Students Showcase Skills at Workplace Simulation Symposium

Submitted by Julia Higginson, Professor and Program Coordinator, Professional Services and Innovation 
              
Second‑year Human Resources students recently came together with community partners for the annual Workplace Simulation Symposium, a capstone event celebrating student learning and collaboration. Throughout the semester, student teams worked closely with employer partners to tackle real‑world HR challenges, gaining hands‑on experience in project management, design thinking, and professional communication. 

This year’s employer partners included: 
• Ashleigh Fortune, Director, Teaching Innovation and Talent at SLC  
• William Miranda, Talent Manager and SLC HR Programs PAC Chair  
• Kristina Sutton, Team Lead with the Treasury Board Secretariat, Ontario Public Service 
 
Students also benefited from the participation of Lindsay Brant, Director, Indigenous Initiatives, who joined the symposium presentations. Through regular check‑ins and final presentations, students received constructive feedback directly from industry professionals. 

“The level of research, thoughtfulness, care and professionalism that went into these symposium presentations was truly admirable and inspiring,” Lindsay said. “These students delivered top-tier pitches backed by evidence-based practices that would have had any board room buzzing with excitement and possibility!”   

Project topics reflected timely and meaningful workplace issues, including:
• Inclusive Hiring and Recruitment: Integrating Anishinaabe Values into OPS Talent Acquisition  
• Recruiting Young Adults: Empowering Young Voices for a Better Future
• Rebuilding Culture: Reimagining the Workplace after Organizational Change 
 
The symposium highlights the program’s strong commitment to experiential learning and builds on past collaborations with partners such as Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, KEYS, INNoVA, and Canadian Cleaning Services.