WatSPEED is making inroads with senior government leaders to support Canada’s economic growth.
As part of the Institute for Public Administration of Canada’s (IPAC) 75th anniversary conference this past September, WatSPEED convened an executive dinner and roundtable discussion on the impact of technology, training, and upskilling on workforce development in Canada.
Guests included deputy ministers from the federal and provincial governments, and senior leaders from the University of Waterloo, including president and vice-chancellor Vivek Goel. During the discussion, Goel commented on the need for strong partnerships and ongoing, open engagement with the public service.
“Since our founding, the University of Waterloo has sought new and unconventional ways of connecting with government and industry to address the complex challenges facing our communities and the globe,” said Goel. “Today, these cross-sector collaborations are more important than ever because we continue to navigate profound and rapid change that impacts the way people view work and the way organizations conduct business.”
The evening also featured presentations from Waterloo faculty members Joël Blit and Anindya Sen, both professors of economics, who highlighted Canada’s innovation gap and how we might address it, along with our country’s opportunities to be a pioneer in data innovation. They also shared how we can address Canada’s critical need for innovation by investing in research and development and understanding the impact of data and emerging technologies on decision-making.
The night’s robust conversation reviewed the challenges facing Canada and confronted issues tied to supporting innovation and resilience for the Canadian economy. Guests discussed the impacts of the pandemic on our uniquely Canadian business landscape and the challenges that come with leveraging data or new technology.
In addition to the dinner and roundtable discussion, WatSPEED hosted a panel discussion on the future of digital government with expert guest speakers from academia and the public sector. The session was moderated by Sanjeev Gill, associate vice-president, innovation and executive director, WatSPEED. Gill was joined by Sen, who is also the director of Waterloo’s Master of Public Service program, Chelsea King, change management and benefits realization lead at University Health Network, and Raju Goteti, vice president, Co-Innovation Network at Tata Consulting Services.
Together, they explored how governments have embraced digital transformation to improve services and service delivery and understand people and society to achieve better outcomes. They also spoke about how governments can overcome increase public value, improve information safety, re-imagine the future of government, and improve the function of our critical infrastructures.
Supporting the Canadian federal government by sharing Waterloo’s specialized knowledge and key insights about our changing landscape can aid in Canada’s post-pandemic economic recovery. WatSPEED continues to build relationships with government partners by engaging in conversations about how Waterloo can best support their training and upskilling needs.
