CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS REPORT 2017
55 BUSINESS REPRESNTATIVES 30 CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES 400+ YOUTH LEADERS MAY 4, 2017
F O E L TAB
CONTENTS
WHAT IS AIESEC? 1 CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS SERIES
2
CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS BREAKFAST
3
CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS SUMMIT
4
CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM
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Y2B PANELISTS + SPEAKERS 6 KEY LEARNINGS FROM PANELISTS 7 2017 Y2B PARTNERS 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9
S I T A H W
? C E S
E I A
Present in 126 countries and territories with over 80,000 members - AIESEC is the world’s’ largest student-run organization. Focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development, AIESEC offers young people the opportunity to be global citizens, change the world and garner the experience and skills that matter today. Students involved in AIESEC have gained skills and competencies through challenging leadership experiences, international internships, and interaction with an extensive global network.
DEVELOPING CANADIAN LEADERS SINCE 1958 AIESEC in Canada has over 60 years of experience in developing high-potential youth into globally-minded responsible leaders through partnerships with business, government, and institutions of higher education. While Canadian students abroad grow through their international experiences, local members drive operations and develop cross-cultural sensitivity, and a variety of transferrable skills that they can bring to their future workplaces.
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CANADA
YOUTH BUSINESS
TO
SERIES
BRINGING BUSINESS & YOUTH TOGETHER The Canada Youth to Business Series brings businesses, organizations, and government and students together to engage in a unique dialogue on relevant topics to both Canadian businesses and student communities. At the end of the day AIESEC in Canada brings together key stakeholders within the Canadian community and bridge the gap between youth and business, driving Canada forward by exploring different perspectives, sharing ideas, and building a better future together.
TAKING ACTION: INNOVATION LEADING TO GROWTH The Youth to Business Series wanted to tackle the issue of Canada moving away from being part of the top innovative countries in the world. As emerging markets such as South Korea, Japan and Sweden steadily progress, “What actions do key stakeholders of Canada need to take to be the leading innovators in the global market?� The solution is for Canada to become the Innovation Nation globally, but how do we do that? We need to do it by working together. Throughout the Youth to Business Series, discussions were held surrounding innovative initiatives between key stakeholders such as businesses, organizations, and communities, that will allow Canada to continue to compete and increase in global competitiveness.
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CANADA
YOUTH
TO
S S E N I S U B MIT BREAKFAST + SUM
CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS BREAKFAST
VANCOUVER, BC JUNE 2016
On June 23rd at the Youth to Business Breakfast, 30 youth and businesses representatives connected to identify the innovative actions needed to increase growth and our global competitiveness as a nation. Our conversations propelled to discussing innovative ideas in driving the Sustainable Development Goals launched by the United Nations. Below are key learnings from the round-table discussions at the Breakfast:
How can Canada contribute in creating a sustainable world?
The top sustainable development goal that Canada can contribute to create a sustainable world is Quality Education. Education is key in able to raise awareness and develop skills to implement and take action within society. Currently, Canadian youth and professionals do not believe quality of education is being provided in High School and Post-secondary education. The education curricula is behind based on the changing skills and knowledge needed to succeed and grow the economy. In contrast, compared to other countries around the world, Canada has a wide range of knowledge and resources for education and Canada needs to share and provide other countries with the same knowledge by teaching abroad.
What innovative actions are Canadian businesses taking to be leaders in the global market? 1
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Government support in encouraging business to drive innovation The Government of Canada has been providing grants to youth as well as to business who are pursuing opportunities to grow innovation and sustainability within Canada. Hiring foreign talent Many innovative companies such as start-ups are more willing to hire foreign talent to grow their workforce. Global competencies and skills are presented as a competitive advantage compared to Canadian youth who have not worked abroad. Reshaping organizational culture and structure based on the new workforce As Millennials are entering the workforce, there are needs of having a more flexible and interactive workspace. Also, youth are more drawn to a company that aligns with their personal values. Therefore, more companies are seeing change in results and success based on the culture provided to its employees and the values presented in daily activities.
CANADA YOUTH TO BUSINESS SUMMIT
TORONTO, ON DECEMBER 2016
The Youth to Business Summit, held in December 2016, had conversations about skills transference and the importance of storytelling in translating young people’s experiences through volunteerism and education to their careers.
Through conversations with some of AIESEC Alumni, we identified a barrier to entry into their workplace was the lack ability to translate their experiences through volunteerism (i.e. AIESEC) and academia. We addressed this through the theme of our Youth to Business Summit by actively engaging students who were finishing their leadership roles in AIESEC and looking to start their careers. We ran several sessions from “What are your options?” to “This means that” where members were able to qualify and quantify their experiences.
MAY 04, 2017 VANCOUVER, BC
On May 4th, 2017, AIESEC in Canada had over 200 student leaders from 30 universities across the country to collaborate with Canada’s top executives to address the question, “What actions do key stakeholders of Canada need to take to be the leading innovators in the global market?” We hosted two keynotes, two panels, five exhibit booths, 11 workshops and 30 roundtables. Our delegates were able to learn from a diverse representation of industry while expressing their opinions on global issues and problems occurring in Canada.
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PANELISTS +
SPEAKERS
YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM KEYNOTES
OPENING KEYNOTE
LUNCH KEYNOTE
Clark Goodman
Sarah Keyes, CPA, CA
Director, International Experience Canada - Dept. of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Principal, Research, Guidance and Support - Chartered Professional Accountants
YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM INTERNATIONAL PANELISTS
Clark Goodman
Director, International Experience Canada - Dept. of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Erin Williams
Andrew Paul
Project Manager Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
Vice President of Commercial DHL Canada
Joaquim Sanvictores President AIESEC in Canada
YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM INNOVATION PANELISTS
John Jacobson
Deputy Minister Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services
Paulina Cameron
Director for BC and Yukon Futurpreneur
Brad Lowe
VP National Accelerator Operations Wavefront
Shivani Zala
Local VP of Marketing and Outgoing Global Volunteer AIESEC in Ottawa
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KEY LEARNINGS FROM
THE PANELISTS
YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM INTERNATIONAL PANEL
The panelists discussed the current state of business development and trade in the global economy as well as the importance of Canada’s business sphere to continuously push for relevance in the fast-paced international ecosystem. Some panelists have found success by looking towards partnerships in developing economies that are on the rise. YOUTH TO BUSINESS FORUM INNOVATION PANEL
The panelists discussed their personal experiences with innovation, and the statement that the panelists unanimously agreed upon was that innovation starts with asking lots of questions to uncover the root problem. Without creating a solution that addresses a problem, innovation becomes less relevant. Everyone has the ability to innovate, and like any skill, needs to be honed over time. Innovation relates more to knowing how to think and how to learn. As Canadians, we have demonstrated that we are actually good at innovation, but we need to do it more to remain competitive.
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2017 PARTNERS FORUM TITLE PARTNER
THEME PARTNERS
PANELIST PARTNERS
WORKSHOP PARTNERS
EXHIBIT PARTNER
CONNECTING PARTNER
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & CONTACT INFORMATION
The Canada Youth to Business Series 2017 was organized by: Sheila Yue National Vice-President, Business Development E-mail: sheilay@aiesec.ca AIESEC in Canada 2016-17
To get involved with the Canada Youth to Business Series, please contact: Katie Lovejoy National Vice-President, Business Development E-mail: katiel@aiesec.ca AIESEC in Canada 2017-18
The AIESEC Youth to Business Report was designed by Mark Ponce. 9