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< PreviousWHY NOW AND WHY SAIT? We are all recovering from a major period of global disruption. Now that we’ve made it to the other side, we can see that the support and services students need to succeed have changed. Integrating under- represented voices — including women, Indigenous people, youth experiencing challenges, and new Canadians — presents a major opportunity to preserve and enhance our economic competitiveness. With donors like you, SAIT’s campaign will create new spaces for customized support. We will deliver programming that empowers these new voices to meaningfully contribute and to build successful lives. SAIT’s role is to provide students with access to training for successful lives and to drive a thriving economy, all the while ensuring industry has the talent it needs. Thanks to our donors, we can ensure our communities, businesses and individuals have the skills they need to succeed. We are striving to broaden the number of students who can access this training and to be even more proactive in our provision of key talent to key industries. To ensure that tomorrow’s talent reflects the realities of Canadian society, we must make meaningful change in who we are reaching. It’s estimated that by closing the educational gap for Indigenous Canadians by 2031, Canada could boost Indigenous employment by 90,000 workers and could cumulatively increase GDP by $261 billion ( Source: Centre for the Study of Living Standards). At SAIT, we are responding to pressing inclusion concerns with comprehensive offerings designed to support students beyond their academic success. We are facing a generational economic challenge — not including everyone in our talent development response is a missed opportunity. Donor support can act as the critical lifeline needed to assist an individual as they transition into regular, skilled employment, or as the driver for entire communities to achieve their untapped potential. 10 The Campaign for SAITWHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ACROSS CAMPUS? By breaking down common barriers like geography and cost, we will reach more students more efficiently — expanding the local talent pool with broader perspectives and better integrated global experiences and skills. We will support individuals and under-represented groups in overcoming barriers in pursuit of a better life with more opportunity. Together, we will innovate and activate our shared potential for growth and development. We will broaden both the access to, and the impact of, critical education and training opportunities for the betterment of our city and province. We will drive awareness around extraordinary careers that can be met through a trades education, and work to connect a broader pool of people to apprenticeship education streams. REAL RESULTS • Increase the enrolment of Indigenous students in credit and pre-employment programs by 20% over the next five years. • Increase women in trades and technology programs by 20% over the next five years. • Graduate 15,000 additional digital technology students over the next five years. DONOR IMPACT EXAMPLES Expanded Student Awards suite With your support, we will strive to expand support for diverse learners from a growing number of communities. We will address and eliminate barriers and increase access to education. Enhanced English language pathways programming Canada is in the middle of a skills shortage cutting across every industry and affecting our access to services and opportunities. With your support, SAIT will accelerate offerings to transition international talent into the roles where they are most needed. Indigenous engagement, inclusion and support Your support can help Indigenous learners thrive by empowering them to better connect with the educational and training opportunities they need to be successful, while also ensuring their experiences are recognized and celebrated in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways. 11All industries are adapting to the need for digital change, and each is embracing digital technology differently. But the universal truth is that these changes are occurring at an accelerated rate. At SAIT, we believe educating in mindset and skill set is the only way to ensure our students keep pace with these changes. 12 The Campaign for SAITAs we emerge from a period of international disruption, students and employers alike are facing skill deficits across critical areas required for economic recovery and resilience. Employers across Canada consistently rank cyber security skills in high demand, with national job postings in this space rising year over year. Industries across the country need this talent to preserve recovery momentum. Source: Building a Digitally Skilled Future, Conference Board of Canada, 2023. 13WHY NOW AND WHY SAIT? To preserve and accelerate our economic momentum, industry must have access to talent with the ability to respond to new ways of getting things done. As an example, more than 25% of all Canadian geomatics, navigation and global positioning firms are headquartered in Alberta. Industry needs a strong tech-talent pipeline to keep this growth going ( Source: Calgary Economic Development). More than 50 autonomous systems companies call Calgary home. SAIT needs continued support as we expand programming in this space to meet the needs of industry’s growth. SAIT is already a leader in autonomous systems talent and testing, with Calgary being the first major city in North America to allow mass testing of commercial drones. SAIT’s facilities and expertise have even led to collaborations with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There is capacity at SAIT for many more powerful international collaborations which will shape industries, outcomes and opportunities for thousands of people ( Source: Calgary Economic Development). 14 The Campaign for SAITWHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ACROSS CAMPUS? With donor support, SAIT will transform what we teach — focusing on the right training at the right time. Blurring the lines with industry, we are revitalizing traditional programs to feature the cutting-edge technology our grads will find when they step into their careers. Whether it’s keeping pace with new cyber security requirements, or supporting shifts in the energy mix keeping the lights on across Canada and around the world, SAIT programming seamlessly evolves alongside our industry partners. Sector-specific insights help us understand how digital and technical innovations are shifting the day-to-day tasks our students will perform when they enter the world of work. Student success and credential relevance will be enhanced as we embrace new ways of delivering curriculum and move into exciting new frontiers of teaching and applied learning. Energy is a vital industry in our province. We support the sector’s future with a focus on responsive talent development and constant curriculum innovation. Working with industry partners, we are advancing our understanding of the energy that powers our communities and businesses — and looking at sustainability in a new light. Within the MacPhail School of Energy, we’re building for the future with an eye on emerging technologies, like hydrogen, while supporting tried-and-true contributors to our energy security with the talent they need to evolve, adapt and embrace tomorrow. With exposure to complex assignments and diverse teams throughout their SAIT studies, graduates step into jobs confident they can play a meaningful part in the interdisciplinary projects that define Canada’s energy industry. DONOR IMPACT EXAMPLES Innovative construction approaches and technologies Canada is experiencing a housing crisis, and we need to work together to address this generational challenge. In partnership with donors, SAIT has a role to play where our talent and emerging technologies can come together to deliver workable, timely solutions to resolve this shared issue. Proactive equipment revitalization SAIT grads have a reputation for hitting the ground running as they join the workforce. As technology advances, the equipment students have access to must keep pace. Across all schools and programs, the need to update existing equipment provides a meaningful way for donors to make a tangible impact on the learning experience. Evolved energy sector training SAIT is a leading provider of talent to the Canadian energy sector, and this critical segment of the economy is experiencing unprecedented change. SAIT will leverage extensive industry connections to proactively deliver the talent needed to support new opportunities within the shifting energy mix powering our communities and businesses. Corporate training in new technology integration SAIT is already a trusted partner to many major industries. As these industries contend with disruptions to their workforce and bottom line, SAIT has a role to play in bridging the gap, both for employees and employers, by providing the training required to advance innovations in a way that also advances the bottom line. REAL RESULTS • Increase the number of new, on-campus learning opportunities focused around specific industry sectors of emerging opportunity and impact. • Expand the number of work integrated learning (WIL) opportunities in key sectors like financial technology and cyber security to put learners on the front lines of sector transformation. 15Of surveyed Canadian business and skills leaders, 84% agree that post-secondary education should offer more opportunities for digital skills training. The same survey found that digital skills training should be mandatory and embedded into existing curricula, and that instructors in all fields should provide more opportunities for practical, hands-on digital skills training that’s tied to industry needs. Source: Building a Digitally Skilled Future, Conference Board of Canada, 2023 SAIT is perfectly positioned to bring these findings to life. 16 The Campaign for SAITWith your support, we will broaden the pipeline of talent to the industries we support and reinforce their ability to succeed in an evolving national and global economy. Your investment will connect more people to successful lives and careers. It will assure a vibrant workforce today — and tomorrow. Together, we will transform critical economic engines and lay the groundwork for a future that’s bright and built to last. We’ve been doing this long enough to know that building the future takes real work — let’s get to it. WE TRAIN THE REAL PEOPLE WHO GET THE REAL WORK DONE. Change defines our world, but SAIT’s role is constant: 17As SAIT works to reimagine how, who and what we teach, we do so respectfully, advancing our institutional commitment to deliver on the Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Natoysopoyiis — “Holy Wind Lodge” — is SAIT’s Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) student support centre, offering academic advising, student success workshops, and resources for navigating the post-secondary system. The space also provides a comfortable, inclusive gathering spot for activities including engagement with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and for participation in Ceremony. Natoysopoyiis is one tool in our overall response to the TRC’s calls for culturally significant support and services in education for Indigenous students. Through Natoysopoyiis, we empower Indigenous students in a welcoming environment where they can gather with peers, connect with specialized academic support and access financial resources while remaining connected to their roots. Natoysopoyiis creates a space for students to experience a powerful sense of belonging and community. Skills development unlocks personal prosperity, ensures economic growth, and creates opportunities for individuals and communities to build resilience for the future. Through SAIT’s commitment to comprehensive Indigenous support and alongside our donors, we will make meaningful strides in our collective reconciliation journey and position Indigenous students to thrive no matter the shape of tomorrow’s opportunities. Jennifer Russell Director, Indigenous Engagement SAIT, External Relations 18 The Campaign for SAITBrian Bowman, B.Com., CFRE, AMus Associate Vice President SAIT, Advancement 1301 16 Avenue NW Calgary, AB T2M 0L4 T 403.605.2259 E Brian.Bowman@sait.ca FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US: Rachael Lehr, MBA, CFRE Principal Gifts and Campaign Lead SAIT, Alumni and Development 1301 16 Avenue NW Calgary, AB T2M 0L4 T 403.554.7214 E Rachael.Lehr@sait.ca 19Next >