Holland College President, Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald, has been appointed to the advisory board for Magnet, a Toronto Metropolitan University-based social innovation platform.

Magnet partners with education, government, technology, and community service organizations to connect employers with job seekers and provide training and career development programs and services. Magnet provides the digital infrastructure for nation-wide projects like Canada’s Future Skills Centre and includes partnerships with Canada Job Bank, RBC Future Launch, Employment and Social Development Canada, and several industry associations.

The Board is chaired by the Honourable Bill Morneau, former Minister of Finance, Government of Canada, Dr. Laurie Waye, President and CEO of Coast Mountain College is vice-chair. Other Board members include Paul Jenkins, former Senior Deputy Governor, Bank of Canada, Christian Dandeneau, CEO and Co-Founder, IDFusion Software, and Janice Price, CEO of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

The initial mandate of the board is to provide guidance and foresight to TMU and Magnet on establishing its governance framework and ensuring a strategic growth agenda.

Magnet’s initiatives support a range of outcomes aligned to their mission including employer education, early talent recruitment, diverse hiring, business growth, and thought leadership. Their goal across all projects is to advance opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds and prepare employers for a changing labour market.

Magnet’s social innovation and technology platform serves to support businesses of all sizes to connect with talent and stakeholders such as service providers, industry associations, policy makers and researchers, and to collaborate to deliver workforce development solutions.

Dr. MacDonald is looking forward to contributing to the initiative.

“Magnet’s initiatives are aligned with several activities we have undertaken at Holland College. I look forward to participating in the development of this valuable platform as part of the advisory board,” he said.