential Learning.
“I’m not aware of another institution in Ontario, whether college or university, that is taking this kind of employer partnership strategy to the level that we are. The Future Ready Premium Program has the potential to be transformative and place the college in a singular leadership role within Ontario’s post secondary system in driving the competitive workforce agenda.”
The program elevates the college’s partnership with select employers to create a hallmark, exclusive and intimate relationship, said Vanderveken. Employers share common needs and motivation to ensure they have access to the right talent to be competitive in today’s market.
These are employers that are engaged in every aspect of the college, says Vanderveken, including experiential learning, applied research, curriculum development, and philanthropy.
“These employers have very much woven themselves into the fabric of this institution. They are so generous with us because they share in our vision to support student success and they see that they have an important role to play.”
Select employers—10 in the first round—were invited by President Ron McKerlie to enter a memorandum of understanding to codify the partnership and set targets moving forward. The 10 first-round Future Ready Premium Partners include: ArcelorMittal Dofasco, City of Hamilton, Gerrie Inc., Hamilton Health Sciences, IBM, KF Aerospace, L3HARRIS, Stelco, Thrive Group, and Walters Inc. This list clearly demonstrates that the need for exceptional talent cuts across all sectors of the economy.
“This creates a unique talent blueprint so we can understand their needs and determine how we intend to meet them,” said Vanderveken.
“It’s about creating a sense of confidence that employers will have access to talented students in a reliable way, and that students have a clear career path ahead of them and the prospect of future opportunities with employers of choice.”
Premium employers will be offered concierge service through a single point of contact at Mohawk who will provide direct connections to the wide range of services the college offers business and industry, and be prominently featured in an ambitious co-branding strategy. They will have specialized supports to ensure Mohawk graduates have all the jobs skills needed to hit the ground running. There are also plans for a high-performance career hub.
To learn more about connecting with Mohawk to build your exceptional workforce, visit mohawkcollege.ca/ employers
