Media releases

  • Want a job? Bring people skills and problem solving to the interview table

    MEDIA RELEASE: 28 February 2017 – R00046

    Recent graduates looking for work take note: if you relate well to people and take initiative to solve problems, you’ve got the edge over other applicants.

    And, according to new research from Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory (NCO), if you can show the interviewer how you’ve used these skills effectively in the past, it’s likely you’ll get the job,

    Relationship-building, problem-solving and other ‘soft skills’ — along with attributes such as adaptability, enthusiasm and a desire to learn — are critical factors when potential employers assess recent graduates, says the NCO’s brief, “Is there a skills gap? Understanding what Niagara employers are looking for in recent graduates.”

    The NCO and Brock Researcher Kate Cassidy, the brief’s author, released the findings Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the University. Panelists included Mario De Divitiis, CEO of Niagara Workforce Planning Board, Rachel Crane, Chair of NEXTNiagara and Jeremy Bout, Executive Producer of Edge Factor. Mishka Balsom, CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and Regional Chair Alan Caslin also addressed the crowd.

    “Candidates tend to focus on the technical or hard skills required for a role and brush over the soft skills listed in the job ad,” said Cassidy, director of Community Learning and Youth University at Brock. “Educational qualifications and experience are still important, but having these alone won’t be enough to stand out and succeed.”

    To determine how Niagara employers define “career readiness,” Cassidy and her team interviewed 44 professionals from 39 large and small organizations across a wide variety of sectors.

    The research team asked employers what they look for in entry level hires, whether they find young applicants to be adequately prepared for work, and what needs to be done to prepare the workforce of the future.

    ‘Hard skills,’ technical expertise or content knowledge, are important and desirable. However, employers report that they look at the ‘whole person’ when making hiring decisions, and it is often soft skills that set the successful candidate apart from the crowd.

    Employers are also interested in experiences where young job-seekers have developed and used the hard and soft skills that are relevant to the job they are applying to.

    But ‘experience’ in this case doesn’t necessarily have to be past professional employment. Activities employers value include “volunteering, athletics, participation in clubs, living overseas, general employment and life-changing challenges that brought about personal growth,” says the brief.

    Despite the importance of soft skills, the Niagara employers surveyed indicate they are seeing a soft skills gap in many of the job applicants they encounter.

    “They told us many young people cannot convincingly illustrate the presence of skills with good examples from experience and cannot talk about how specific soft skills will enhance their performance in the role they are applying for,” says the brief. “Other research has also noted this inability to adequately discuss soft skills as well.”

    The brief recommends measures to develop or enhance soft skills development, including:
    •    Extra-curricular programs, project-based activities, service learning and other programs in schools that intentionally focus on developing reflection and soft skills in youth
    •    Encouraging parents and families to allow children to face challenges where their personal, social and thinking skills are tested, as well as modeling and discussing soft skills with children
    •    Offering company mentorship programs that focus on and teach soft skill development
    •    Setting intentional soft skill development goals with young employees to help them practise and master specific skills
    •    Building general awareness of the importance of soft skills development to families, youth, educators and employers

    “Employers want applicants to be able to speak comfortably about their learning from experience, and this hinges on taking the time to continually reflect on both the hard and soft skills that were used in experiences.” said Cassidy.

    Being aware and intentional about soft skills development will help job candidates identify soft skills and be able to talk about their role in new jobs or challenges.
     
     

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
     
    * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

    Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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    Categories: Media releases

  • Sports journalist, mental health champion Michael Landsberg to be recognized at Brock alumni day

    MEDIA ADVISORY: 28 February 2017 – R00044

    One of Canada’s most recognized sports broadcasters and an advocate for mental health issues will be the guest of honour at the 20th anniversary celebration for the Department of Sport Management at Brock University.

    Michael Landsberg will be recognized with an Industry Award while Erin Mathany (BSM ’05), Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Canadian Olympic Committee, and Kojo Mensah (BSM ’04), Senior Policy & Issues Co-ordinator in the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, will be honoured with Alumni Awards during the event Thursday, March 2 at Amici’s Banquet Centre in Thorold.

    Landsberg, Mathany, Mensah and three Department of Sport Management employees are being honoured as part of the first-ever Brock SPMA awards.

    For the inaugural Industry Awards, the department wanted to recognize someone “who has significantly and positively impacted the Canadian sport community,” which Department of Sport Management Chair Lisa Kikulis said describes exactly what Landsberg has done.

    “He has made a tremendous contribution to mental health advocacy through his significant roles in the Bell Let’s Talk and #SickNotWeak campaigns,” she said. “As a leading sports journalist in Canada, he has been able to break barriers and heighten communication on an extremely important topic for our students, our faculty and staff, and the sport industry as a whole.”

    The anniversary dinner will wrap up the Sport Management department’s annual Alumni Day, which includes a series of eight panel discussions at Brock University where alumni will return to the Niagara campus to discuss various industry issues.

    “Brock’s SPMA program is the best in Canada with Brock alumni in some of the biggest professional, amateur and community sports organizations in Canada, as well as abroad,” said Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus. “The SPMA program provides students with many practical opportunities and experiential education placements to help them translate what they learn in the classroom to real world application.”

    Established in 1996, the Bachelor of Sport Management (BSM) program remains the only specialized four-year sport management degree program in Canada. In it’s 20-year history, it has grown to become internationally recognized. In 2015, it was ranked fourth in the world for sport business programs by an industry publication.

    With more than 1,000 SPMA graduates, Brock University alumni are now working in some of the most high-profile roles in the Canadian sports industry such as:

    •    Kyle Dubas (BSM ’07) Assistant General Manager, Toronto Maple Leafs
    •    Alyssa Gordon (BSM ’07) Director, Commercial PPV & Content, Ultimate Fighting Championship
    •    Andrew Tinnish (RECL ’99, BSM ’01), Assistant General Manager, Toronto Blue Jays
    •    Darren Yorke (BSM ’08), Assistant to the General Manager / Video Scout, Carolina Hurricanes
    •    Brent Rossi (BSM ’01), EVP of Marketing & Brand Strategy, Pegula Sports & Entertainment
    •    Stephanie Jones (BSM ’05), Events and Sport Operations Manager, INVICTUS GAMES Toronto 2017
    •    Kris Hagerman (BSM ’11), Football Operations Co-ordinator, Edmonton Eskimo Football Club
    •    Alyson Schmidt (BSM ’11), Sponsorship & Event Activation Specialist, MEC
    •    Jordan Bean (BSM ’14), Video Analyst, Toronto Maple Leafs
    •    Brooke Arthur (BSM ’07), Venue Ticketing Specialist, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation

    The SPMA Anniversary events are open to Brock staff, students and faculty. Registration is available here.

    What: Brock University Department of Sport Management 20th Anniversary
    Who: Michael Landsberg, TSN Broadcaster; Erin Mathany, Canadian Olympic Committee
    When: Thursday, March 2, 6:30 p.m.
    Where: Panel Discussions at Brock University; Anniversary dinner at Amici’s Banquet Centre in Thorold

    Members of the media are invited to attend. Interview opportunities before and following the event can be arranged.

    For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
     
    * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

    Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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    Categories: Media releases