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Jesse Tutt used his capstone project to start 3D Scan Experts, a business that creates three-dimensional digital models of the interiors of homes, condos and commercial properties.

For Jesse Tutt, the online business courses he started taking through NAIT five years ago weren't just to help him more effectively perform the project management work he was doing. The bachelor of technology in technology management degree was to be the bedrock upon which he would build a lifelong career.

"The courses aligned perfectly not just with what I was doing, but what I wanted to do," he says. "I believe the core skills I acquired are foundational to any type of business environment."

It wasn't only what he learned while attending NAIT but what he did. "Everything is applied. You don't just take a course, you do it. You don't just talk about project management, you write a project plan. That's the difference between a standard and polytechnic education; you're taking the knowledge and doing something with it instead of just memorizing concepts out of a textbook." It all gained such effective traction that Tutt used his capstone project to start a real business, 3D Scan Experts, which creates three-dimensional digital models of the interiors of homes, condos and commercial properties allowing potential buyers to "walk through" a property without ever stepping inside.

According to NAIT president and CEO Dr. Glenn Feltham, Tutt is the perfect example of what an education can do for NAIT students in a wide range of disciplines, including science and technology, trades, the technical side of health, and business. "We provide the enabling competencies that allow people to succeed well into the future," he says. "Essentially we are turning our students into entrepreneurs."

He adds that a lot of consideration goes into determining which programs are offered in order to ensure that they meet the needs of students and industry as well as the existing and emerging economy. "A recent report about Alberta's occupational demand and supply outlook identified 31 occupations that are in high demand; 19 of them are the focus of education provided at NAIT."

The effectiveness and relevance of the education NAIT provides is embedded in the polytechnic model. "It's a formula that works because of a rigorous dedication to four basic principles," says Dr. Feltham. "All the education is technology based, industry is a partner in everything we do, the research is truly applied – students are solving industry-driven problems as part of their education – and everything we do is hands-on and experiential. It's education you can see and feel and touch, that's what makes it effective." Industry is eager to participate because it gains everything and loses nothing. "Often industry brings intellectual property to the table. We don't negotiate about who owns it – they do." He adds that students enjoy a 91 per cent employment rate within nine months of graduating, and employer satisfaction is running at 95 per cent.

NAIT continues to expand. The Centre for Applied Technology opens in 2016, with capacity to accommodate 5,000 students on a daily basis. "We get 4.1 applications for every available seat we have," says Dr. Feltham. "We have to get bigger."

BY THE NUMBERS

Impact of post-secondary education
(PSE) in Canada


Through their operations, Canada’s PSE institutions generate over

$55-billion

in value added

 

Indirect effects may amount to about

$20-billion

 

The real GDP of PSE institutions grew over

17%  

between September 2007 and September 2013

 

Over

$40-billion

in spending flows through Canada’s colleges and universities each year

 

Almost

700,000 

direct and indirect jobs are attributable to spending by PSE institutions

 


Source: The Economic Impact of Post-Secondary Education in Canada, by the Conference Board of Canada


This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.

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