“As alumni working in industry, you have insider access to critical information,” says Levi Kuta (MET ’12). “To stay in the know, SAIT doesn’t have to wait for a Fortune 500 report to come out. Just ask your alumni. They’re right here.”

The general manager of a local steel and alloy fabrication company, Kuta knows what he needs from his own talent pipeline. “I hire machinists, welders and mechanical engineering technologists every day,” he says. “It’s in my best interest to get good quality graduates out of SAIT.”

For Kuta, that means staying engaged with his alma mater, co-chairing the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program Advisory Committee, judging student capstones and — as the recipient of an Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2016 — representing SAIT as a member of its Distinguished Alumni Circle (DAC).

And that’s how Kuta came to be invited to join other DAC members at one of two roundtable discussions held during months of consultation and strategic planning throughout 2024.

The groups’ discussions explored the nuances of 520+ alumni responses to a strategic plan survey and included, among other things, how they would characterize changing expectations of workplace skills (everything from technical skills to business acumen to entrepreneurial mindset); the skills most in demand right now (such as leadership, critical thinking and social skills); and how SAIT might help build stronger connections between students and industry (suggestions included teaching networking skills, facilitating mentorship programs and showcasing graduate successes).

Now that he’s had a chance to read the strategic plan unveiled in May, Kuta thinks Bold Futures is aligned with what SAIT heard in those discussions. “For instance, interdisciplinary learning — the need for students to be solving complex problems, not just A + B = C,” he says. “That’s something that’s echoed throughout the document.”  

Other key priorities addressed in Bold Futures include program development in emerging sectors, and the integration of requisite workplace skills (like stress management, confidence building and professional networking) into existing program offerings. “The integration of Artificial Intelligence is in there, too,” says Kuta.

SAIT has a long history of evolving to meet the changing needs of students and industry. Bold Futures outlines the next iteration of the Institute, and Kuta expects this plan will change not only the quality of the workforce coming out of SAIT, but the nature of the Institute and, by proxy, perhaps even industry itself.

He points out his existing relationship with SAIT is already incredibly multi-faceted. “This is the school I attended. It is an institute where I invest my time and energy for the sake of future generations. It is the main supplier of my employee talent pool. And on occasion, it is a business customer. 

“I’m excited to see how Bold Futures might impact me as an employer. Are the students going to be more career ready? More well-rounded in their development? Are they going to bring fresh perspectives and perhaps innovations? How might this new direction support SAIT’s staff, or make me, Levi Kuta, a better person, and the company I work for a better place?”

2. Changing expectations
of workplace skills

The workplace has changed a lot in the last five years, as have the expectations of employers. While hands-on technical skills training is core to what SAIT always delivers, preparing students to be successful in a rapidly shifting work environment (a.k.a.: future proofing them) entails so much more than teaching tech.

“We don’t really even know what technical skills people will need in three years’ time,” says Sonja Chamberlin, Dean, School of Health and Public Safety. “The world is changing so fast.”

As technology advances, even rudimentary skills can become obsolete. Take cursive writing, for example. Once hailed as a vital part of Western literacy traditions, it has all but been replaced by the humble keyboard. 

But, Chamberlin says, there is a fleet of skills that will increase in significance, and in demand, the more we integrate technology into our lives.

Capabilities that transcend time, position and industry sector. Employers need their people to have these durable skills alongside technical skills and industry-specific competencies. With that in mind, another goal within the Future-Ready Skills strategic pathway is to embed SAIT’s Capability Framework (developed in 2023) into the curriculum of all programs as a way of instilling a wide range of abilities.

“We’ve created a single framework outlining skills staff and students across the Institute will need to be successful,” Chamberlin says, “because what our students need in the world of work is what our staff and faculty need, too.

“This is basically about being a good human being. Knowing how to connect, communicate and work with others. Good citizenship. Being kind to the environment. Understanding the impact of our actions further down on the ecosystem. Critical thinking. Curiosity. Creative thinking. Resilience. All of those pieces that really make someone a well-rounded person.

“When we sent the draft Framework to SAIT’s different schools and sectors to rank the importance of these capabilities, different sectors may have had different priorities but, overall, there was strong endorsement for all of them.”

Endorsement came more easily than implementation, as might be expected with something this involved. Assuming things like curiosity and creativity can, in fact, be taught, whether on the job or through intentional curriculum design (and there’s definitely some debate on the subject), mapping the curriculum to the Capability Framework for new programming is more straightforward than retrofitting SAIT programs already in place.

Assuming it’s all teachable, the challenge is how to teach these capabilities and measure them as program outcomes. “I think that’s where we need to do work as an institution; to do faculty development, professional development and so on, and then share and learn from one another.

“What we’re trying to achieve here is not easy,” says Chamberlin. In many ways, this is about character development. How does SAIT realistically inculcate students with these capabilities, especially in programs that might be only five months long?

Chamberlin suggests it could just be a matter of being more explicit and intentional about the “how” as well as the “what” being taught in the classroom. For example, an instructor assigning a group work project could explain how it is designed to help build required technical skills as well as broader capabilities such as collaboration, communication or critical thinking.

“We also have to understand this goes beyond the classroom,” Chamberlin says. “All the other experiences that make up their time at SAIT — like study abroad experiences, student clubs, volunteerism and paid work on campus — can help develop these capabilities as well.

“SAIT’s faculty is doing a lot of good work in future-proofing students, and we’re just scratching the surface. There’s still a lot to learn if we want to keep getting better at this.”

3. Engaging with
industry partners 

SAIT helps industry build their talent pipeline, train and develop their workforce, expand their research programs, prototype and test new technologies, and access expertise and specialized equipment they may not otherwise have access to. SAIT’s commitment to applied education and research keeps it closely connected to industry at every level.

In turn, the institution leans into industry expertise to help ensure its academic and research programs remain on the cutting edge, its facilities are equipped with the latest tools and technologies, and its students have opportunities both for real-world instruction from industry experts and relevant employment afterwards.

“Working hand-in-hand with industry ensures students and organizations are equipped to meet the demands of the rapidly changing world of work,” says Heather Domzal (JA ’08), Director of Industry Engagement.

“It’s for students. It’s for industry. It’s for SAIT across the board. And it’s also for the economy. When we work together and form long-lasting, resilient relationships, we can create incredible value for a number of different stakeholders.” 

Businesses and industry representatives are more than just stakeholders, though, and Domzal is excited to see Bold Futures recognize the nuance by including Industry Connection as a goal in its Innovation Leadership strategic pathway.

“They’re actually our co-creators when it comes to shaping academic training and research programs, and in preparing students for the future of work.”

One example is the increase in data centres across Alberta due to the growth of artificial intelligence.

“There’s real opportunity to help SAIT faculty and staff understand these emerging technologies, explore opportunities for collaboration and support, and determine what new career paths might look like and how to integrate related information into their curriculum,” says Domzal.

“Data centres are an interdisciplinary opportunity since you’ll need the construction and trades teams to design and build the facilities, IT folks to understand and establish their inner workings, and business professionals to articulate their value and help run their operations.”

Networking is a bold and critical strategy. The world of business doesn’t really lend itself to working in isolation. “Connecting with industry, with alumni, and even other programs across SAIT’s academic schools helps us build ideas off each other. With more perspectives in the room, and with varying industry experience, we’re able to have a conversation about what’s possible instead of what’s been done before.”

Cross-pollination seeds innovation and growth. As Director of Industry Engagement, Domzal gets to see the germination of ideas arising from these connections and their impact on industry and students. “Sometimes it takes a little while to get a relationship established but, once that engagement gets underway, it grows organically.”

For the campus community, for industry and for alumni, each of these three goals — along with all the others laid out in Bold Futures — is opening up new and exciting career pathways, propelling the curious and the bold toward success together.

And that's all part of SAIT's plan.