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3 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,D ecem ber 20,2018 w aterloochronicle.ca From the latest information on local politics, to minor sports scores, to what's going on down the street, visit www.waterloochronicle.ca CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY Editor's Note: This is Part 4 of a four-part series where Metroland will focus on urban intensification in the Region of Waterloo. More than 100,000 pupils attend post-secondary classes in Waterloo Region. And if the region is going to con- tinue to thrive, that number will have to keep increasing. It is no secret that the tech sector is booming in both Kitchener and Waterloo, but there's a problem - it's booming a little too much. "It's a good problem to have," said Steve Currie, chief innovation officer of Kitchener tech incubator Commu- nitech. While Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College contribute to filling vacancies - an estimated 3,000 empty positions - in the tech indus- try, the main source of those employ- ees is the University of Waterloo, which has world-renowned comput- er sciences and mathematics pro- grams. But, while that talent is being cre- ated here, there is high demand for technically-savvy grads. For Currie, the best way to retain local grads is to create a place where they want to stay - and that expands outside of the walls of the office. "Housing options, a good social scene, a strong arts program, good community infrastructure all con- tribute to retaining tech workers and anchoring them in the community," said Currie. In Waterloo Region, Currie said, the entrepreneurial mindset of many grads and the number of start- ups is what leads to such high de- mand for workers with the education and experience to get out right out of the gate. Going forward, there needs to be a slight shift in priorities at local schools and in households, accord- ing to Currie. He added there should also be a focus on education and en- suring that students graduate from high school. Waterloo Region currently gradu- ates 82 per cent of high school stu- dents, well below the provincial aver- age of 86 per cent. "We need that to change. We need people to graduate high school and to go on and get skills that are impor- tant to fuel the growing companies." While tech gets the spotlight in Waterloo Region, hands-on educa- tion is also important. But the trades are much more technical than they used to be, according to Conestoga College president John Tibbits. "What's happened here is technol- ogy in the world in general ... is em- bedded in more and more jobs. There's more robotics, there's more artificial intelligence. A lot of the more basic jobs are being eliminat- ed," said Tibbits. These new advanced trades now include the need for technical math skills, something that should be fo- cused on in high school. It's no new news that there is a high demand in nearly all trades and advanced manufacturing in Water- loo Region. Tibbits said part of the is- sue is the perception around trades. "University is a great option for many people, but parents and society need to place a higher value on trades and apprenticeships," said Tibbits. Tibbits compared Canada to Ger- many, where the average age of ap- prentices is close to 16 years old, while here it is 27. He said part of the reason is because in Germany, the value of working in trades is fully ap- preciated. Here, not so much, he said. "Here, we have the idea that going off to university somewhere is better than getting into a trade," said Tib- bits. Conestoga, which is a polytechnic institute, has invested in higher edu- cation as well. Sixteen different de- grees are now offered through the college at its Cambridge and Doon (Kitchener) campuses. While there is immense attention paid to those just entering post-sec- ondary education from high school, Tibbits said with rapidly changing technology in every industry, com- panies must invest more time and money in re-training employees so they can keep up to date on the latest trends. When it comes to the economic impact of the three major post-sec- ondary institutes in Waterloo Re- gion, the effect is obvious. With more than 100,000 total stu- dents - about 63,000 full-time and 42,000 part-time across the three in- stitutions - the number are stagger- ing. At the University of Waterloo, there are currently 32,644 undergrad students in the fall term. A total of 6,372 of those - about 20 per cent - are international students, mostly from China. The number of international stu- dents has been increasing dramati- cally, as well. In the last five years, the number of international students has increased by 84 per cent. This has led to dramatic changes around the University of Waterloo campus, with many Chinese-orient- ed stores and restaurants setting up shop, including the recent opening of T&T Supermarket. With Wilfrid Laurier University's focus on business, the University of Waterloo's expertise in computer sci- ence and engineering, as well as Con- estoga's prowess in trades and ap- prenticeships, it would appear that Waterloo Region has the perfect storm of post-secondary institutions. But Tibbits is hesitant about call- ing it perfect, noting that none of the institutions should rest on their lau- rels. "The people that survive are the ones that are most adaptable. It's not necessarily the strongest and the fit- test - the ones that have survived have been the ones that are strongest and most adaptable," said Tibbits. "The eco system should be con- stantly changing." POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS BEHIND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN WATERLOO REGION 63,000 3,000 55% $2.3 billion Post-secondary stats by the numbers: The number of full-time students in Waterloo Region 42,000 The number of part-time students in Waterloo Region The estimated economic impact of Conestoga College graduates The estimated number of tech job vacancies in Waterloo Region The estimated amount of people in Waterloo Region who have attended Conestoga College in some capacity Metroland graphic ADAM JACKSON ajackson@waterloochronicle.ca NEWS THE ISSUE: THERE IS A NEED FOR TECH AND TRADES WORKERS IN WATERLOO REGION LOCAL IMPACT: LOCAL POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS ARE DOING ALL THEY CAN TO FILL THE VOID Local journalism makes a difference. Support us by registering at waterloochronicle.ca STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With a booming, entrepreneurial tech sector, companies are struggling to find qualified employees.