WatSPEED’s Digital Transformation course has received the Gold Program Excellence Award from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE)—earning national recognition as one of Canada’s top professional education programs.
The award recognizes outstanding lifelong learning programs that demonstrate excellence in curriculum design, delivery, and learner impact, helping professionals build the skills needed to lead change and drive innovation in their fields.
“This award affirms WatSPEED’s commitment to delivering high-impact learning experiences that meet the needs of today’s professionals,” says Aaron Pereira, executive director of WatSPEED. “Digital Transformation is a strategic tool for empowering leaders in a rapidly evolving digital world and we’re incredibly proud to see our course recognized nationally.”
Designed and delivered Peter Carr, associate professor, Management Science and Engineering at the University of Waterloo, the course empowers learners with the tools and confidence to lead organizational change through emerging technologies. It blends live virtual instruction, peer discussions, multimedia content, real industry case studies, and one-on-one consulting.
Participants also complete a scaffolded final project designed to support the development of workplace-ready strategies for digital transformation—an increasingly critical skill set in today’s technology-driven economy.
“This course equips people to lead real change,” says Carr. “Participants leave not just with knowledge, but with a strategy, a roadmap, and the tools to make transformation happen inside their own organizations.”
Since launching as one of WatSPEED’s inaugural programs in 2022, Digital Transformation has enrolled more than 150 professionals from a range of industries. Delivered fully online with flexible pacing and offered twice annually, the course continues to receive praise for its career impact, leadership development, and strategic supports for implementing digital transformation initiatives.
Today, Digital Transformation continues to scale its reach and relevance, setting a benchmark for professional, executive, and corporate learning in the digital age.
With growing demand and consistently strong outcomes, WatSPEED has expanded the course
into new sectors. Most recently, a version tailored to health care professionals.
These expansions reflect WatSPEED’s ongoing commitment to deliver future-focused,
scalable learning that responds directly to workforce needs.
Marketing excellence for career accelerator campaign
WatSPEED was also recognized with the 2025 CAUCE Silver Marketing Excellence Award for its marketing campaign promoting its Career Accelerator Program. The campaign demonstrated a strategic, data-informed approach to connecting professionals with skill-building education aligned to market needs.
“Effective marketing is essential in ensuring our programs reach the professionals who need them most,” says Karina Graf, managing director, marketing, brand, and growth at WatSPEED. “This award underscores the power of strategic storytelling and market intelligence in connecting learners with transformative educational experiences.”
The award celebrates innovation and impact in marketing approaches that increase learner access and awareness—an essential part of WatSPEED’s mission to close skills gaps across sectors.
WatSPEED’s market research specialist, Melanie Hains, accepted both awards at the CAUCE national conference in St. Catharine's in May. Hains served as a featured speaker as well, sharing strategies for closing workplace skills gaps through AI-enabled learning and how labour market data can be used to align continuing education with in-demand careers.
Together, these awards highlight WatSPEED’s dual commitment to excellence in both educational programming and the learner journey—from discovery to delivery.
Learn more about the award-winning Digital Transformation course.