Simon Fraser University is developing the employability skills of adults who have completed half of a four-year degree by exposing them to the great books tradition in a program that allows them to work, on a part-time basis, toward a Bachelor of General Studies degree in the liberal arts.
Document Highlights
This novel program demonstrates how employability skills can be developed through a combination of humanities and business courses. The program aims to broaden students’ perspectives by helping them to learn to think more critically, communicate more clearly and persuasively, understand the context of Canadian business, and develop team-building and other managerial skills.
The pilot program is a co-operative venture between Simon Fraser University and two major employers in the Vancouver area—BC Hydro and Canadian Pacific Railway—and involves 34 employees as students. The pilot has been so successful that the Integrated Studies Program has been made into a permanent program of the university.
This case study looks at the:
- objectives of the program;
- activities;
- resources required;
- benefits for employers, employees and university;
- innovative approaches;
- keys to success; and
- greatest challenges.
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