Queen’s IRC will be attending the Top Employer Summit, which takes place on November 13-14, 2013 at The Hilton Hotel in downtown Toronto. The Top Employer Summit presents a spectacular line-up of world-class speakers, thought-leaders and the best case studies from their annual competition, Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. The Keynote speaker at this year’s conference is Hillary Rodham Clinton.
With over 850 responses to our Queen's IRC Marketing survey, I am pleased to announce the winners of the $50 coffee cards, and share some of the results with you. Eighty-seven percent of our respondents have five or more years of experience in the human resources, labour relations or organizational development professions. The majority of our respondents (69%) are in the 40 to 59 age group. About 23% of the respondents are unionized, and 47% identified HR as their primary role within their organization.
The Queen’s IRC archive revitalization project has been unveiled. The goal of the project, driven by Queen’s IRC Director Paul Juniper, was to digitize archive publications to make them available to the public once again. “I am excited to be able to share our IRC research and publication history in a new and accessible way,” said Juniper.
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new videos on the Queen's IRC YouTube channel. Take a sneak peek inside the IRC classroom and hear from our facilitators and participants about some of our most popular programs: Negotiation Skills, Managing Unionized Environments, and Labour Arbitration Skills. The Q&A series of videos feature our expert facilitators answering questions about current issues in the labour relations and human resources field.
Whether you are working towards one of our certificates or preparing for new challenges, our 2013/14 schedule offers learning opportunities that provide the skills you need as your work and team evolves. The Fall 2013-2014 Program Planner outlines our wide range of learning streams, taught by industry leaders who use real-world experience and evidence-based best practices in our classrooms. The Planner includes program details, certificate requirements, and information about our customized training sessions. Download our Fall 2013-2014 Program Planner now!
Queen's IRC is pleased to announce that its new website has officially launched. It was redesigned with simplicity, ease of use, and mobile compatibility in mind. Designed and developed in house, the new website offers enhanced navigational features, as well as a fresh look and updated content.
“There is nothing in this world constant, but inconstancy.” (Jonathan Swift, 1709)
Swift’s words were true in the 18th century, and they remain true today. We live in a world of continuous change – in both our personal and professional lives. And as our communities become more global and our careers more integrated, it can be challenging to keep up with breaking trends and best practices for your organization’s success.
When Paul Juniper became the Director of Queen's University Industrial Relations Centre (IRC) in 2006, he recognized the need for more senior level training in the changing human resources (HR) profession. To accomplish this, he designed a new series of Advanced HR programs to enhance the strategic knowledge, ability, and capability of HR practitioners. The goal was to enable HR practitioners to shift from an administrative and/or transactional role, to one that has become an integral part of an organization's business strategy – an HR business partner.
Over the past few years, I've spent a lot of time talking about the future of the HR profession; a future that I think is filled with opportunity and possibility. We've seen tangible progression in the role of the HR function within organizations. Increasingly, the HR function is viewed as a strategic partner, called upon to provide critical advice and concrete guidance.
In 2011, the Queen's University Industrial Relations Centre (IRC) began a longitudinal, practitioner-focused research project that explores the state of the HR profession in Canada. Now, as part of this on-going project, we are following up with a second survey.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the World Business Forum in New York City. I was impressed with the outstanding speakers who addressed many of the key themes that we discuss in our programs; creating great leaders, managing change, and how to have the right people in the right roles in your organization.
In 2012, the IRC celebrated 75 years of industrial relations at Queen's. To commemorate the event, we've outlined the evolution of the IRC by focusing on the achievements of past directors, and the study of industrial relations at Queen's during this time.
On October 12, 2012, the IRC commemorated a diamond milestone: 75 years of industrial relations at Queen's University. The afternoon provided an opportunity to reflect on the IRC's history, its accomplishments, and the many individuals and organizations that have been instrumental in shaping the Centre's journey.
In 1937, Queen's University formed the Industrial Relations Section. Since then, the Section has evolved to include two academic programs, a Master of Industrial Relations (MIR) and a Professional Master of Industrial Relations (PMIR), and the practitioner-focused Industrial Relations Centre (IRC).
I often think of September as a transitional month, full of promise and new beginnings. Not only does it mark a seasonal change, as summer turns to fall; it is also the time when students across the country head back to school. The Queen's campus is once again bustling with activity, with the start of the new academic year.
Industrial Relations at Queen’s: The First Fifty Years was published in 1987 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the study of industrial relations at Queen’s.