One of the strengths of these institutions is that their focus is teaching, as compared to the increasing focus of universities, which is research and graduate work. The dynamic is different. They spend a lot of time working with their students to be able to enhance those skills. Also, because of their approach of working in teams and working with businesses, all the skills we describe as soft skills are a critical part of what they are dealing with. So when their students leave--and I think my colleague Ken would be able to tell me if I'm off by a few percentage points--they have a placement rate of around 96%.
What employers find difficult with graduates is they come in and don't have those soft skills. They are not used to working in teams. They haven't learned what it is to work in a corporate or business structure. The whole basis of these programs is they have to do that. After first year, they spend four months a year working with a business, and they have to move; they cannot use the same employer throughout the program.
They have to learn. That is part of what you have to achieve and get marked on to get your degree. It is not just theory. It is not just understanding the skills. It is understanding, if I'm an engineering technologist, how I relate to an engineer, how I communicate, how I market, how I become part of that team.