Ontario Construction Report June 2011

The Ontario Construction Report – JUNE 2011 – PAGE OCR 3

Toronto-area employers value skills of George Brown College graduates

STAFF WRITER – The OCR Construction Report

George Brown College has reported in a news release that, in a Northstar Research Partners survey commissioned by the col- lege, employers singled out George Brown as their top choice for producing graduates with the right mix of soft and hard skills. In fact, employers were approximately twice as likely to single out George Brown College graduates for their soft skills than any other college in the GTA, and placed the college first in each of the 13 skill categories identified, the college says. In addition, em- ployers viewed George Brown as the col- lege producing the highest quality graduates overall, rating it a full 12 per cent higher than the second most favourably perceived

college.

“The research study continued to support results that George Brown has seen for sev- eral years - that the skills most important to employers hiring new staff are soft skills, including customer service, teamwork and productivity, as well as the ability to com- municate with different cultures, oral com- munication and interpersonal skills,” the news release reported. “Specific job related skills continue to be viewed by employers as a minimum entry requirement, ranking a distant 10th on the list. The effective man- ner in which George Brown and colleges generally have responded to this evolving employment trend explains why a large ma- jority of employers (58 per cent) who intend to hire this year, plan to recruit a college graduate.”

“George Brown College has made un- derstanding and meeting the needs of GTA employers its principal mandate,” said George Brown College president Anne Sado. “We are proud to see that employers are recognizing our commitment to their needs, and we will continue our efforts to strengthen our industry partnerships to im- prove even further.”

Sado says the continued demand for col- lege graduates among employers — espe- cially George Brown College graduates — is evident in the College’s application and enrolment numbers, with applications in- creasing by more than 50 per cent and en- rolment growing 70 per cent since 2003. She attributes the surge in demand for George Brown graduates to the ability of the college to evolve with the new realities in

the workplace.

“Employers don’t just need graduates who have the skills to do the job; they need well-rounded graduates who can add imme- diate value to the organization,” she said. “Today that means knowing how to provide superior customer service, demonstrating communication skills, and helping a com- pany realize greater productivity via strong teamwork.”

The research study polled via telephone a sample of 705 GTA employers across mul- tiple economic sectors, including health sci- ences, hospitality and culinary arts, business, construction, computers, engi- neering, community services and early childhood education. Polling took place be- tween November 24 and December 20, 2010.

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