When I first joined the Durham College Program Advisory Committee, I saw it as an opportunity to contribute my industry experience and help ensure students were graduating with the skills employers need today.
What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time was how valuable these conversations would be, not only for educators and employers, but for the students themselves.
That experience is one of the reasons I would welcome the opportunity to return to the committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
Since October 2025, I have served on the Program Advisory Committee for the Computer Systems program within Durham College’s Faculty of Business and Information Technology. Through this role, I have had the opportunity to contribute an industry perspective to discussions around technology education, workforce development, and the evolving needs of employers. The committee brings together educators, graduates, employers, and industry professionals to help ensure programs remain relevant and aligned with today’s workplace requirements.
Keeping Education Connected to the Workplace
Technology continues to evolve at an incredible pace.
Organizations are adopting new platforms, cybersecurity challenges are becoming more sophisticated, and employers are looking for professionals who can combine technical skills with communication, adaptability, and critical thinking.
One of the things I appreciate most about the Program Advisory Committee is its ability to bring together people from different perspectives to discuss how students can be best prepared for those realities.
The committee helps identify workforce trends, emerging technologies, employment opportunities, and the skills graduates need to succeed. Those insights help faculty develop learning experiences that reflect the realities of today’s workplace and prepare students for successful careers.
What struck me most during my first term was that every conversation ultimately came back to one important question:
How do we best prepare students for what comes next?
Faculty members bring expertise in education and student development. Industry leaders bring practical workplace experience. Together, those perspectives create meaningful conversations about helping students build both technical competence and professional confidence.
As I’ve said before:
“Technology continues to evolve, but the need to prepare people with practical skills, confidence, and an understanding of the workplace remains constant.”
Seeing the Impact Firsthand
The value of these partnerships became especially clear through our own experience at Lai and Associates.
Over the past year, we have welcomed student interns from Durham College and other post-secondary institutions into the organization. Internal internship initiatives included opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through real workplace projects involving Helpdesk operations, business process documentation, SharePoint, Power Platform solutions, infrastructure, networking, and technical support.
These experiences allow students to see how classroom learning translates into professional environments.
They learn how to collaborate within teams, communicate effectively, solve business problems, and contribute to projects that have real impact.
Just as importantly, employers gain the opportunity to work alongside talented students and help support their transition into the workforce.
“Students gain confidence when they can connect what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world challenges. That’s where growth really happens.”
For me, these experiences reinforced something I already believed: education is strongest when students can see a direct connection between what they learn and how those skills are applied in the workplace.
A Student Success Story That Reinforced My Commitment
One of the most rewarding examples of the value of these partnerships has been our experience with Vishvkumar Chaudhari, known to many of us as Vish, from Durham College’s Computer Systems Technology program.
Vish joined Lai and Associates through a student placement opportunity and quickly demonstrated exceptional initiative, professionalism, and technical capability. Throughout his placement, he consistently exceeded expectations, delivered high-quality work, and actively contributed ideas that improved project outcomes. His formal field placement appraisal highlighted exceptional performance in job knowledge, initiative, judgment, productivity, communication, teamwork, attendance, and goal achievement.
What impressed me most was not only his technical ability, but his leadership potential.
According to his internship evaluation, Vish became a highly effective collaborator who helped move projects forward, worked closely with his teammates, demonstrated ownership of his responsibilities, and produced professional-quality documentation requiring minimal revision. His evaluation also highlighted his ability to balance leadership with collaboration while maintaining a positive and constructive approach.
As a result of his performance and contribution, we retained Vish as a member of our team.
For me, that moment brought everything full circle.
The same conversations happening at the Program Advisory Committee about workforce readiness, practical experience, and student success had produced a real outcome. A student gained experience, demonstrated his abilities, and successfully transitioned into a professional role.
“When you see a student grow in confidence, apply what they’ve learned, and become a valued contributor to your organization, you truly understand the impact these partnerships can have.”
Vish’s journey represents exactly what strong educational and industry collaboration can achieve.
Why I Want to Continue Supporting the Program
My experience on the committee has reinforced something I have believed throughout my career:
Students benefit when education and industry work together.
The Program Advisory Committee provides an opportunity for employers to share insights, educators to share perspectives, and both groups to focus on a common goal: helping students succeed.
The committee also creates opportunities to better understand emerging workforce needs, strengthen educational programs, and create pathways that help graduates successfully transition into meaningful careers. The ongoing dialogue between industry and education helps students enter the workforce with greater awareness, adaptability, and confidence.
At Lai and Associates, supporting talent development is an important part of who we are. Our organizational vision emphasizes enabling people, partners, and communities to succeed while delivering secure, modern technology solutions that create meaningful impact.
Participating in the Program Advisory Committee aligns closely with those values.
It provides an opportunity to contribute, to learn, and to help ensure students are prepared not only for their first job, but for long-term success in the technology industry.
“When education and industry collaborate, students gain more than technical knowledge. They gain perspective, confidence, practical experience, and a clearer path forward.”
That is why I would welcome the opportunity to continue serving on Durham College’s Program Advisory Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
Because behind every curriculum discussion, advisory meeting, and employer conversation is something that truly matters:
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