Executive message

Global disruption. Radical change. Rapid adaptation. These are some of the most demanding challenges that today’s organizations and professionals must rise to meet. With the world changing rapidly, staying competitive means continuously evolving to keep pace with technological, societal, economic and environmental disruption. 

The swift pace of change, particularly digital transformation and technology-driven advancement in the workplace, presents an opportunity for Waterloo to create a unique learning model that addresses the needs of industry professionals and business leaders, while supporting Canada’s economic recovery. Quality retraining and upskilling for professionals has become a priority for both business and higher education. 

With the launch of WatSPEED, Waterloo aims to build on its longstanding culture of innovation to transform lifelong learning and professional education to support the workforce of the future. WatSPEED will provide non-credit professional education that enables industry professionals to keep pace with emerging technologies and understand their impact on businesses, economies, the environment and societies. Through our made-by-Waterloo programs, businesses, corporations and institutions will be able to retain, upskill and prepare their workforce for a dynamic and disruptive future.  

Waterloo’s academic expertise will be at the forefront of WatSPEED’s programming, with content developed and delivered by Waterloo faculty members. These programs will extend the educational impact of the university beyond its traditional boundaries to reach learners throughout their careers. In particular, WatSPEED programs will draw upon Waterloo’s strengths to provide unique education at the intersection of business and technology, targeted at segments of the workforce that need upskilling and training the most. 

Our programs will be curated in a thoughtful, deliberate manner in partnership with industry. Extensive consultations with industry have informed our understanding of existing skills gaps in the market. Our industry partners will help promote and deliver these programs to the workforce. In turn, WatSPEED will help organizations future-proof mid-career professionals and business leaders so they can adapt, compete and thrive through change.  

WatSPEED is a unique approach to providing relevant education that will prepare professionals for a complex future. We will build on Waterloo’s foundation of academic excellence and strong ties to industry to help create a future-proof workforce.