Highlights from BHER’s 2024
We welcomed 5 amazing new BHER members in 2024:
And continued to connect and convene with purpose:
In 2024, we talked about how to train the AI generation to reimagine Canada’s companies and classrooms, and we weighed into Canada’s productivity debate by exploring post-secondary’s role in helping make Canada more productive. Special thanks to BHER members AWS Canada and TELUS for hosting us this year.
We convened industry roundtables on the use of AI in the agriculture, education, healthcare, and mining sectors to support BHER member RBC's Thought Leadership report, GenAI: Is Canada ready?, and we even hosted a Baroness here in Ottawa!
We’re still leading the charge on WIL:
To date, we’ve created nearly 70,000 WILs across Canada.
We’ve engaged more than 11,000 employers in a WIL experience.
We’ve facilitated over 2,000 collaborations between Canadian businesses and post-secondaries.
And 90% of BHER’s WIL students report feeling optimistic about achieving success in the workforce after participating in a BHER-funded WIL, while 82% of employers say BHER improved their access to qualified students and new grads.
To strengthen the WIL ecosystem, we hosted virtual events about hiring youth in Ontario, greening WIL in Alberta, supporting economic growth in Atlantic Canada, and improving social outcomes for young people in BC (check them out here). We also produced a series of handy resources for decision makers to learn from the variety of successful WIL models that our partners and members have used to address gaps in priority areas like EDI in WIL, green skills, and innovation (find them here).
In October, BHER’s CEO Val Walker and Chief R&D Officer Matt McKean presented to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance about the value of BHER’s federally-funded WIL program and the crucial role BHER, our members, and our delivery partners play in creating opportunities for young people.
And we continue to leverage our experience, expertise, and unique position in the skills and talent ecosystem to take on research projects:
We’re especially proud of the work we did this year with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) on how to make workplaces more accessible for persons with disabilities, and our work in partnership with eCampusOntario about making WIL more accessible.
In the year ahead, we’re excited to take on new projects related to accessibility, social-emotional skills, increasing access to micro-credentials, leveraging AI in WIL, and regional labour market analyses.
Reach out if you have projects in mind or want to be part of what we’re doing!