How universities are helping young professionals gain a competitive advantage in the workplace

BCBusiness + Royal Roads University

The Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management program at Royal Roads University

With a deeper understanding of what today’s companies are looking for in a superstar employee, local post-secondary institutions are structuring their programs to give their students the best chance of success in the future

It’s not enough in today’s business world to simply follow orders. What young professionals need in order to stand out from their colleagues is a whole new mindset.

“Every organization in every sector needs entrepreneurially-minded people,” says Ross Porter, head of the Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management program at Royal Roads University. “People who are adaptive, enterprising and resourceful, those are the attributes that we’re increasingly trying to instill in the students.”

It is these skills that new graduates are finding more and more beneficial to have. In an ever more competitive job market, having these intangible competencies can propel a student from job seeker to valuable company asset.

Staying relevant to employers

Every industry changes and keeping up with the skills necessary to remain relevant is crucial. One of the best advantages a school can provide is a team of instructors who are living and breathing the material in their own careers and businesses.

“The instructors’ experience in their own industries was fantastic because it was so current,” says Nina Lafleur, a recent graduate of the BCom program at Royal Roads. “We weren’t learning things that happened years ago. The world changes so quickly, so it was great to have that relevant, up-to-date content.”

Lafleur started the program while working in the corporate world but made a pivotal change once she graduated: she started her own business, Baru Rubs and Sauces.

“I wanted to be able to enhance the knowledge that I already had in the business world,” she says. “They [the instructors] gave us the tools, the support network, taught us resourcefulness and gave us the confidence to implement those things, so I could make the leap from where I was to where I am now.”

Finding the right business program

At Royal Roads University, programs like the BCom in Entrepreneurial Management allow students two choices for their studies: an on-campus or a blended learning option.

“I could attend a recognized, world-class university while keeping the pace with my career and my busy family life,” says Brian Dominick, another recent graduate of the program. Dominick chose the blended learning option so he could continue his career while studying. Before even finishing the program, he was able to secure a promotion in a new industry after outgrowing his then-current job.

“I was 10 years into my career in marketing and sales and I was hoping to fill a gap that I felt was there when collaborating with high level executives. I did want the piece of paper as job security, but I was also looking to learn and grow both professionally and personally.”

Choosing the right program and making sure it covers the skills necessary to compete with a growing number of young and educated professionals is essential in today’s fast-paced business world. But programs do exist, like the BCom in Entrepreneurial Management at Royal Roads University, and it’s providing graduates with an innovative experience that is proving to be successful in the current job market.

Created by BCBusiness in partnership with Royal Roads University