ReImaginED
Reimagining Education
to graduate life-ready world-changers
Proven Formula
I was fortunate to begin my career in career development in the national headquarters of Employment and Immigration Canada (now Employment and Social Development Canada) working for D. Stuart Conger. Stu was a ‘social inventor” who saw the civil service as the ‘last frontier for entrepreneurship.’ Stu challenged me to invent CHOICES and encouraged me when I was sure I was in over my head. We succeeded, beyond either of our dreams, and Stu remained my mentor for the rest of his life.
The not-for-profit research and development model I followed with CHOICES under Stu’s guidance has served me well in subsequent projects.
1.
Begin with a concept or early prototype of something you believe has the potential to be a game-changer in helping youth prepare for a smooth transition from school to good work.
2.
Engage the federal government in a convening role to bring together representatives of all provincial and territorial governments.
3.
Convene the best minds from the most relevant organizations nationally to collaborate in developing an enhanced national pilot prototype.
4.
Select pilot sites competitively and engage the winners as voluntary co-development partners. Pilot sites incur no cost, but expectations regarding fidelity and feedback are clear clear.
5.
Pilot concurrently in all regions of the country with excellent training and ongoing support. Encourage local decision-makers and influencers, and the media to visit pilot sites.
6.
Make further enhancements based on pilot feedback then launch with fanfare at a cost that assures ongoing sustainability.
7.
No sales force is required. Project partners, collaborators, and volunteers are the primary stakeholders in assuring deployment to scale with fidelity in their region.
8.
If appropriate, royalties from adaptations by foreign governments can help fund ongoing infrastructure and research and development.