Title: Recruiting and Retaining Queen's Graduates A joint research project of the Monieson Centre (School of Business), KEDCO and Student Affairs
1Recruiting and Retaining Queen's GraduatesA
joint research project of the Monieson Centre
(School of Business), KEDCO and Student Affairs
Dr. Yolande Chan (Monieson Centre), Jennifer
Massey (Student Affairs), John Paul Shearer
(KEDCO) and Paul Smith (Career Svcs.)
2- Presentation Overview
- Where the study emerged from
- Introduction to the Creative Class
- Methodology
- Results I - Kingstons jobs market
- Results II - Town-Gown
- Impact of the data I - Career Services
- Impact of the data II - KEDCO
- Impact of the data III Student Affairs
- Questions 10 minutes
3Top Findings The Students Profile (Overall
Queen's University except business students)
- Year of Study Breakdown
- 3rd Year (31)
- 4th Year (26)
- 2nd Year (21)
- 1st Year (16)
- 5th Year (4)
- Other (2)
- Age
- Average age 21,4 years
- Born in Canada
- 44 are born in Canada and have parents born in
Canada - 31 are born in Canada but not their parents
- Co-op
- 9 have only participated in a co-op
- Internship
- 9 have only participated in an internship
- Most Popular Canadian Cities
- Toronto (44)
- I dont want to work in Canada (15)
- Kingston (9)
- Other (7)
- Ottawa-Gatineau (7)
- Vancouver (6)
- Victoria (3)
- Calgary (2)
- Degree Type
- Bachelors (except Business) (76)
- Masters (non-MBA) (15)
- Bachelors - Business (i.e. BComm, BBA, HBA, etc.)
(5) - Diploma (1)
- PhD (1)
- Field of Study
- Liberal Arts/Fine Arts/Education/Social Sciences
(34) - Engineering (29)
- Natural Sciences (17)
- Health/Medicine (12)
- Law (4)
From Learning to Work 2008 Survey conducted by
Decode, Brainstorm and Universum
4Queens University Report From Learning to Work
2008 Survey conducted by Decode, Brainstorm and
Universum
- Most Popular
- Canadian Cities
- Toronto (44)
- I dont want to work in Canada (15)
- Kingston (9)
- Other (7)
- Ottawa-Gatineau (7)
- Vancouver (6)
- Victoria (3)
- Calgary (2)
5Introduction to the creative class
- People in science and engineering, architecture
and design, education, arts, music and
entertainment, whose economic function is to
create new ideas, new technology and/or new
creative content - Florida (2002) The Rise of the Creative Class, p.8
6The backdrop of the new economy
- This creative class has emerged in response to
fundamental changes in the economy - Some refer to it as the new economy others to
the creative economy - Essentially, we have an economy that is now more
than ever fuelled by human creativity
7The role of the elite or talent worker in the
new economy
- Talent (other terms used knowledge-worker, human
capital, the creative class, the elite
worker) is a key factor of production in the new
economy - This worker generates the ideas, creativity and
imagination for knowledge-intensive production - This worker is also highly mobile
8Talent-elite and urban politics
- Regions must promote quality of life and
amenity characteristics that appeal to talented
and creative workers - It is not about cheap labour and low taxes, but a
key to a regions prosperity is shaped more by
attracting talent
9Methodology
- Focus Groups 3rd, 4th year graduate students
- Student Survey 50 questions, generated
following analysis of focus groups - Alumni Survey A subset of student questions
administered to Alumi
10Survey
- What are alumni and students attitudes towards
Kingston? - What are alumni and students intentions
regarding looking for employment in Kingston? - What matters to alumni and students in making
their job/location decisions?
11Participation
- More than 3,000 alumni
- Approximately 900 students.
- Approximately 6 of students identified
themselves as coming from the Kingston area - consistent with the overall enrolment figure.
12Key Research Results
13Retention Employment Opportunities
14How Do Alumni and Students View Employment
Prospects in Kingston?
15Student Comments
- Post-Graduation Employment
- My program has a matching system for placement
post-graduation. I am considering Kingston. - Not much employment for my discipline in
Kingston. - Not too many chemical engineering jobs in
Kingston. - There were no openings that match my background.
Again, Kingston has too few hi-tech companies. - I do not want to live in Kingston on
graduation. I would rather live in Ottawa,
Toronto or Montreal because of the better
relationship with the city, more options for
growth and promotion, and friends in those
cities. - Four years of my time in Kingston is enough
experience for me. I want to go to bigger cities
and meet others with different background and
experience. But I'll come back to visit.
16Interest in Employment
- Students Alumni
- Health
- Research
- Education/Social Science/Government
- Natural/Applied Sciences
- Arts/Culture/Sports/Recreation
- Business/Finance
17Interest in Employment
18Student Post-Graduation Employment Plans
19Factors in Choosing Post-Graduation Employment
5 - Very Important
1 - Not at All Important
20Do Students Feel Part of the Kingston Community?
- YES
- Although most of my days are spent on campus and
at class, which is not being part of the larger
community, I am often walking and shopping
downtown, go out for dinners, and generally out
and around in the community. I think everyone at
Queen's contributes to the Kingston community in
some form. - NO
- I'm viewed as an intruder and I feel like one.
I consider myself to be more a member of the city
community from which I'm from and to which I
return at holidays. - The municipality doesn't care about us.
21Student Comments
- Attitudes Towards Kingston
- If Kingston is interested in retaining Queen's
grads to work in the community, maybe they should
pay attention to us when we are students. The
quality of services provided in the student
'ghetto' are far less than the quality of
services provided elsewhere in the Kingston
community (e.g., garbage collection, snow
removal). - Snow removal is slow. Prospects for employment
seem to be mostly at the post-secondary
institutions. Not many visible sustainability
efforts. - I grew up in Kingston and never had any problems
with Queen's students. We got along quite well as
they were my student teachers, tutors,
baby-sitters, and were involved in helping
throughout the community. I do not believe that
has changed, but I know the attitude towards
Queen's students from the Kingston community has
definitely changed. I get labelled as a rich
snob or a partyer by the Kingston community
and I am sick of it.
22Effect of Employment Opportunities on
Student-Community Integration
23Key Conclusions
- To retain Queens students and alumni, it is
important to increase the availability of
employment in - Social Science, Education, Government Service
Religion - Natural Applied Sciences
- Business Finance
- Art, Culture, Recreation Sport
- Health
- Research
- It is also important to improve the perception of
these jobs availability
24Attraction Retention StrategyCity Implications
- Focus on developing employment prospects
- Strengthen employment base
- Implement policies that generate new economic
opportunities in Social Science, Education
Natural Applied Sciences Business Finance
Art, Culture, Recreation Sport Health and
Research - Foster student-community integration
- Continue to improve Town-Gown relations at both
Council and administrative levels - Avoid hypercritical responses to student issues
as they alienate a valuable economic resource - Improve city services in student residential
areas - View students as marketers of Kingston
- A positive experience will make them ambassadors
for the city
25Attraction Retention StrategyEmployer
University Implications
- Continue development of academy-industry
partnerships - Expand student-employer matching programs
- Develop more summer and post-grad internships
- Raise awareness of local businesses through
recruitment - Reputation, reputation, reputation
- Develop employment opportunities with room for
advancement - Utilize on-campus recruitment opportunities
- Think locally to compete globally
- Utilize Queens research and consulting resources
26Career ServicesCommunity Partnerships
- Services Programs for Employers Information
Session - KEDCO (December 08)
- Careers in Kingston Day
- KEDCO - Kingston Economic Development
Corporation (January 29, 1030-230 in Career
Services) - Employer Symposium
- 1000 Islands Workforce Development Board
(March 09)
27Creative Economy Plan
28(No Transcript)
29Breaking down barriers and building bridges
30Preparing students
- Raise Awareness
- Central portal for finding knowledge economy
jobs - Managing expectations
- Those boots were made for walking
31Developing Employers
- Seek square pegs for round holes
- Envision develop the growth strategy
- As an employer, what is your value proposition?
- Get on campus! Do you want to be the leader or
the follower? - Does base salary mean everything?
32Working with Queens
- Develop a diverse range of internships and
Graduate programs with major employers - Engage employers in the direction of internship
and graduate program development
33KEDCO
- A change in focus
- Working together for the advancement of the City
- Queens a natural asset
34Breaking down perception
35- The only source of knowledge is experience
36- Strategies
- Promote what already exists in the knowledge
economy - Focus business attraction around the knowledge
economy - Enhanced recruitment tool for students and major
employers - Labour issues a key strategic thrust
- Improved connections between students/ Queens
and major employers - Raise awareness of the lifestyle Kingston has to
offer cost of living comparison - Market to Alumni who may want to return to
Kingston
37(No Transcript)
38- Student Affairs
- Career Development,
- Town-Gown,
- Community Engagement
- build more touch points between students and
Kingston community members
39Questions?
40Recruiting and Retaining Queen's GraduatesA
joint research project of the Monieson Centre
(School of Business), KEDCO and Student Affairs
Dr. Yolande Chan (Monieson Centre), Jennifer
Massey (Student Affairs), John Paul Shearer
(KEDCO) and Paul Smith (Career Svcs.)