EdUp Canada

EdUp Canada
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  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Success does not usually happen in a straight line. It has twists and turns, speedbumps and detours. But something that’s fundamental to success is equipping yourself with the right skills…but what are the right skills? Well, let’s find out. Join me, Michael Sangster, as we learn about how successful people have turned a set of skills into success. From students to business leaders, veterans, policymakers, blue-collar workers and educators. You’ll find out how learning a set of skills can lead to a lifetime of success. Welcome to the EdUp Canada podcast. Let’s learn together.

  1. 250 Students in One Year: Filling Canada’s Mental Health Skills Gap with Dylan Matter

    23 HRS AGO

    250 Students in One Year: Filling Canada’s Mental Health Skills Gap with Dylan Matter

    What does it actually take to change a family’s trajectory? In this episode of EdUp Canada, host Michael Sangster sits down with Dylan Matter, Chief Operating Officer of Cambria College in British Columbia — a leader with 18 years in the career college sector who has quietly become one of its most respected voices. Dylan opens up about his unlikely entry into education (hint: it started behind a coffee bar), what it means to watch a first-generation graduate walk across a stage surrounded by 15 proud family members, and how Cambria trained 250 mental health support workers in a single year — not because the government asked, but because the community needed it. Together, Dylan and Michael dig into the layers of regulation most people never see, why the location of a career college in a strip mall or above a restaurant is a deliberate strategy — not a compromise — and what it really means when a school’s survival depends entirely on whether its graduates find jobs. This is an honest, grounded conversation about what skills training looks like from the inside. [00:02:00]  —  From lattes to leadership  Dylan’s unlikely origin story — how a Starbucks regular changed the direction of his career. [00:04:00]  —  15 guests at graduation  What it really means when a first-generation family fills the seats — and why it hits differently than a university convocation. [00:08:00]  —  250 students, 15 cohorts, one year  The mental health support worker program that grew with unexpected momentum and what it reveals about community-driven skills demand. [00:11:00]  —  “Our survival is based on your success”  The outcomes-first accountability model at the heart of career college education — in Dylan’s own words. [00:12:00]  —  More regulated than you think  The layers of oversight behind a single program: provincial approval, industry accreditation, practicum agreements with health authorities. [00:16:00]  —  Why being above a Cactus Club is a strategy  The case for accessible, community-embedded campuses — and why the ‘impulse visit’ student is exactly who they’re designed to serve. [00:20:00]  —  “Make people your cheerleaders”  The graduation speech advice Dylan has given for 15 years — and the story of how his last three jobs all came through referral. [00:26:00]  —  The receptionist is the heart  Who really holds a career college together — and why the front desk may be the most important role in the building. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/eRxaNez2XnB Listen to past episodes here: www.edupcanada.ca

    31 min
  2. The College Where Volunteering Pays the Tuition with Tim Ogilvie

    APR 1

    The College Where Volunteering Pays the Tuition with Tim Ogilvie

    What happens when the healthcare system is so desperate for trained workers that employers are sponsoring students before they've even been accepted into a program? That's just one of the realities Tim Ogilvie — VP and Dean of MCG Career College and Chair of the Alberta Association of Career Colleges — unpacks in this conversation. Tim grew up in rural Nova Scotia, the son of a factory worker, and found his footing through a small private career college. That experience never left him — and it's driven a career built on fighting for students who need fast, flexible, affordable pathways into the workforce. From healthcare programs with $25,000 signing bonuses to a college that lets students pay 100% of their tuition through community volunteering, Tim makes the case — with data and hard-won stories — that career colleges aren't an alternative path. They're often the best one. [00:03:00] — The Best Man He Met at Career College [00:07:00] — When a Family Sends Its First Graduate Across the Stage [00:09:00] — What Happens When You Cut Education Funding [00:15:00] — The Healthcare Support Layer Nobody Talks About [00:18:00] — Four Hours a Day Is the Whole Point [00:21:00] — The Cadillac of Programs (And a $25,000 Signing Bonus) [00:28:00] — The College Where Volunteering Pays the Tuition [00:31:00] — From Career College to Film School: Stories Worth Telling Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/xKNLSobrfNa Listen to past episodes here: www.edupcanada.ca

    36 min
  3. "Most Working Actors Trained at a Career College" with Michael Coleman

    MAR 25

    "Most Working Actors Trained at a Career College" with Michael Coleman

    What does it actually take to build a lasting career in one of Canada's most dynamic industries — film and television? Michael Coleman, President and CEO of Vancouver's Story Institute, has spent over 35 years answering that question from every angle: as a working actor, a prolific writer, a voice artist, and now as the founder of a provincially regulated career college that does one thing exceptionally well. In this episode, Michael pulls back the curtain on what makes career college training fundamentally different from a traditional academic path — and why that difference matters for students, for the industry, and for the broader Canadian economy. From a student who landed a role in a Christoph Waltz feature, to a graduate who became a fan favourite on a globally streamed series, Michael's stories illuminate what happens when practical training meets real industry opportunity. Whether you're weighing your options for skills training, leading an institution, or thinking about how career colleges contribute to local economies, this conversation will shift the way you think about what education can look like. [00:02:00] — Why Michael Left Traditional Academia (And What He Built Instead) [00:03:30] — Its Not Show Friendship, Its Show Business [00:05:00] — Quality Over Quantity: Why Fewer Students Means More Working Graduates [00:08:30] — The Multi-Billion Dollar Ecosystem Nobody Talks About [00:12:00] — Falling in Love With a TV Character (Who Turned Out to Be His Student) [00:13:30] — The Student Who Booked a Hollywood Feature Film [00:17:00] — Even Your Worst Day Is Better Than Most Peoples Best Day [00:21:00] — We Teach People How to Be Doctors Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/MgOdT1Vkark Listen to past episodes here: https://www.edupcanada.ca/

    27 min
  4. Alex Usher on Post-Secondary Squeeze, Student Debt, and the Future of International Education

    MAR 18

    Alex Usher on Post-Secondary Squeeze, Student Debt, and the Future of International Education

    What does Canada's post-secondary system actually deliver — and for whom? In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Michael Sangster sits down with Alex Usher, one of Canada's most respected higher education analysts and president of Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA), to take an honest look at the pressures reshaping post-secondary education in Canada. Usher pulls no punches: university systems are more financially fragile than colleges, student debt is set for a sharp rebound, and Canada may be sleep-walking into a workforce crisis driven by demographic decline and misguided immigration policy. But there's optimism here too — for the institutions nimble enough to move fast, build strong outcomes, and demonstrate clear value for students and society. This episode weaves through student debt trends, OSAP reform, the international student caps, global talent flows, career college perceptions, and the remarkable resilience of skills-first education — all filtered through Usher's signature blend of data rigour and straight talk. Whether you're setting education policy, leading a career college, or deciding where to invest your tuition dollars, this conversation gives you the unvarnished picture. [00:03:00]: When the best friend in the room doesn't know what he bought [00:07:30]: Student debt is coming back — and it will make people scream [00:09:00]: Universities are more brittle — and they know it [00:13:00]: The cautious optimist: what good looks like right now [00:16:00]: Career colleges going global — and solving the brain drain problem [00:17:00]: "Typical Canadian mediocrity" — the international students warning [00:20:30]: The b******t detector: the skill that built a career [00:22:30]: The sector's real warts — and why they're shrinking

    29 min
  5. No ECE Shortage, No Waitlists: What One Province Got Right with Cindy Lidster

    MAR 11

    No ECE Shortage, No Waitlists: What One Province Got Right with Cindy Lidster

    Canada's healthcare workforce isn't just stretched — it's cracking. And the institutions best positioned to fix it are being overlooked, undersupported, and in some cases, actively undercut by operators running so-called "colleges" that are little more than nursing homes with a logo. In this episode of the EdUp Canada podcast, host Michael Sangster sits down with Cindy Lidster — a former nursing professor at the University of New Brunswick turned career college founder and president of the New Brunswick Association of Private Colleges and Universities. Cindy saw two things coming in 2014 that nobody wanted to believe: that the future of frontline nursing would be delivered primarily by personal support workers and healthcare aides, and that the future of education delivery was going online. She built her college around both predictions before most institutions had even started the conversation. When the pandemic hit, she was ready. In this episode, you'll hear what it actually looks like to run a high-standards career college in a province that's quietly building one of the most collaborative relationships between private colleges and government in the country. You'll hear about two women in their early twenties who gave up their home in Scarborough, quit their jobs, and moved to New Brunswick — all to enroll in a PSW program they hoped would lead to permanent residency and a career in care. Their placement partners want to hire them full-time. Cindy is quietly waiting to see how it ends. You'll also hear about a sector working hard to clean its own house: the site visits that revealed "colleges" operating out of care homes, the association standards being built to mean something beyond a government checkbox, and the LPN training waitlists that are already so long Cindy is drafting a proposal for a third provider in the province. If you've ever wondered whether skills-based training can genuinely change someone's life — or what it looks like when a province actually gets career college policy right — this episode is a masterclass. [00:02:00] — Cindy saw the future of nursing and online education coming in 2014, built her college around both predictions, and was fully ready when the pandemic proved her right. [00:05:00] — She can teach the science, the skills, and the math — but the one thing she can't teach, and keeps trying hardest to, is how to genuinely care for another person. [00:06:00] — Cindy has done the site visits, and some of the institutions calling themselves career colleges in New Brunswick are, in her words, nursing homes with a logo. [00:09:00] — Two best friends left Scarborough, gave up their jobs and their home, and moved to New Brunswick to enroll in a PSW program — and their practicum partners want to hire them full-time. [00:11:00] — ACAHS has no fixed cohorts, pre-recorded lectures, online testing, and instructors who hand out their cell numbers — because education should fit around life, not the other way around. [00:13:00] — New Brunswick's LPN waitlists are already too long to clear, one province solved its ECE shortage simply by never restricting career college training, and Cindy is already writing the proposal for a third LPN provider. [00:15:00] — The skill Cindy credits most for everything she's built is the one she spent decades talking herself out of: trusting what she sees when nobody else is asking the question. [00:21:00] — Cindy's closing message on why career college graduates belong in care settings is really about one thing: the people they'll be caring for are the most vulnerable, and they deserve someone who is genuinely prepared. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/x4ojFaNbRoV Listen to past episodes here: https://www.edupcanada.ca/

    26 min
  6. 3,000 Jobs, No Graduates: Career Colleges and Canada's Dental Crisis with Chery Russell-Julien and Tara Fitzpatrick

    MAR 5

    3,000 Jobs, No Graduates: Career Colleges and Canada's Dental Crisis with Chery Russell-Julien and Tara Fitzpatrick

    Canada is in the middle of a dental assisting crisis — and most people have no idea. In this special Dental Assistants Recognition Week edition of the EdUp Canada podcast, host Michael Sangster sits down with two of the sector's most respected voices: Cheryl Russell-Julien, Director of Academics and Quality Assurance at a regulated career college and a leader within NACC member institutions, and Tara Fitzpatrick, CEO of the Ontario Dental Assistants Association (ODAA). Together, they unpack what it actually takes to become a dental assistant through a career college, why over 3,000 dental assistant positions sit vacant in Ontario alone, and why recent changes to federal and provincial training grant funding could make things dramatically worse. You'll hear real stories from the chair — from a dentist in Cornwall who couldn't open his office for three days because his assistant was sick, to students who walked out of career college programs feeling genuinely prepared, career-ready, and connected to a profession for life. If you've ever wondered whether a short, focused training program can truly launch a meaningful career — or what happens when healthcare workforce pipelines start to crack — this episode is your answer. 1. The workforce numbers are alarming — and close to home. Over 3,000 dental assistant positions are currently unfilled in Ontario, and two-thirds of dental offices need at least one assistant to operate. This episode breaks down exactly what's driving that shortage and what's at stake for oral health access across Canada. 2. You'll hear what the real standards are — and why they matter. Cheryl Russell-Julien walks through the rigorous approval, accreditation, and inspection process that career college dental programs must pass before a single student sets foot in a clinic. It's a compelling case for why program quality and funding go hand in hand. 3. Career college graduates are driving this profession. The majority of dental assistants in Ontario graduate from career colleges. Tara Fitzpatrick explains why the ODAA has built formal partnerships with career college networks — and what makes career-college-trained graduates stand out when they walk into a dental office. 4. The funding changes in Ottawa and Queen's Park have real consequences for real patients. Cheryl and Tara connect the dots between cuts to training grants, an increase in untrained dental 'helpers,' and the growing risk to public safety — including a national dental care plan that can't be delivered without the assistants to support it. 5. This episode shows what a career — not just a job — actually looks like. Tara worked chairside for 13 years, still counts former patients as close friends, and now leads a provincial association. Cheryl wanted to be a mechanic and ended up building a 45-year career that grew from every skill dental assisting taught her. Their stories are a masterclass in what skills-based training can unlock. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/rKJaJ6QS6Eu Listen to past episodes here: https://www.edupcanada.ca/

    37 min
  7. Dental Assistant Recognition Week: Natalie Marsh on Demand, Training, and the Future of Canada’s Oral Health Workforce

    MAR 3

    Dental Assistant Recognition Week: Natalie Marsh on Demand, Training, and the Future of Canada’s Oral Health Workforce

    On the EdUp Canada podcast, host Michael Sangster speaks with Natalie Marsh, President of the Canadian Dental Assistants Association, to mark Dental Assistant Recognition Week and discuss the essential role dental assistants play in Canada’s oral healthcare system amid growing attention on dental care and the CDCP. Marsh describes significant demand across provinces, growing student interest with waitlists, and persistent shortages tied to retention, fair wages, licensing costs, and maternity leaves and retirements. She explains the one-year, dentistry-focused training pathway, national licensing exam, and province-by-province differences in scope of practice that complicate mobility and drive the need for greater standardization. Marsh shares why the work is rewarding—especially helping patients regain smiles with dentures—highlights posture and adaptability as key skills, and emphasizes advocacy to make dental assisting better understood as a regulated healthcare profession. 00:37 Dental Assistants Spotlight 01:41 Demand and Interest 03:29 Retention and Pay 04:55 Career Rewards and Impact 07:12 Ergonomics and Longevity 08:00 Training and Standards 10:55 Nova Scotia Pipeline 12:49 Public Awareness and Advocacy 16:47 Mentoring Future Assistants 19:36 Skills for Success 21:48 Recognition Week and Teamwork 24:54 How to Explore the Career Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/xKg2rmAm6xx Listen to past episodes here: https://www.edupcanada.ca/

    29 min
  8. Breaking Profession Prejudice: The Real Value of Skills Training with MP Garnett Genuis

    2025-12-24

    Breaking Profession Prejudice: The Real Value of Skills Training with MP Garnett Genuis

    MP Garnett Genuis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment, joins host Michael Sangster to tackle Canada's youth unemployment crisis and reveal why career colleges are essential to closing the nation's skills gap. This conversation goes beyond politics to explore how training systems can—and must—evolve to meet labour market demands, the hidden costs of "profession prejudice," and why every job deserves dignity and respect. 5 Reasons You Should Listen Discover the real drivers behind youth unemployment – Learn how immigration policy, training misalignment, and economic factors create barriers for young workers, plus specific policy solutions being proposed to address these systemic issues.Understand the 80% employment success rate – Hear about groundbreaking research showing career college graduates find work directly related to their training at rates traditional universities can't match, revealing what makes skills-focused education so effective.Learn about policy changes affecting student aid – Get the inside story on Budget 2024's proposal to eliminate student grants for private institutions and why this could hurt the very programs training workers in high-demand fields like nursing and healthcare.Explore how to match training with real job opportunities – Gain insights into the geography gaps, skills mismatches, and credential recognition challenges preventing qualified workers from filling available positions across Canada.Rethink what makes a "good" career – Challenge assumptions about university versus trades through powerful stories about personal support workers, skilled tradespeople, and the philosophy that all work—when done with creativity and passion—deserves equal respect. 04:00 — When Three Siblings Choose the Same Path 06:00 — The 80% Employment Rate Universities Can't Match 11:00 — Navigating the Student Grant Changes Ahead 18:00 — The Weekly Flight from Newfoundland to Alberta 21:00 — Training Canadians to Cook Specialized Cuisine 26:00 — What a Doctor Taught His Politician Son 30:00 — The Plumber with a Physician's Passion Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/nojV4EmeSY3 Listen to past episodes here: https://www.edupcanada.ca/

    35 min
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About

Success does not usually happen in a straight line. It has twists and turns, speedbumps and detours. But something that’s fundamental to success is equipping yourself with the right skills…but what are the right skills? Well, let’s find out. Join me, Michael Sangster, as we learn about how successful people have turned a set of skills into success. From students to business leaders, veterans, policymakers, blue-collar workers and educators. You’ll find out how learning a set of skills can lead to a lifetime of success. Welcome to the EdUp Canada podcast. Let’s learn together.

Information

  • Creator
    EdUp Canada
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © EdUp Canada
  • Show Website
    EdUp Canada

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