Problem with Students in Kitchener Waterloo Ecosystem
There is a real problem here in Kitchener Waterloo and I didn't understand that until I worked at a local startup.
There is a gap in our education of the ecosystem we currently reside in. Not just Laurier, but most students have no idea what is happening outside their classes, in their local communities. Sure we know the events happening at Laurier but not in Kitchener Waterloo. There is a gap between place and people. If Laurier’s programs (majority) understood how to integrate the startup mentality into their education, it might be quite beneficial. We also know that LaunchPad which is a Laurier’s incubator exists, but barely hear any news about them.
There is a lack of engagement within our communities which needs to be improved. We have this incredible environment we have available to us and need to understand how to utilize because there are a lot of opportunities available.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel engaged within the KW community? Do you keep in touch with the news and local events in this community?
Thanks for starting this discussion! After having worked in a tech startup in Toronto I came to realize the immense opportunity for growth and development personally and professionally.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the responsibility for improving the connection between students and the tech sector here falls in the hands of the students, the companies themselves, or community engagement initiatives?
I also believe that the people interested in taking part of this community will seek the opportunities to do so. And in many ways, those are the type of people that will best serve these companies.
I agree with the idea that there needs to be a greater sense of engagement fostered within universities, encouraging students to be a part of the communities in which they exist. Personally, I have found it extremely rewarding to make the effort to engage with my local community over the past few years that I've been living in Waterloo. However, I do understand how it can be difficult to do so, especially coming from a university setting, where time and energy are limited and it can often be easier to just exist within the campus community without ever really branching out.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jace's question regarding where the responsibility for this connection lies, I believe it should be a community effort as well. There can be no individual source, but rather there should be a collective emphasis on the importance of community engagement from all parties. While I do understand what you mean about those who are best suited to that kind of engagement will naturally seek it out, but I don't think that the possibility of fostering the desire for that kind of engagement should be ruled out as something worth pursuing. Some students may not naturally come by that kind of drive, but would benefit from and flourish in a community setting, once they are exposed to it.
I agree, however, I think as the city grows and meets some of the goals they have laid out to become a recognized tech community the gap between students and the Kitchener/Waterloo community will shrink. As the community grows and becomes more complex many of these students will be an important part in securing the future of the region.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think the optics of students being disconnected from the local ecosystem is subjective depending on the program you are enrolled in. I know that from my experience of being a Communication Studies major, my experience in Kitchener/Waterloo is very different from someone who is enrolled in business, computer science or other programs which may have more relevance to the specific demands of the ecosystem.
The University of Waterloo has one of the best co-op programs in Canada and many students enrolled in computer science end up working for local start-ups. Not to mention, last week I attended a Start-Up Laurier entrepreneur event as a representative for my company (Brick Brewing Co. Ltd. - a local company, largest brewery in the region) - where I, alongside other local businesses, networked with students.
In the end, students cannot be forced to engage with the community, and it seems that if students are actively seeking ways to become apart of the ecosystem there are opportunities to get involved.
Does anyone else have a similar or different experience?
I agree that there is a strong disconnect between the students at laurier and the Kitchener’s Startup economy.
ReplyDeleteApart from a few students who have an interest in tech many students don’t know the about the local opportunities that exist in the region. The local companies provide a large variety jobs for students with all sorts of interest. After all even tech companies need marketers, accountants and human resources employees not just engineers and sales people.
I believe that disconnect exist because classes aren’t strongly connected to the tech programs like at UW. At U.W students are encouraged to keep their intellectual property and to pursue projects they developed in class as ventures through the velocity program.
It would be interesting to see the schools have more frequent events including local tech companies on campus. In the future I’d love to see a day where all the local tech companies come to the concourse to make students more aware of the thriving tech economy in the region.
I agree completely with this post. In the first 3 years of my comm undergraduate there was not very much course engagement with the tech ecosystem of the KW region. I feel as if this may have hurt the chances of students that could have capitalized on the opportunities in the tech sector in KW.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above Xavier in terms of the positions that non-tech and non-business students could assume at start ups. It seems that BA's are overlooked for the aforementioned positions of marketers or other positions that require strong inter-personal communication skills and creativity. I feel that if there were more courses like this one promoting and fostering a strong bond within the KW tech community while also educating students on it as well.
I agree that there is a gap between our education system and the ecosystem that we reside in as I can say that I am personally not aware of what is happening outside of campus. I currently commute from Guelph, which is just a half hour drive away, and I feel like I am not as connected with the KW community as much as I could be, especially since I am here more than I am in Guelph. This is a significant problem to discuss since I think it becomes crucial to try to bridge the gap between students and the wider community so that they can gain more out of their experiences residing and being here in Kitchener Waterloo.
ReplyDeleteI found Jace’s question very interesting so I decided to really think about who should be responsible for improving the connection between students and the tech sector. I agree with Meaghan’s argument of how this should be a community effort that links the two but I also think it should be the companies who reach out to community engagement initiatives as well as students. The companies themselves should be able to market themselves and create connections so that we can become more aware of the over abundance of opportunities available!
Hello! Yes I agree that there is a bit of a gap between the students who study in KW and the events/news that occurs in the community. Laurier has many clubs, programs, and students, all of which have different interests and passions. With communication and news, I believe it is up to the individual to educate themselves on what they are intrigued by. If they want to start a business, they need to do the research about what is in their community to assist them. University is a stepping stone for many young adults as they mature into adulthood. If they aspire to do certain things, the school can assist, but the student/young adult needs to take initiative first.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to being in touch with the KW community, I am not extremely engaged by it because this is my last year living here and I aspire to move back to the GTA when I graduate. In contrast, I do try my best to stay current with the news in the city.
I think this is an excellent point that you have brought up! I try my best to really immerse myself in the city that I am living in. I am not from the KW area and have only lived here for 2 years, but I tried my best to explore the area, even Kitchener! When I started studying in Waterloo, I was always told that Kitchener is the sketchy end of town and I don't need to go there, but I did not listen to them. I take the greyhound quite often and it forced me to cross the "border" to Kitchener and explore on my own. Kitchener has so much to offer and it did not take me long to realize this.
ReplyDeleteI took a creative economy class and the teacher asked the class if anyone had been to Kitchener: I was one of three people who raised their hand in a class of 30. She then asked if anyone had been the Dallas followed by almost everyone raising their hands. They didn't know Dallas was in Kitchener, but I can't blame then. Laurier has created its own ecosystem that allows you to get everything you need in the Laurier Bubble, but it unfortunately means that you don't have the need to step out and explore.
I can always be more involved, but I actively try to know more about my area in case I miss something!