SCP Preso

2009 : 

2009

Student Connections : 

Student Connections Program Overview Achievements Resources for CDN Partnership Division and ACCC Challenges and Lessons Learned

Student Connections: A program that responded to a changing need : 

Student Connections: A program that responded to a changing need 1996 www.strategis.gc.ca 1999 Y2K Bug Post Y2K Canadian SMEs have not adapted to IT as much as US SMEs (Free Trade Agreement) Brand: E-comm for SMEs

Mandate : 

Mandate To provide practical Internet and E-commerce training to Canadian Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) thereby making them more competitive in today’s global economy. Concept

How was it funded? : 

How was it funded? Youth Employment Strategy $3.5 M Industry Canada $600K Assoc. of Canadian Community Colleges $235K Host college to the students ($13.80/per hour) Revenue from clients

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Sample services for clients

3 main objectives : 

3 main objectives To provide practical Internet and e-commerce training to Canadian SMEs that meet the evolving needs of business, thereby making them more competitive in the knowledge-based economy. (help 12,000 SMEs) To provide practical technology and business experience and skills for Canadian college and university students in IT-related fields through their IT training of Canadian SMEs and seniors. (hire at least 300 students each year) To provide post-secondary students in IT-related fields with assistance in financing their education with income earned during their internship.

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Delivery of SC services Okanagan College University of Alberta University of Regina Red River College La Cité collégiale Humber College Collège Boréal Wilfrid Laurier University HEC Montréal Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe Cégep de Jonquière Satellite sites: Quebec City, Beauce Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, (CCNB) Mount Saint Vincent University 14 centres, w./ 27 service points such as Chambers of Commerce or SBEC

Achievements (over the last 5 years) : 

Achievements (over the last 5 years) SC program Summative Evaluation (Summer 2008) ACCC achieved or surpassed annual targets over the past 5 years Trained over 72,000 clients (mainly SMEs) Hired over 1,500 students ACCC effectively used $14.5 M budget SC trained over 235,000 clients since 1996.

Achievements : 

Achievements 98% of all students agreed they had gained work experience thanks to SC 93% agreed that considering their expectations, SC was a valuable work experience. 93% indicated they had gained new skills that would help them in looking for work in the future. Most clients satisfied with their overall SC experience. Clients said that they would pay an average of $64 per hour if SC training was offered by a private organization.

Benefits to Colleges : 

Benefits to Colleges Provides opportunity for colleges to promote other related learning opportunities and programs to the business community. Increases the college’s brand recognition to the business community. Offers national visibility through involvement with national organizations and associations. Can provide a revenue stream to the college.

Resources of interest to the CDN Partnerships Division & ACCC : 

Resources of interest to the CDN Partnerships Division & ACCC National Initiatives: Cdn Collision Industry Forum: http://www.ccif.net Staples – Linksys – Cisco Microsoft Canada Google Adwords campaign Canadian Chamber of Commerce Igloo http://www.igloo.org/studentconnectionscanada SVI online collaboration (Elluminate) Regional Initiatives Regina Construction Association Ontario Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services CFDCs (Manitoba, Southwest Ontario, Thompson Valley, N.B.) Women in Business (NL, PEI, MB, BC) Tourism Manitoba BDC

Challenges and Lessons Learned : 

Challenges and Lessons Learned Challenges: Doing more with less (ACCC had the same budget with the same program deliverables for past 10 years) Not all SMEs / regions had the same needs. Vive la différence! Not all colleges invest the same in resources (i.e. full-time staff) Relationships: ACCC had no direct access to HRSDC (YES), only to IC Lessons: The program succeeded when colleges ran SC as a business No marketing money? No problem! Innovation and Networking work better. ACCC learned to be flexible and quick to change (i.e. creation and sharing of new content, from audits to rewarding centres that contribute to target achievement) ACCC embraced technology to Walk the Talk (Online meeting tools; Google Adwords; online community, intranet, iCreate web design tools, Skype, and extensive use of freeware) Getting clarification when ending a program ACCC understood the importance of maintaining open communication ties with colleges & partners.

Was SC successful in completing its mission to students? : 

Was SC successful in completing its mission to students? Jeffrey Hong “I'm now working at Pepsi in marketing. I scored in the top 8% for the GMAT. I intend to apply to Harvard, Stanford, and Kellogg for their MBA programs. Student Connections developed my public speaking and presentation skills. I've been complimented many times on how well I speak, particularly in front of large crowds, and I think a large part of that is due to my time and training at SC.” Vic Kulinski “I am now working for TD Canada Trust. Working for Student Connections has helped me professionally. It helped me craft my business persona, as I learned how to interact with the business world.”

Was SC successful in completing its mission to clients? : 

Was SC successful in completing its mission to clients? “One of the trainers answered a technical question which was nice. They actually followed through in answering the questions that I asked and if they didn't know the answer, they could find out for me.” “Student Connections did an analysis for our current Web site and they did an excellent job.” “This service is essential for businesses like ours. We can't think of anything like this offered in the private sector.”

The team that made it happen : 

The team that made it happen It takes dedicated people to achieve great results. Paul, Tim, Nick, Isabelle, Hélène, Lyne, Claire and Tobias

Slide 18: 

Questions? Thank you Merci