Chair: Pietro Ferrari, George Brown College, School of Architectural Studies
What is the driving purpose for the Education & Industry Engagement Think Tank?
The EIE Think Tank focuses on the connection between Education and Industry and ensuring that the next generation of industry leaders are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and relationships to forge a successful career in the building and infrastructure industry.
What immediate industry challenges is your Think Tank currently addressing?
- Surveying the current courses related to BIM in Canadian universities and technical colleges, and learning from the experiences of the US and other countries.
- Addressing the challenges of systematically introducing BIM in undergraduate and graduate curricula.
- Linking education with the AECOO industry needs to ensure that students are equipped with knowledge and skills when entering the workforce.
- Connecting students with industry through creating opportunities for engagement, and learning.
What needs to happen for your Think Tank to address these challenges?
There needs to be:
- Increased active engagement with more schools from across the country that are focused on delivering programs for the building and infrastructure industry.
- Engaging industry members to understand their needs and connecting these needs to the academic community ensuring that new and existing programs are aware of key trends and needs of the industry.
- We need to develop a system by which we engage and integrate students into new industry based opportunities.
