Accelerated Learning For a Two Speed Labour Market

Canada boasts one of the most educated populations on earth. More than 56% of 25 – 34 year olds in the country have postsecondary credentials.

But there’s a problem - a growing divide between have and have-not occupations. Our highly educated, creative graduates are increasingly under employed or unemployed in what analysts call a two speed labour market: one is high speed and skilled jobs go unfilled and the other is a slow speed market awash with educated workers who can’t find jobs.

And the situation isn’t likely to improve. By 2030 more than 50% of the current jobs will change or disappear. Yet Canadian universities graduate 254,000 students every year, many of whom are educated for jobs that no longer exist.

For most students and their families the number one motivation for university is to get a job. While universities seem content to fill lecture halls, many students now graduate from degree programs with no career plan.

Our ever-changing digital – driven world requires workers with specific, deep skills in areas of expertise as well as broad knowledge of management and business operations.

Getting a career and staying relevant requires continuing education. This is true not just for workers seeking retraining and upgrading, but also for recent grads that increasingly see Continuing Studies programs as “finishing schools” that add practical and labour market relevant skills to their undergraduate and graduate education.

The Writing & Communications division of Continuing Studies at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver, Canada has developed a number of accelerated nine week continuing education programs taught by industry expert instructors using real world case studies. These programs run full time and during the day and include an on-the-job practicum.

Accelerated programs are currently offered in Public Relations, New Media Journalism and Digital Communications. The programs were developed in cooperation with industry leaders, are taught in small classes (no more than 20 students) and focus on technical and practical industry-required skills.

One example is the nine week full time Digital Communications Certificate program launched by SFU Continuing Studies Writing & Communications in January 2013. The intensive, accelerated program attracted largely university educated adults seeking a range of digital communications secrets from e-marketing and SEO, mobile communications and pay per click online advertising to presentation skills, resume building, job hunting and job interviewing skills.

SFU Continuing Studies has other accelerated programs include Business to Business Marketing, in the planning stage and will continue to provide innovative programs that build a better fit between graduates and the labour market.