The WSRG released their findings on PEI's labour market on April 12 at a presentation attended by the Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning Allen Roach and UPEI President Alaa Abd-El-Aziz.

The research, commissioned by Skills PEI, involved a survey of over 600 Island businesses, and established baseline labour market supply and demand information, and identified requirements for planning that will be used to determine a future skills model for PEI.

Dr. Wendy Carroll, principal researcher, presented the findings to an audience that included survey respondents and government and industry sector representatives. One key finding was that 60% of Island employers reported difficulty recruiting qualified candidates, and due to this recruitment difficulty, 670 jobs went unfilled. These study results reveal that the primary reasons for recruitment difficulties include a deficiency in experience, specific skills, and education/training qualifications.

At the end of the research presentation, Minister Roach gave closing remarks, commenting on the importance of gathering information on the PEI labour market, and how Island businesses were economy drivers, and that government's role was to support their efforts in employing Islanders. Along this vein, he then announced that the Government of Prince Edward Island would be launching a new employment-opportunity initiative in an effort to attract and retain post secondary institution-educated graduates. For full details, read the Government of Prince Edward Island news release

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, and Gerald Keddy, Parliamentary Secretary for International Trade, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and for the Atlantic Gateway, today announced funding for the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island to purchase new state-of-the-art equipment.

'Canada's long-term economic competitiveness in this emerging knowledge economy demands globally competitive businesses that innovate and create high-quality jobs,' said Minister Shea. 'Investments such as this one keep our region's economy strong, create high-quality jobs on the Island and ensure that PEI is a premier destination for the world's brightest minds.'

AVC has purchased a new state-of-the-art CT scanner, which will give the College additional research capabilities in the areas of dairy health, arthritis, bone grafting, orthopedic transplants and stem-cell healing in both large and small animals. This equipment will also allow for additional research in neurodegenerative diseases that can impact animal and human health.

'The work being carried out at the Atlantic Veterinary College with leading-edge, and state-of-the-art equipment is an essential element in this work,' said Parliamentary Secretary Keddy. 'The Atlantic Veterinary College is well known for its many outstanding research teams who are dedicated and passionate. In its pursuit of finding innovative ways to ensure optimal health for its clients, AVC is also creating a real competitive advantage within the global market. The whole Atlantic Canada region benefits from the work done here.'

The Government of Canada, through ACOA, has invested $392,864 to help with the purchase of the new state-of the-art equipment. AVC has invested an additional $130,954.

'As the only full-service veterinary hospital in Atlantic Canada, we take great pride in providing the best care possible to our clients and their animals," said Dr. Donald L. Reynolds, Dean of AVC.

'This CT-scanner will greatly increase our capacity to diagnose and treat medical conditions affecting large and small animals, and it will be an important tool in the education of our students and the work of our researchers. On behalf of AVC, I thank the Government of Canada for its ongoing support of our work.'

UPEI Master of Education student Lech Krzywonos was recently awarded the 2012 Gary Filan Excellence in Leadership Award and Scholarship at the Chair Academy's 21st Annual International Leadership Conference that took place on March 26-29 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Krzywonos was nominated by his academic facilitators for outstanding participation in a foundation Academy, as well as his contribution to the overall Academy experience. Not only was Krzywonos recognized at the conference's awards ceremony, but he also received a scholarship to attend an Advanced Leadership Academy to further his leadership education.

UPEI's Interim Dean of Education Miles Turnbull mentioned that it came as no surprise when Krzywonos was recognized for his outstanding leadership at this prestigious international conference. 'Professors and colleagues who worked with Lech during his MEd program at UPEI were all impressed with, and touched by, Lech's intellect, gentle yet creative leadership style, and his humble approach to life and his colleagues. I expect to hear much more about Lech's future career and leadership growth,' said Turnbull.

Krzywonos is currently the Academic Chair of the School of Access at the Nova Scotia Community College in Truro, Nova Scotia and will graduate from the UPEI MEd program this spring. 'It was truly humbling to be named as the recipient of this award among an international conglomerate of the best leaders in our college and university systems. This recognition is a reflection of the exceptional individuals who support me every day. My family, NSCC colleagues, the Chair Academy cohort and facilitators, and UPEI's MEd colleagues and staff have all allowed me to make mistakes and learn each and every day, and through this, are helping to shape my leadership journey. I combined the Chair Academy experience as a credit towards my MEd. It's a feather in the cap for UPEI to have supported such a collaboration that promotes partnership, flexibility, and creativity. '

The Chair Academy based in Mesa, Arizona is dedicated to delivering exemplary leadership development. The Academy has offered world-class, competency-based, leadership development programs for college and university leaders at the organizational, state, regional, national, and international level since 1992. The Annual International Leadership Conference attracts leaders from around the world to experience distinguished keynote speakers and presentations.

More about UPEI's Master of Education in Leadership program

Listening to Don Avery, Human Resources Manager, and Tim MacPhee, former Quality Control Coordinator, at Padinox Inc. speak about their work together, one might think they were long-time colleagues; yet, MacPhee was only with the high-end manufacturer of Paderno cookware for four months. It is amazing what they were able to accomplish in the span of a co-op work term. MacPhee, a fourth-year UPEI Business Co-operative Education student, spent his second work term with the company this past fall. He was brought in to assist in streamlining the quality control system at the kitchenware powerhouse.

In business since 1979, and the golden standard of cookware in North America, Paderno has secured longevity in a competitive market. By the time the 'Pots for Eternity' hit the market, they had undergone a thorough quality control assessment, backed by their 25-year warranty.

The process of making Paderno cookware is a complex series of steps that requires skilled personnel, coordinated communication, and top-of-the-line machinery from Italy. Padinox seeks to eliminate even the slightest knick or scratch defect from its production line, making the quest for product perfection of utmost importance. While employed at Padinox, MacPhee was first tasked to identify quality issues by meeting with factory staff, and then he tracked deficiencies with information sheets he developed. By increasing communication and documenting processes, Padinox was able to decrease deficiencies considerably. The company continues to utilize MacPhee's plan, though his work term is now complete.

According to Avery, MacPhee brought a wide range of skills to the table. 'He was a quick learner, took the initiative on his own to learn, and was not afraid to ask important questions,' he said.

'My courses at UPEI gave me the knowledge base, and I fully understood how to utilize the classroom concepts, by applying them at Padinox,' said MacPhee of his work term preparation. Along with having strong academic preparation, MacPhee's success was ensured with a fine balance of support and autonomy. He worked closely with a quality-control consultant from the Business Development Bank of Canada, and Avery, who gave him day-to-day support. At the same time, MacPhee was given a high level of responsibility to decide how to go about completing his tasks, and he was encouraged to share his suggestions.

MacPhee rose to the challenge, and provided concrete results to Padinox while learning on the job. He is currently on his final work term at Vogue Optical and will graduate from UPEI this year. MacPhee is thankful of the cooperative education he received at UPEI, and said he feels more prepared to start his career upon graduation.

UPEI co-op students will soon embark on their summer work terms from May-August. Students are only admitted into the program after an evaluation of their academic performance, work experience, attitude, and their level of ambition. Once in the program, students are coached to prepare them for employment opportunities and to increase their value in the workplace.

Third-year UPEI women's hockey player, Anja Weisser, has had an unforgettable six weeks. In that time frame, Weisser, originally from Kaufbeuren, Germany, played for both her university and her home country at regional, national, and international championships-the top tier competitions in her sport. With UPEI, Weisser competed at the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women's Hockey championships. She then competed at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship for Team Germany.

Weisser's hockey journey in Canada began after hearing about UPEI a few years ago at a minor hockey league camp in Finland. She had always wanted to play hockey in Canada and was urged to check out the UPEI women's hockey program. Two years later, she contacted Head Coach Bruce Donaldson and expressed her interest. Weisser made her way to UPEI, enrolled in the business program, and hasn't looked back, enjoying her first two seasons with the UPEI Panthers. 'I love the supportive environment that the University offers to its student athletes and enjoy the cohesion of my team,' she said.

Weisser reached a tremendous milestone on March 3, when the Panthers upset the St FX women's hockey team 2-1 in playoffs to advance to the Subway AUS Women's Hockey Championship, held at Dalhousie University. The Panthers then defeated the Mount Allison Mounties 3-0 to capture their first-ever AUS banner.

Weisser recalls the feeling of taking part in UPEI's first-ever AUS Championship win. 'It was unbelievable. No one was expecting us to win the AUS Championship, and most people didn't think we could beat St FX. Winning the AUS has been one of my best hockey experiences so far, our team really deserved the win.'

The UPEI women's hockey team had a strong showing at their first CIS Championship, losing close games to some of the best teams in the country, including the University of Montreal, Wilfred Laurier University, and the University of Alberta.

Weisser was only back on the Island for two weeks before she headed off to pre-camp in Burlington, Vermont, where she trained with Team Germany in preparation for the IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship, April 7-12. Team Germany came up against some tough competition during the tournament, finishing seventh overall, after defeating Slovakia two games in a best of three game series.

Weisser was pleased with how the team performed, highlighting the win against their rivals, Team Switzerland. She mentioned the nerve-wracking feeling of playing close games, the importance of mentally preparing for each game, and the fan support and friendliness in Burlington. 'The highlight of the tournament for me, was the first three days, when five of my roommates, teammates, and close friends, drove 13 hours from PEI, just to support me. It was a great feeling, and I was really encouraged by their support,' said Weisser.

Donaldson was thrilled for Weisser to get the chance of a lifetime to compete with her home country. He noted Weisser as an important addition to the UPEI Panthers and this year's AUS win. 'She brings strength to our defensive zone coverage and plays a key role on both our power play and penalty kill opportunities,' said Donaldson. 'She is a true team player with a strong skill set, she moves the puck well, and positions the puck towards the net which creates offensive opportunities,' he added.

UPEI recently held its annual co-operative education awards ceremony on March 22 to recognize co-op students and employers. Student of the Year awards were presented to Rebecca Nieuwhof (Business Co-op Student of the Year) and Caitlyn Darrach (Physics Co-op Student of the Year). Ben Docksteader was recognized as the Computer Science Co-op Student of the Year but was unable to attend the ceremony.

BDO Canada LLP received the Employer of the Year award for Business, Patrick Trainor, Partner at BDO Canada LLP, attended to accept the award on behalf of the company. Employer Recognition Awards for Computer Science and Physics were also presented at the ceremony. Timeless Technologies Inc received the award for Computer Science, Brad Pineau, Owner of Timeless Technologies was in attendance along with John Rowe, President of Timeless Technologies Inc. NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics located in British Columbia received the award for Physics, but were unable to attend the ceremony.

The annual event recognizes UPEI Co-op students for their accomplishments during co-op work terms, and it also recognizes employers who are committed to providing their students with the best experience possible.

Timeless Technologies Inc

BDO Canada LLP

The tenth offering of the International Biennial Conference on Lucy Maud Montgomery will be held at UPEI from June 20-24. Anyone interested in attending is reminded that the "Early Bird" deadline for discounted registration is May 1, so visit the Conference Website today to book your spot!

This year's theme is 'Cultural Landscapes' which will draw speakers and delegates from some of the nations touched by Montgomery's global impact, including Canada, the US, Japan, Sweden, and Finland.

The LM Montgomery Institute is pleased to be partnering with UPEI to host this year's Conference. A big factor in the success of past Montgomery conferences has been the efforts made by many members of the campus community to help make Conference attendees welcome.

This Conference wouldn't be possible without our volunteers! If you'd like to volunteer some of your time, between now and the end of June, please contact one of the Conference co-chairs. This is an excellent opportunity to work with a warm and enthusiastic community of Montgomery (and PEI) lovers from around the world.

Second-and-third year engineering students displayed their design skills at the annual UPEI Engineering Design Expo and Awards ceremony held April 19. The students, who formed into groups, were matched up at the beginning of the semester, with industry and government organizations-'clients'-that provided them with specific issues in hopes that they could provide real-life solutions.

The four clients included the PEI Department of Agriculture and Forestry (DAF), Ducks Unlimited, PEI Bag Company, and Morning Star Fisheries. The student groups had roughly six months to meet, plan, build, analyze, and present their prototypes to their clients. The Expo then provided a venue to display projects to community members and industry professionals. Engineers PEI judged the projects and presented an award to the team that best demonstrated a high level of professionalism, understanding of the client's problem, and an ability to effectively explain their designs to the general community.

The winner of this year's Engineers PEI Team Design Award was one of two groups that worked with PEI Bag Company with members Jonathan Young, John Thomas McKenna, Alex Hunt, Pam Andrews, and Patrick McKenna. The group was tasked with designing a machine that would partially automate the process of assessing the quality control of the bags produced by the company's Weber 9 machine. Presently, PEI Bag Company has an employee who takes the bags and checks them for quality, before sending them to a second worker. The goal for the design was to automate the tasks completed by the first worker. The group was able to include elements of mechanical, electrical, and industrial engineering in the creation of their machine. Their design solution uses a series of air-powered cylinders, rotators, and mechanical pieces, which helps to stack the bags on pallets. A LOGO (logic) controller controls the sequence for these parts.

Andrews noted a lot of time and effort was put into the student projects, and in the organization of the Expo, which made it such a successful event. 'The projects provide a unique way to develop necessary skills, and help prepare us for our future careers as engineers,' she said. 'A lot of great projects were displayed at the Expo, and I'm proud to say that I worked with a great team on one of them. Winning at the Expo was just an added bonus.'

Stephen Champion, Assistant Professor and Chair of UPEI's Department of Engineering, believes the annual Expo is a great opportunity for the students to come together and showcase their skills and commitment to the profession. 'The students really step up after a long grueling year and demonstrate a very high level of technical capability and maturity,' he said. 'From the perspective of faculty, and as members of Engineers PEI, we are very proud of the way they represented the University and the profession.'

Other student groups also came up with innovative prototypes for their clients, including a portable stream crossing that can be deployed in minutes and can be used by woodlot owners and farmers alike; a restoration project on the current infrastructure at Johnson's River freshwater wetland, reducing the overall workforce dependency through a separation machine; a redesign of a halibut grading table with a photographic grader installed to capture a full fish count, the surface area of each fish, and their rate of growth; and a modification to a halibut tank circulation, by introducing circular flow in rectangular tanks.

First- year engineering students also finished up their year-end projects, and were stationed outside the W.A. Murphy Student Centre on the day of the Expo to demonstrate their work for the Mikinduri Children of Hope (MCOH), a local organization that works to relieve the effects of poverty in Kenya. After meeting with representatives from MCOH, Dr. Andrew Trivett, Associate Professor of the first-year class at UPEI challenged the students to come up with a charcoal press that could produce bricks of charcoal for use in the African country. The students came up with drawings and instructions on how to design their presses, keeping in mind what tools would be readily available to their clients to create these presses on their own. Dr. Trivett mentioned that it was interesting to see the students develop innovative ideas, especially the international students, some of whom grew up in Africa. Dr. Trivett was also pleased to note that, this year, the Department of Engineering saw the largest number of international students enrolled in the program.

Engineering Expo Award Winners:

Engineers PEI Team Design Award-PEI Bag Company (Jonathan Young, John Thomas McKenna, Alex Hunt, Pam Andrews, Patrick McKenna). This award is presented each year to the student design team that best exemplifies innovation, excellence, and professionalism in a client-oriented community-based design project. The winning team will combine creative design ideas supported by in-depth analysis, detailed design documentation and an effective demonstration of concept.

UPEI's Department of Engineering presents communication and analysis awards annually to individual students in their first, second, or third year, who display contribution and excellence in their team environment.

Communication Award -'Generally recognized as the ‘softer' skills including the ability to ‘formulate' and ‘communicate' the chosen design ‘story' using a broad selection of tools including verbal, textual, and graphical techniques. Recognizes that engineering is really the ART of applying science to make a compelling argument with a high degree of professionalism and consideration for public safety.'

Analysis Award - 'Generally recognized as the ‘harder' skills including the ability to ‘understand' the clients problems and ‘analyze' the problems using a broad selection of scientific, mathematical and engineering knowledge. Recognizes that engineers must be scientifically and mathematically capable, with an ability to translate that knowledge and skill into innovative (new territory) solutions with predictable performance. It is this predictable performance that requires a sound understanding of the problem and an ability to use engineering tools and prototyping, to predict the performance and safety of the systems.'

This year's recipients include:

First-year recipients: Evan Ostridge (Communication) and Patrick Alex Wall (Analysis)

Second-year recipients: Pamela Andrews (Communication) and Matthew Gauthier (Analysis)

Third-year recipients: Mitch Eamer (Communication) and Lyle Gauthier (Analysis)

Joel Ward, right wing for the Washington Capitals, netted the overtime winning goal in Game 7 of the NHL matchup between the Capitals and the Boston Bruins. Having scored just six goals in the season, Ward is known as the Capitals' improbable hero, scoring the most crucial goal in the series, to knock out the defending Stanley Cup champions.

'I've done it this way my whole life,' Ward said. 'I've always been the underdog. I've never been a top guy. But I never doubted myself,' said Ward to a Washington Post reporter after the April 25 OT goal.

Ward's crucial goal within the first three minutes of OT was a backhanded rebound past Bruins goalie Tim Thomas. The goal secured the score at 2-1, an Eastern Conference quarterfinals victory to advance the Capitals.

The former UPEI Panther played four years on the University's hockey roster from 2001-2005 before graduating wtih his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, and then moved on to the Houston Aeros in the AHL. It's not a typical route to the NHL, but the hard-working Ward attracted the attention of the Minnesota Wild in a rare open tryout in 2006, eventually moving two years later to the Predators. After the 2010-11 season, Ward became a free agent and signed a four year contract with the Capitals.

UPEI congratulates Joel Ward!

UPEI's Math Camp, organized by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and co-sponsored by the Canadian Mathematical Society will take place May 4-6. The annual event will welcome 20 high school students from 10 local high schools, they are among the best math students in the province.

The camp offers faculty sessions on various mathematical topics, problem-solving competitions including math relays, as well as some recreational activities in the evenings.

Faculty sessions by Dr. Shannon Fitzpatrick, Dr. Sami Khedhiri, Dr. Gordon MacDonald, Dr. Max Burke, Dr. David Horrocks, Dr. Nasser Saad, and Dr. Ken Sulston.

For more information, contact event organizers: Dr. Ken Sulston at sulston@upei.ca or Dr. Shafiqul Islam at sislam@upei.ca