Embracing innovation and experimenting with leading-edge strategies to prepare students for the future of work are at the core of Brock’s Gerald B. Mitchell Centre of Excellence in Career and Experiential Education.

Recently established to honour the wishes of the legacy gift from Stephanie Mitchell, the centre strives to create quality experiences for students, applying research and evidence to inform practice within Co-op, Career and Experiential Education (CCEE).

Fuelled by the desire to increase student engagement in career planning and to help students tap into the benefits of career discovery, the team in the Gerald B. Mitchell Centre of Excellence look to provide alternative methods to traditional formal approaches by adding in elements of fun and interactivity to the process.

A global pandemic, economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and an increasing emphasis on equity and diversity in the workplace are some of the factors that have transformed the future of work from one based primarily on formal qualification to one valuing adaptability, self and relationship management, non-linear career pathways and transferable skill development, says Cara Krezek, Brock’s CCEE Director.

Given this shift, collaboration and integrated reflective practice are key skills for students to acquire during their educational journey, she says.

An example of such an approach is LEGO Serious Play, a tool that has been implemented to engage students in self-reflection on work experiences, internships, practicums, and other experiential learning opportunities as well as in their career preparation.

The kinesthetic learning technique applies hands-on activities where students engage in deep learning and reflection with complex ideas. Students across all disciplines have benefitted from this technique in career preparation activities to hone their interview skills, job search strategies and skills articulation.

Other innovative strategies include applying mind-mapping, interactive self-assessment tools, artificial intelligence programming, networking simulations and gamification exercises to foster abstract and creative thinking to ever-evolving circumstances in career development.

“The value of these innovative approaches are the new insights students gain about their strengths, skills and knowledge while having fun, building confidence, and identifying potential gaps or areas for future growth,” says Christine Eaton, the centre’s Career Development Consultant.

Through Mitchell family’s gift, the Gerald B. Mitchell Centre of Excellence can advance the use of technology and other innovative techniques to further enhance career programming in both curricular and co-curricular work-integrated learning offerings. It has also enabled the development of in-house research to study the efficacy of intentional career interventions in co-curricular programming, competency-based reflection and the CCEE career development model.

“As more support for this innovative approach to the future of work emerges, our programming can evolve to provide greater support and preparation for our students,” says Marisa Brown (MEd ’15), the centre’s Associate Director. “We are eager to design and implement opportunities to create new and impactful learning experiences.”

The establishment of the Gerald B. Mitchell Centre of Excellence supports all five priorities of Brock’s academic plan and means more opportunity for the University community to engage in the understanding of the future of work and to collaborate on preparing students for success beyond their academic journey.

This is seen across campus with the integration of reflective practice in co-curricular programs and the implementation of experiential learning in all Brock departments. The legacy of Gerald B. Mitchell and the wishes of his late wife Stephanie to honour his passions by translating skills to employment, live on in all Brock students involved in meaningful co-curricular and curricular experiences being offered.

The Gerald B. Mitchell Centre of Excellence in Career and Experiential Education is meeting the intention to ensure Brock University, and in turn its students, staff, faculty and community partners, benefit from leading-edge research practices, programs and strategies related to career and experiential education.

Those interested in learning more about Brock’s innovative approach to the future of work through the Gerald B. Mitchell Centre of Excellence in Career and Experiential Education can visit the centre’s website or contact Brown at mbrown6@brocku.ca