How we choose to develop talent will define Calgary’s future social and economic prosperity. Yet the ability for today’s talent development system to transform to meet emerging demands remains in question because education traditionally is one of the most change-resistant institutions in society. To become a city that adapts, Calgary must become a city that develops talent faster and better than others. Calgary must transition from the traditional closed talent development system, which is defined by isolated learning experiences (like the path from kindergarten to postsecondary to professional development), into an open, lifelong personalized talent development system. This will help people feel empowered and accountable for their own continuous development.
What is the Talent Development System?
The Talent Development System encompasses certified, non-certified and informal learning that contributes to the development and, ideally, the enhancement of personality, cognitive and physical resources. The reality is talent development in 2021 is threading through our lives and society, incorporating tens of thousands of organizations from certified and non-certified learning to all forms of informal learning. For open innovation to be unleashed in the talent development system, the system must be inverted by putting the individual at the centre and encompass all forms of these learning pathways to focus on evidence of competencies developed.
Certified learning is structured and organized training, education or professional development experiences that are provided through an educational institution, in the workplace, or by a professional accrediting body. In Calgary, there are almost 600 certified learning providers, from elementary schools to universities, offering learning to 294,000 Calgarians annually.
Non-certified learning is organized education, training, or professional development activities delivered by a variety of institutions, community organizations, or training agencies. This type of learning requires registration but does not result in an accredited certification by a government or professional body. There are an estimated 1600 non-certified learning providers in Calgary.
Informal learning is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values from daily experiences at home, in the community, or at work. The process may appear unorganized and unsystematic, but it is not necessarily unintentional in that people may seek out these experiences to enhance their individual or collective learning. Informal learning is the dominant learning, exponentially larger than both certified and non-certified learning. However, quantifying informal learning is impossible as it incorporates not only the 155,000 commercial, social, and public organizations in Calgary, but also every book, documentary, podcast, blog, and household activity. Studies suggest that over 90 per cent of Canadian adults engage in 10-15 hours of forms of informal experiential learning weekly.
The Competencies for Life pilot project proposes a review of the Talent Development System to test the core dimensions of a new model. In order to deliver the adaptive capacity needed in Individual talent, the city’s Talent Development System must be designed to recognize the diversity of pathways on one’s professional path, including all forms of education (certified and non-certified) and informal/experiential resources. This must include effective development of these experiences, so they act as building blocks, rather than isolated events. This change creates short-term targeted talent development goals for individuals to map to.
In doing so, this will contribute to a radical transformation of how Calgarians both perceive and develop talent. This transformation will not dilute the essential role of certified learning, rather it will empower individuals to transition from the industrial era learning ladder to a new more agile talent development climbing wall anchored in personalized learning and exploration. This new
talent development journey incorporates today’s certified learning, but exponentially
expands to recognize non-certified, and informal learning as pathways to developing sought after competencies.
We propose Calgary adopt a community competency model, using the Competencies for Life, to aim to develop skill sets that contribute to an individual’s ability to adapt. This approach will transcend industries, roles, and professions, creating a unique competitive advantage for our city. For this to happen, all partners in the talent development system will need to ensure processes to advance collaboration and shared learning.
To learn more about transforming our Talent Development System and the Competencies for Life model that will contribute to this open-ended learning system, please visit www.competenciesforlife.ca.
