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This report provides an account of the first large-scale scoping study of work integrated learning (WIL) in contemporary Australian higher education. The explicit aim of the project was to identify issues and map a broad and growing picture of WIL across Australia and to identify ways of improving the student learning experience in relation to WIL. The project was undertaken in response to high levels of interest in WIL, which is seen by universities both as a valid pedagogy and as a means to respond to demands by employers for work-ready graduates, and demands by students for employable knowledge and skills. Over a period of eight months of rapid data collection, 35 universities and almost 600 participants contributed to the project. Participants consistently reported the positive benefits of WIL and provided evidence of commitment and innovative practice in relation to enhancing student learning experiences. Participants provided evidence of strong partnerships between stakeholders and highlighted the importance of these relationships in facilitating effective learning outcomes for students. They also identified a range of issues and challenges that face the sector in growing WIL opportunities; these issues and challenges will shape the quality of WIL experiences. While the majority of comments focused on issues involved in ensuring quality placements, it was recognised that placements are just one way to ensure the integration of work with learning. Also, the WIL experience is highly contextualised and impacted by the expectations of students, employers, the professions, the university and government policy.

In the third and final phase of a multi-year study of WIL, Work-Integrated Learning in Ontario’s Postsecondary Sector: The Pathways of Recent College and University Graduates followed up with WIL and non-WIL students 18 months after graduation to examine their educational and employment outcomes. The same group of students — from 13 Ontario colleges and universities participating in the previous WIL studies — had also been surveyed at graduation in spring 2012. A total of 3,340 respondents completed the follow-up survey in fall 2013, which explored how WIL graduates differ from non-WIL graduates in further postsecondary education and labour market entry, status, experience and outcomes. Analysis included institution type (college and university), program area, credential and type of WIL activity. Findings While WIL appears to help both college and university students get a better sense of their career goals and pursue relevant employment, not all graduates of all program areas benefited to the same extent from WIL participation, according to the study. Arts and humanities and social sciences university graduates had the lowest levels of WIL participation and even those who participated in WIL experienced fewer labour market benefits. College graduates experienced fewer benefits to WIL participation than university graduates, although the authors note that this could be a reflection of the fact that college education is generally more career-focused and relatively few students graduate without some kind of WIL experience. There were no noteworthy differences in time to employment between college WIL and non-WIL participants. Among university respondents, WIL participants were more likely than non-WIL participants to have had a new job arranged before finishing school, whereas non-WIL participants were more likely to have continued working in a position they held while they were a student. Many WIL graduates contacted previous WIL employers as part of their job search process. For both college and university respondents, employed graduates who participated in WIL were more likely to feel that they were appropriately qualified for their job, that their job was related to their long-term career goals and that their job was related to their studies. The study found that the mean annual income of employed college graduates was $31,402, which did not differ significantly by WIL participation. University graduates who participated in WIL did, however, see an earnings premium. The average annual income of WIL participants was significantly higher than that of non-WIL participants ($45,646 vs. $36,813). This earnings premium held for graduates of business, science and engineering, and health sciences and social services programs but not for social sciences and arts and humanities graduates. The study also found that debt levels did not differ substantially by WIL participation for college or university graduates. The findings are aligned with earlier HEQCO research in the series on WIL. The research found that institutions and employers view work-integrated learning as an important part of the student experience, preparing students to enter the labour market with relevant, transferable and marketable skills. Faculty with WIL experience believe even more of it should be available to students and employers, while nearly half of students with no WIL experience would pursue a WIL option if they could start their postsecondary education over again. The research also found that a key challenge is ensuring that the supply of quality WIL opportunities meets the demand from students, faculty and postsecondary institutions

Canada's average or, in some cases, below-average performance in the OECD's latest survey of adult skills (known as the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)) sparked some observers to call the quality of Canada's education systems into question. The reason: the results appeared to contradict the prevailing notion that our education systems are among the best in the world. Closer analysis of the survey results, however, reveals the unique ways in which Canada's skills profile is shaped not only by the experiences of those born and educated in the country but also by those of its sizable immigrant population. This paper highlights the full extent to which Canada's education and immigration systems interact in developing the country's human capital. It points to the importance of properly targeting interventions to improve skills proficiency, and of post-immigration programs to support the language skills and cultural capital that are also key to successful integration into the labour market

In the aftermath of the economic crisis, few policy issues have attracted as much attention as skills development. Discussion has focused on the types of skills that employees need to ensure they can successfully navigate an ever-more demanding labour market, and those that employers need to have on hand to help them survive in an ever-more competitive marketplace. This has been accompanied by concerns about skills gaps and mismatches - about whether some Canadians are making poor choices when it comes to their education and training, and whether the labour market is beset with a paradoxical combination of over- and under-qualified workers. In this context, attention has continued to focus on the need for better labour market information to guide the decision of employees, employers and policy makers alike. As an advisory panel on the issue argued in 2009, œa good LMI [labour market information] system will help to improve the matching of people and jobs both in times of labour shortages and high unemployment. And a good LMI system is always necessary to make sure that the right policy decisions are made to improve the economy's performance and lower unemployment.1 In particular, those concerned with the need to better align the skills that workers have with the needs of employers have identified two significant shortcomings with respect to labour market information in Canada: an insufficient level of granularity in the data that tell us what is really going on in the labour market, and a lack of evidence about what kinds of skills training programs are actually succeeding in helping employees keep their jobs or transition to new ones

Throughout history, technological change has helped lift people out of squalor and poverty, raised standards of living and improved well-being. Technological change, however, can also be disruptive - rendering specific occupations and skills obsolete, unsettling economic structures and contributing to unemployment and economic uncertainty. Innovation is a driving factor of productivity and economic growth, but increasing productivity means that fewer people are needed to produce the same amount of goods. The increasing pace of technological change has led some to speculate that, in the digital era, technology might destroy old jobs faster than new ones are created. Job losses can occur, however, only if innovation outstrips growth in demand for new products and services. As well, the potential for automation does not necessarily translate into actual automation: the decision to automate depends on factors such as firm size, competitive pressure and the cost of a machine versus the cost of human labour. This Commentary assesses the impact of technological change on Canada's labour market over the past 30 years and highlights its implications for the near future. If the past is any guide, a continuation of gradual changes can be expected in the demand for skills in the labour force. This is a natural market reaction to technological change. There is unlikely to be a drastic shift in employment due to automation in the near future, although some industries and types of occupations will be more disrupted than others. Here, public policy could both encourage automation and prepare the workforce for the transition. Key findings are as follows: It is very unlikely that employment in occupations highly susceptible to automation (35 percent of Canada's employment) will be completely replaced by smart machines over the next few years. Canadian employment is concentrated in industries that have a low risk of automation, with industries where less than a quarter of the jobs are susceptible to automation accounting for 27.5 percent of total employment (4.9 million jobs). Industries where more than three-quarters of the jobs are at high risk of automation account for only 1.7 percent of employment (310,000 jobs). This implies that Canada's diversified economy and labour force are well positioned to adapt to rapid technological change. Occupations high in abstract, complex-decision-making skills with a strong focus on creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal social skills have a relatively low risk of being automated. An increase in demand for these skills is likely over the near and medium term. As the rate of technological progress increases and digitization permeates different occupations and industries, technical job-specific skills might become obsolete relatively quickly. This indicates a need to increase opportunities for continuous education and lifelong learning. Educational institutions such as colleges, technical schools and apprenticeship programs likely will have an expanded role over the lifecycle of employment as people learn to adapt to changing conditions.

Profile 1: Mobilizing knowledge in commercial innovations From the lab bench to commercial innovation, Profile 1 introduces Cynthia Goh, Professor of Chemistry and Medical Science and Associate Director of the Institute for Optical Sciences at the University of Toronto. Learn how Cindy Goh has mobilised academic knowledge and entrepreneurial energy to found ViveTM Nano and Axela Inc., two highgrowth life science firms. Case themes: Strategies to mobilise academic knowledge into technology innovation, including information management, licensing, due diligence, leadership, performance benchmarks, and mentoring.Profile 2: Using the Internet to spur cultural change The Internet is increasingly a source of commercial opportunity. Profile 2 describes the strategies used by Sue Van Der Hout (a social entrepreneur and former Bay Street lawyer), to found an online magazine targeting women (see Girlphyte Inc. at http://www.girlphyte.com/). Learn about the magazine's startup challenges and building business models. Case themes: Building profitable online services firm, including revenue models, types, access to capital, creativity, time to market, milestones, managing investor expectations, and reciprocity. Profile 3: Customer-focused leadership In 1993, former rocket scientist Dale Gantous joined the executive team of The InGenius Group of Companies. The company comprises InGenius People, a firm that provides IT professional services and InGenius Software, a firm that builds communications software for Voice over IP phone system customers. In Profile 3, learn how Dale Gantous is building a global, high performance, advanced technology firm. Case themes: Strategies to build highperformance advanced technology firms, including reputation, customer management, organizational culture, investing in R & D, and role modeling.Profile 4: Embracing government procurement opportunities Aboriginal business owner Angela O'Leary is the President of Nisha Technologies. With a focus on IT professional services and products, she has built her firm by targeting the Canadian federal government. In Profile 4, Angela O'Leary shares her experiences and gives advice about doing business with the federal government. Case themes: Strategies to sell to government clients, including monitoring contract opportunities, client stimulated growth, managing expectations, delegating, confidence, and finding qualified employees. Profile 5: Building collaborative capability in the information economy Serial entrepreneur, Cindy Gordon is the founding President of Helix Commerce International Inc., a firm that specialises in collaboration commerce (ccommerce). Helix Commerce International Inc. operates three whollyowned subsidiary operations: Helix Innovation Hive, Helix Talent, and Helix Virtual Worlds. In Profile 5, Cindy Gordon shares insights about her strategies to build a professional service enterprise. Case themes: Strategies to build professional service enterprise, including service models grounded in theory, auxiliary profit centres, annuity revenue models, certification, and targeting Fortune 500 businesses. Profile 6: Revolutionizing shopping through mass customization Unique Solutions Design founding President Tanya Shaw Weeks is creating threedimensional technologies that measure and monitor consumers' body mass, information used to order customermade apparel and monitor health. Profile 6 provides an overview of Tanya Shaw Week's exportoriented, technologybased operation and highlights the challenges of thinking globally. Case themes: Strategies to build global enterprises, including thinking global, multiple productuse technology platforms, acquisition, brand alliances, equity capital, due diligence, mentors, and equity capital. Profile 7: Using social capital to build partnerships Global entrepreneur and deal maker Joanne BallGautschi is the President of Partner International Inc., a firm that develops business relationships in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, aerospace and defence sectors. Profile 7 describes how one women business owner has built a global operation and network of over 80 Associates through social capital and proprietary market intelligence. Case themes: Strategies that build born global services firms, including social capital, performancebased compensation, cash flow, intellectual property and startup costs.Profile 8: Creating solutions through technology Founding owner of TBase Communication Inc., Sharlyn Ayotte is building accessible information technologies for the blind, and the visually and hearingimpaired. Profile 8 outlines Sharyn Ayotte's journey from blind entrepreneur to a world leader in client solutions to transcribe printed information into braille, large print, audio and secure online formats. Case themes: Strategies to create solutions through technological: business models, product/market development, learning from lead customers, tax incentives, legislation, and certification. Profile 9: Technology that enables rapid growth Profile 9 presents biotechnologist Joyce Groote, owner of HoleysTM. Holeys is a world leader in the use of injection foam moulding technology. Learn how Joyce Groote has managed exponential global expansion and the strategies she is now pursing to sustain growth. Case themes: Strategies to sustain growth, including innovation, brand recognition, establishing performance standards, strategic flexibility, corporate values, networking, love money, and hiring. Profile 10: Building sustainable green technologies Profile 10 focuses on strategies to grow green technologies. 8D Technologies is a world leader in advanced and intelligent multifunction point of sale solutions. Cofounder, President and CEO Isabelle Bettez is creating innovative products and services such as 100% solarpowered municipal bike rentals and userfriendly parking pay stations. Case themes: Strategies to grow green technology, including technology platforms, government as client and partner, export, intellectual property, local partners, expansion, and time management.

This year's Annual Report contains 14 value-formoney (VFM) audit reports. Five of these reports address health care, a sector that accounts for more than 40% of all provincial spending and affects every single Ontarian. The remaining nine VFM reports examine aspects of key provincial sectors and programs, including education, social services, farm-support programs, infrastructure, energy, settlement and integration of immigrants, emergency management, and tribunals (specifically, the Assessment Review Board and the Ontario Municipal Board). This year's VFM audits highlight a variety of areas in need of improvement. Apart from specific findings, we noted several themes common to many of this year; VFM audits that offer a look at areas where the Province can do better. These include: - Ministries do not always have all of the information needed to make the most appropriate decisions. - Some government services could be delivered in a timelier way. - Performance benchmarks are not always met (or sometimes are not set). - Spending controls and operational oversight need to be improved. - The level of services the public receives may vary depending upon where you live in Ontario. - Opportunities exist to eliminate duplicate services.

Anticipating and preparing for the impact of digital on the workforce is urgent, and just as critical to Accenture's business as it is to our corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed. When we launched Skills to Succeed in 2010, the global economy was emerging from a recession characterized by high unemployment rates in many countries, particularly among youth. Since launching Skills to Succeed, Accenture has built relationships with an international network of more than 500 nonprofit organizations and other ecosystem partners who are closing skills and employment gaps for vulnerable and marginalized people around the world. Together we have equipped over 1.7 million people with the skills to get a job or build a business. We have also conducted and disseminated research that translates practitioner know-how into evidence-based insights about what works to improve the collective performance of the Skills to Succeed network. When we look at the world today and five to 10 years into the future, we see a different picture from the backdrop against which Skills to Succeed was created. The rapid pace and scale of technological change and global flows of information, among other forces, are disrupting labor markets and fundamentally altering the future of work. While these shifts may create economic growth, new jobs and flexible work, they may also lead to the automation of routine, manual roles. The ability to seize these opportunities and manage potential obstacles, however, is not evenly distributed.1 Vulnerable and marginalized populations could face a 'double disadvantage' in the future, due to a lack of awareness of or means to adapt to these changes.