SCS Events

Our webinars support job seekers, career changers, and workforce planners with timely insights into today’s evolving employment landscape. Led by industry experts and academic leaders, these sessions explore skills-based hiring, emerging career pathways, and the growing role of micro-credentials in validating in-demand skills. Whether you're navigating a career transition or building future talent strategies, our webinars offer practical tools and forward-thinking perspectives to help you thrive in a skills-focused economy.

Beyond the Resume: Micro-Credentials, Skills-Based Hiring & The Future of Qualifications

Format: Online Zoom Webinar
Presenters: Dr. Dianne Tyers, Assistant Vice President, Dr. Carolyn Creighton, Director, Operations and People, and Mariel Mading, Manager, Professional & Workforce Learning and Innovation | School of Continuing Studies, University of Guelph
Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | noon to 1 p.m.
Length: 60 minutes

The world of work is shifting. As employers struggle to find talent that meets the pace of change, traditional hiring models based on degrees and titles are giving way to a more dynamic, skills-first approach.

Join us for this thought-provoking webinar as we explore how micro-credentials, digital badges, and competency-based hiring are transforming the talent landscape. Speakers include Dr. Dianne Tyers, Dr. Carolyn Creighton, and Mariel Mading, from the School of Continuing Studies Leadership Team.

Topics for this discussion include:

• Prioritizing demonstratable skills over formal credentials
• Partnering with educational institutions to co-design just-in-time training
• Implementing skills-based hiring practices to access more diverse, agile talent pools

Whether you are an HR leader, recruiter, or learning and development professional, this session offers actionable insights into building a future-ready workforce that values what employees can do, not just what they have done. 
 

The Talent Forecast: Strategic Workforce Planning in a Challenged Economy

Format: In-Person Panel Discussion
Location: Art Gallery of Guelph
Date & Time: Thursday, July 17 | 4 to 6 p.m.
Length: 90 minutes + networking reception

Economic uncertainty. Rapid technological change. Labour shortages in some sectors, layoffs in others. In this volatile landscape, how can organizations make confident, strategic decisions about their future talent needs?

The Talent Forecast brings together a dynamic panel of experts to explore how leading companies are using data, scenario planning, and strategic foresight to align workforce strategy with business resilience. This panel session goes beyond theory to share practical tools for organizations looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Panelists will discuss the following topics:

• Forecasting future skills needs in a disrupted economy
• Examining the role of talent intelligence and workforce analytics
• Connecting workforce planning to organizational risk, growth and innovation
• Building adaptable teams through cross-skilling and proactive leadership

This engaging, solutions-oriented conversation will equip attendees with new perspectives and actionable strategies for building workforce resilience in uncertain times. 

Stay tuned—registration opens soon.
 

Grow Your Own: Internal Mobility and the Upskilling Imperative

Format: Online Webinar
Date & Time: Fall 2025 (specific date and time TBA)
Length: 60 minutes

In today's talent market, looking outward to fill skills gaps is no longer enough. High-performing organizations are investing in what is already inside, developing employees through upskilling, reskilling and internal mobility.

This webinar explores why growing your own talent isn't just a nice-to-have, but a competitive advantage. Through real-world examples, and practical insights, we will examine:

• How to design internal career pathways that retain top talent
• Tactics to create a learning culture that drives performance and engagement
• Tools and platforms that support continuous skills development
• The ROI of upskilling vs. external hiring

Discover how to unlock hidden potential in your workforce, reduce turnover, and create sustainable talent pipelines, without starting from scratch. 

Stay tuned—registration opens soon.