THE THIRD ANNUAL SKILLS SYMPOSIUM TOOK PLACE ON NOVEMBER 25, 2025
This event is designed to:
- Foster stronger relationships among the nine English-language CEGEPs, colleges and universities within the Consortium network
- Showcase initiatives happening within Consortium-member institutions that have proven successful in supporting students to develop their Skills for Success in Quebec
- Identify best practices, opportunities, gaps, areas for collaboration, and resource sharing
Who participated?
The Skills Symposium welcomes educators, students and staff, as well as community, government and employment partners and other stakeholders working in and with Quebec’s English-language CEGEPs, colleges and universities.
What’s new this year?
Focus on faculty: This year we are dedicated to bringing more faculty/course instructors into the conversation and strengthening our outreach to students.
Program format: The format will include two focused panel discussions, along with a shorter lightning talk session.
The event featured panel discussions and lightning talk presentations on the following skills-focused themes:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Impact on learning, assessment, and the value of skills.
Skills Integration: Innovative approaches to embedding skills in curriculum and assessment
French Language Development: Projects that support French language skill acquisition and success
Institutional Change & Pressures: Budget, enrollment, language policy, or other shifts shaping our minority language higher education sector
Student-Centered Initiatives: Programs, tools, or classroom practices supporting transferable skills
What is the Skills for Success Booklet?
Each year the Consortium puts together a new edition of the Skills for Success Booklet.
In addition to accompanying the Symposium event, the booklet serves as a reference for innovative skills projects taking place within the member institutions.
Each year’s booklet is unique, and provides details on projects that align with the themes of that year’s symposium, as submitted by members.
The 2025 Skills for Success booklet is available HERE.
Program
Morning Session
| Time | Activity |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Registration |
| 9:30 – 9:45 | Words of Welcome Rachel Berger, Vice-Provost, Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Concordia University Celine Cooper, Managing Director, Consortium of English-language CEGEPs, Colleges and Universities of Quebec |
| 9:45 – 10:45 | PANEL Disruption & Change: Exploring Major Shifts Facing English-Language Colleges and Universities in Quebec Elizabeth (Liz) Charles, Emeritus Co-Director, SALTISE; Faculty/Researcher, Dawson College Camille Joseph Khoury, Director, Programs and Partnerships Development, Colleges and Institutes Canada Shreya Savant, PhD Student, Information and Systems Engineering, Concordia University Margaret (Maggie) BK Shepherd, Dean, Williams School of Business, Bishop’s University Robert Stephens, Professor, Humanities/Philosophy, AI Initiative Co-Lead, Dawson College Moderated by Celine Cooper, Consortium of English-language CEGEPs, Colleges and Universities of Quebec |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | LIGHTNING TALKS Can Soft Skills Boost Your Salary? A research initiative connecting students, educators, and employers around the benefits of transversal skills. Avery Rueb & Kevin Casey (Vanier College), Morgan Gagnon (Provincial Employment Roundtable) Innovative Use of Space: Campus Space as Living Labs. Céline Zhang (Marianopolis College) OUI Experience. Sarah Théberge & Marie-Ève Fiset (Bishop’s University) Experiential Learning: Turning client projects into public proof-of-work on LinkedIn. Sandrine Hébert & Svetlana Davis (Williams School of Business, Bishop’s University) Curriculum Integration of Career Readiness + Skills. Claire Elissalde, Julie Johnston & Ying Li (Concordia University) GenAI QuickStart for Students. Jennifer Banton, Dianne Cmor & Ali Sohrabi (Concordia University) McGill SciLearn Program. Kira Smith. Armin Yazdani & Cyrille Mvomo (McGill University) |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch Break |
Afternoon Session
| 13:00 – 13:50 | PANEL “Skills for Success” in Post-Secondary Curriculum Alice Cherestes, Associate Dean Academic, Senior Faculty Lecturer, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University Gwenola de Grimaudet, Cofondatrice – Directrice, Edu2 Charles Gedeon, Co-Founder and Design Partner, Pragmatics Studio; Lecturer, Concordia University Lidia Kruk, Professor, Information Science Department, John Abbott College Colette Yellow Robe, Tsististas and Suhtai Scholar; Associate Professor, School of Education, Bishop’s University Moderated by Claire Elissalde, Concordia University |
| 14:00 – 14:45 | Facilitated Discussion + Action Planning |
| 14:45 – 15:00 | Closing Remarks John McMahon, Sous-ministre adjoint, Secrétariat aux relations avec les québécois d’expression anglaise (SRQEA) – Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie |
About the organizers
Organized collaboratively by the Consortium of English-language CEGEPs, Colleges and Universities of Quebec, and Concordia University’s Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovation in Teaching and Learning.
This event is part of the Consortium’s broader Skills for Success in Quebec’s English-language Post-Secondary Education Sector project.
This event is funded by the Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise.
