Generation1.ca’s Fall 2024 Virtual Insights Career Fair and Case Competition achieved remarkable success, drawing over 300 eager jobseekers and 14 dedicated employers navigating across time zones and demanding schedules on Friday, September 27, 2024. This year’s theme, “Data Harmonization: Innovating with Cybersecurity, Equity, and Sustainability Insights,” united brilliant minds from 10 academic institutions to address critical challenges in today’s digital and data-driven world. The competition climaxed with four standout teams rising to the occasion, pushing through intense collaboration, relentless deadlines, and the pursuit of excellence in their final showcase.
The Case Competition
Four exceptional teams— Research Rangers, Team Alpha, NextGen Training, and Solution Finders—showcased their secondary research on upskilling and boosting labour productivity in Canada. Their innovative approaches included the use of AI and collaboration systems, highlighting the importance of partnerships between government, businesses, and educational institutions.
The Winners
Big Congratulations to Team Solution Finders for bagging the first prize by a unanimous judges’ scoring of teams. The team wins a cash prize of $2000 sponsored by the Bank of Canada, in addition to ESOMAR Virtual Academy Masterclasses, certificates of excellence, Generation1.ca T-shirts, annual membership at the Royal Ontario Museum, and an exclusive profile feature of the team. The team are a trio of interdisciplinary students from Conestoga College’s School of Business and include:
Tia Zhou – Business Administration Management Student at Conestoga College
Bolanle Chris-Ezomoh – Management and Leadership Student at Conestoga College
Harshleen Kour – Social Media Marketing Student at Conestoga College
You can watch their trailer video here:
The second prize was earned by another team of students NextGen Training comprising Darion DaSilva (Social Media Marketing Student at Conestoga College), Daniser Arietta (Social Media Marketing Student at Conestoga College), Rahul Kalia (Management and Leadership at Conestoga College), from Conestoga College who will receive certificates of merit and some profile.
The Case Competition Challenge
Five teams responded to two case studies, with the social impact problem case being the more popular. You can read an abbreviated version of the two cases below.
Option 1: Business Continuity and Data Recovery
Oceanic Payments, a Nassau-based fintech, faced a major disruption after a Category 4 hurricane caused a power outage, threatening business continuity for over 500,000 users. Teams were tasked with restoring critical systems, minimizing revenue loss, and ensuring compliance, while addressing challenges like limited backup power, a flood-prone data center, and gaps in the disaster recovery plan.
Option 2: Social Impact – Boosting Labour Productivity in Canada
Canada’s labour market is grappling with stagnant productivity growth, threatening economic competitiveness and living standards. Teams developed data-driven strategies to boost productivity by 15% in two years, enhance skills training, and improve workforce participation among underrepresented groups, while addressing challenges like an aging workforce, skills gaps, and limited investment in innovation.
Congratulations to all the teams for their outstanding efforts and research!
The Judges
Our panel of esteemed judges, experts with diverse innovative styles and a strong data ethic, played a crucial role in evaluating the presentations.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our jury led by:
Masoud Nasari, Assistant Director of Data Science at the Bank of Canada (Chair), Tatiana Tsyganova, Talent Acquisition Leader, Securian Canada, Alexander Johnston, Visitor Engagement Specialist, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Nasir Khan, CEO of Somra-MBL Ltd, Hasti Havari, English Professor, Humber Polytechnic, Krisia Hardie, Former Generation1.ca Research Blog Contest Winner, Humber Alumna and Current Research Analyst at ACHIFY Business Solutions.
Overall, the team demonstrated excellent use of data for storytelling and hypothesis testing, proposing feasible solutions like utilizing VR to begin training immigrants before they even arrive in Canada. Their dedication to fostering an inclusive workforce is evident, particularly through targeted initiatives aimed at addressing education and employment gaps—an urgent issue in Canada. While they effectively leveraged past research to provide insights, the team also had to avoid making assumptions about causation as they skillfully navigated this delicate balance. Solution Finders also showcased strong research methodologies; exploring the Skills Trade sector and identifying gaps may offer one of the most effective paths to addressing reduced productivity.
Jury’s Overall Comments on Team Solution Finders’ Presentation- 1st Prize Winners
The team presented a strong focus on ethics, highlighting social, business, and digital responsibility. Their comprehensive approach addressed factors impacting productivity, such as technology, human resources, and business innovation. The use of AI and a virtual reality ecosystem for training showcased innovative thinking in skill development. Greater clarity on budget allocations, potential obstacles, and specific success metrics or past precedents could enhance the case. Overall, very engaging!
Jury’s Overall Comments on Team Next Gen Training’s Presentation- 2nd Prize Winners
Scoring Criteria: The judges chaired by Masoud Nasari evaluated teams on data-driven innovation, effective communication, ethical considerations, and clarity of presentations and evidence-based storytelling. Their insights were crucial to the competition’s success.
Promo Video Trailers: Watch the under 1-minute promos from each team to get a glimpse of their approaches highlighted in depth in the longer case study presentation of 10 minutes each.
Team Research Rangers
Team Alpha
Team NextGen Training (Second-Prize Winning Team of the Full Case Presentation)
Team Solution Finders (First-Prize Winning Team of the Full Case Presentation)
Looking Ahead
The innovative solutions presented at this competition underscore the potential for AI and collaborative systems to drive productivity and equity in the workforce. We look forward to seeing these ideas come to life and make a tangible impact on Canada’s labour market.
Big thank you to all our career fair employers who sponsored and exhibited at the career fair and interviewed and networked with top global talent. You can learn more about them and their companies in the Fall 2024 Virtual Insights Career Fair Employers and Partners Handbook here and catch up with some photos from the virtual event and location below.
Stay connected with Generation1.ca by following our LinkedIn page if you have not already, and also subscribing to our Founder’s monthly newsletter Culturally Significant for updates on our career fairs and competitions, conferences and educational resources, as well as networking and hiring events, as we continue driving innovation and collaboration. Especially mark your calendars for the Spring 2025 edition of the Virtual Insights Career Fair and Case Competition and reach out early to book your spot as an employer or supporting organization!
A heartfelt thank you to all participants and corporate, organizational and individual supporters—together, we are shaping a brighter and more equitable future for our diverse multicultural immigrant communities, the melting pot of global and local leadership.
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