The Next Step in the Future Skills Conversation
D2L hosted a Skills Connection Summit on September 26 in Toronto, Ontario. The summit focused on the next step to the skills conversation. What are people doing now to tackle the challenges presented to us about the future of skills, what are practical approaches that people have been leveraging and find successful? The Skills Connection Summit gathered industry experts to answer these questions, share their challenges, insights, and practical lessons as it pertains to future skills.
Skills Summit Recordings

Jeremy Auger, Chief Strategy Officer, D2L

Kevin Surace, Futurist and Disruptive Innovation, CEO/CTO, Appvance

James Goldsmith, Learning Architect/Business Advisor, Accenture Chris Cramer, Manager LMS, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada Joshua Westfall, Senior Manager, Policy & Programs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Center for Education and Workforce Moderator: Ken Roden, Senior Director Product Marketing, D2L

Prieeyya Kaur Kesh, CEO and Founder, Our Wave Hub Andrew Wadsworth, VP Global, RED Academy Kristine Dawson, Career Services and Work-Integrated Learning President, CEWIL Dr. Neil Fassina, President, Athabasca University Moderator: Jeff Salin, Learning Solutions Consultant

Sunil Johal, Fellow, Public Policy Forum Pedro Barata, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre Rachel Wernick, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, ESDC Moderator: Jeremy Auger, CSO, D2L
Agenda
*Subject to change
Jeremy Auger, D2L CSO and member of Federal Future Skills Council of Canada
Kevin Surace, Futurist and Disruptive Innovation, CEO/CTO, Appvance
Listen to a panel of industry representatives that will share stories as they pertain to employees’ skills, organizational outcomes, and how to leverage technology to solve unique challenges with practical solutions.
- Carolyn Watters, Chief Digital Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada
- Rob Belliveau, Training Officer, Halifax Regional Municipality – Fire and Emergency
- Lekan Olawoye, CEO & Founder, TALENT X
- Mary Butler, President and CEO, New Brunswick Community College
- Moderator: Erin Mills, VP Demand Gen, D2L
The growing skills gap and changing nature of work have created an environment of rapid innovation. In-demand skills are evolving faster than traditional methods of training can adapt. In this panel we will discuss different approaches to addressing the skills gap through Work Integrated and Micro-Experiential Learning. Participants will offer strategies and best practices that education institutions and employers are applying to equip employees and students with the skills to be successful.
- Prieeyya Kaur Kesh, CEO and Founder, Our Wave Hub
- Andrew Wadsworth, VP Global, RED Academy
- Kristine Dawson, Career Services and Work-Integrated Learning President, CEWIL
- Dr. Neil Fassina, President, Athabasca University
- Moderator: Jeff Salin, Learning Solutions Consultant
As cloud technologies continue to help organizations transform their businesses at a rapid pace, employees with the necessary cloud skills are in high demand. AWS Academy enables diverse education institutions to deliver curriculum and hands on learning experiences to prepare students for employment in cloud roles.
- Fahd Gulzar, Senior Consultant, AWS
Public and private institutions are increasingly being pressured to respond to the technological disruption that is changing the we live, learn, and work. How should policies adapt or respond when jobs in nearly every pillar of our economy are being redesigned or eliminated, or when we see shortages in the highly-skilled workforce that industry will need in order to compete?
The panel will explore policy responses aimed at supporting the future of work and learning. There is reason to be optimistic as government and broader public sector leaders are responding with new approaches to education and training designed to make the workforce more adaptive in the context of rapid technological change.
- Sunil Johal, Fellow, Public Policy Forum
- Pedro Barata, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre
- Rachel Wernick, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, ESDC
- Moderator: Jeremy Auger, CSO, D2L
D2L’s Learning Strategy Team opens up about best practices, including how to plan, blueprint, and execute a Learning and Development strategy for your entire organization.
- Kiara Graham, Learning Strategy Consultant, D2L
Jeremy Auger, D2L CSO and member of Federal Future Skills Council of Canada
During the Toronto Skills Summit, attendees and presenters will discuss the current state of skills, the growing gap, and what actions are needed for the future of work to be successful. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to collaborate and discuss, share, and negotiate what their top priorities are, what barriers they are facing, and what resources they can leverage to overcome them in a fun, interactive, game-storming format.
Participants will be asked three key questions pertaining to skills mapping and the future of work:
- Where is your organization trying to go?
- What is helping your organization get there today?
- What are the challenges facing your organization?
From there, each participant will share, and the discussion and debate will begin.
After the workshop is finished, each participant will be given a collection of tips, tricks, and goals that were collaboratively generated during the discussion. This will be sent after the event.
Lead facilitator: Steve Rogalsky, Senior Manager – Product Management, D2L
Speakers

Jeremy Auger
D2L CSO and member of Federal Future Skills Council of Canada

Kevin Surace
Futurist and Disruptive Innovation, CEO/CTO, Appvance

Rob Belliveau
Training Officer, Halifax Regional Municipality – Fire and Emergency

Lekan Olawoye
CEO & Founder, TALENT X

Mary Butler
President and CEO, New Brunswick Community College

Kiara Graham
Learning Strategy Consultant, D2L

Jeff Salin
Learning Solutions Consultant, D2L

Kristine Dawson
Career Services and Work-Integrated Learning President, CEWIL

Andrew Wadsworth
VP Global, RED Academy

Erin Mills
VP Demand Gen, D2L

Fahd Gulzar
Senior Consultant, AWS

Prieeyya Kaur Kesh
CEO and Founder, Our Wave Hub

Steve Rogalsky
Senior Manager – Product Management, D2L

Dr. Neil Fassina
President, Athabasca University

Sunil Johal
Fellow, Public Policy Forum

Pedro Barata
Executive Director, Future Skills Centre

Rachel Wernick
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, ESDC