[markbarbera]

Further to your original question, here is an article that ran as part of the 'Hamilton Next' series in The Spec:

Hamilton Next


December 05, 2007
The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 5, 2007)

What should Hamilton aspire to? How does it get there? We asked leaders of the city's many communities and sectors for their perspectives. Richard Allen, executive director of Industry-Education Council of Hamilton, gives his perspective

Q. What kind of city should Hamilton aspire to be? What should we look like in 10 years?

A. Hamilton has positioned itself to be a leading centre for educational opportunity, research and discovery. This is the aspiration of Hamilton Education City, a collaborative initiative that is currently showcasing the essential role our local education sector plays in building prosperity and enriching quality of life.

As an education city, the Hamilton of tomorrow will have a distinct look and feel based on developments occurring today. We will see more physical infrastructure that announces our city's commitment to education, including new multipurpose schools, research laboratories in the West Hamilton Innovation District and corporate training facilities situated in new business parks along our transportation corridors.

We will also see less tangible yet equally important signs of a city that has chosen to capitalize on its education advantage -- a growing youth population that elects to live, learn and work in our community; the re-emergence of liberal arts education and a vibrant bohemian culture that returns life to our urban core; a list of grassroots revitalization projects spearheaded by the education sector in partnership with local businesses; and increased participation in lifelong learning by older Hamiltonians who understand the myriad benefits of continuing education.

Q. How do we rebuild Hamilton's economic and social vitality?

A. People living their dreams build prosperity. More than ever, young people require skills, knowledge and attitudes to thrive in a world economy that rewards creativity, collaboration and continuous learning.

Stable long-term employment, low-skill/ high-pay industrial jobs and other characteristics of Hamilton's past economy have all but disappeared.

Now, as a community, we need to build on existing education and career management programs that enable students to explore and experience the new world of work that has arisen in response to Hamilton's emerging knowledge- and service-based economy.

Hamilton's 21st-century economy -- which most observers predict will be built upon advanced manufacturing, health sciences, biotechnology research and discovery, and transportation -- will be reliant on a new generation of highly educated people who know how to add value to the workplace and the local community.

Hamilton has the people pipelines in place to direct a flow of competent and motivated young people toward the types of work that will define Hamilton Next.

These networks, coupled with local firms that care about the growth and well-being of their employees, are essential parts of the soft infrastructure that progressive cities need in order to retain young people in a world that's increasingly competing for scarce talent.

Q. What specific efforts or initiatives will it take to get us there?

A. There are many initiatives already happening across our local education sector that are moving Hamilton toward a better future. Here are some additional efforts that many agree will accelerate progress:

* Job Creation: Hamilton's focus on job creation represents a solid step forward. Our local education sector must continue as a key player on a number of fronts, including helping to attract new businesses to Hamilton, re-skilling and up-skilling the employees of existing businesses, engaging more employers in experiential learning programs and apprenticeship training, and incubating new high-tech startups -- tomorrow's job providers.

* Hamilton Learning Index: Many cities are adopting frameworks to measure the impact of a local education sector on community prosperity. Indicators range from readiness to learn in the early years, to retention of postsecondary graduates, to the intensity of partnership activity among education and business. The Canadian Council on Learning is doing good work in this area and could provide Hamilton with helpful advice.

* Student Engagement: We all need to find ways to engage students. For example, successful employers work closely with local schools, colleges and universities to access the skills and knowledge of students -- a practical solution to forming early relationships with prospective employees. Organizations that don't nurture these relationships will be at a significant disadvantage as the battle for talent heats up.

Q. Are there any risks in taking these steps, things we should avoid?

A. Hamilton is at a turning point. The risks associated with not continuing our collective aspiration to be an "education city" are profound and will have a negative impact on all Hamiltonians.

These risks include an ongoing competency drain as highly educated young people continue to leave our community, stalled efforts to recast our city's reputation in the image of the creative economy, lost opportunities to attract and retain knowledge-dependent businesses and an overall sense of striking out on a limited-time offer to become the sweet spot of Canada's Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The vision of Hamilton Education City includes an obligation to help ensure success for all.

This can only be accomplished through educating and retaining a highly competent workforce needed to fuel a strong local economy which in turn will support quality social programs.

Hamilton Education City is a collaborative initiative co-led by the IEC and the City of Hamilton in partnership with Hamilton's education sector and with the support of the Hamilton Future Fund. Visit www.iechamilton.ca to discover more.