oce-ontario.

org/vap

VALUE ADDED
PERSONNEL (VAP)
Tomorrow’s innovators know they need more than just
a technical education.
Ontario Centres of Excellence’s (OCE’s) Value Added Personnel Program equips Ontario
students with the tools they need to quickly adapt and prepare for successful employment.

WHAT IS THE VALUE ADDED PERSONNEL PROGRAM (VAP)? HOW DO STUDENTS BENEFIT?

OCE’s Value-Added Personnel Program is a training initiative that R Gain business knowledge and skills
helps Ontario science, technology and engineering students R Improve marketability when looking for
future employment
develop essential business and entrepreneurship skills to comple- R Build networks and partnerships
ment their technical expertise. R Adapt quickly as a new hire

The program was created in consultation with Ontario industry

leaders who identified additional skills and knowledge most desir-
able in new hires. VAP courses are delivered by corporate leaders AM I ELIGIBLE?
and top business school faculty across Ontario and presented as
one-, two- and three day workshops. Eligible students can enroll in OCE’s VAP Program is open to all Ontario graduate,
a certificate program or take individual courses. undergraduate and college students working on
science, technology and/or engineering research
projects for their thesis.
This year, OCE is offering five core and five optional courses.
The core courses are Business Development and
Entrepreneurship, Networking and Communications, Strategic
and Business Planning, Leadership Skills, and Team-Based ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCESS
Project Management. Optional courses include Intellectual
Property and Technology Transfer, Market Strategy, New To learn more about OCE’s VAP Program visit
Ventures, Visual Presentation Skills and Business Etiquette. www.oce-ontario.org/vap or contact:
Roxy Hamilton
For more information about our 2010 courses, Program Development Manager,
visit www.oce-ontario.org/vap Funders and Programs
Ontario Centres of Excellence
Tel: 1 (613) 7263420 x4223 or
1 (866) 759-6014 x4223
roxy.hamilton@oce-ontario.org
This year, OCE is offering ten VAP courses
at locations across Ontario. Please visit
www.oce-ontario.org/vap for the latest
schedule and review our course descrip-
tions below.

CORE COURSES OPTIONAL COURSES

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
An introduction to business strategy and implementation, challenges Learn how to declare an invention, protect intellectual property and
and key elements in executing a business plan. transfer it successfully.

NETWORKING AND COMMUNICATIONS HOW TO DEVELOP A WINNING MARKET STRATEGY

Interactive workshop to enhance interpersonal and networking skills, Learn how to develop a solid product market plan and the relationship
allowing students to take full advantage of professional development between sales and marketing.
opportunities.
NEW VENTURES
STRATEGIC AND BUSINESS PLANNING Discover how to assess your own skill-set, analyze business start-up
Introduction to the basic concepts of business strategy and tools to strategies, market ideas, articulate business propositions and pitch
help understand how new product ideas can be shaped into business plans.
profitable ventures.
VISUAL PRESENTATION SKILLS
TEAM-BASED PROJECT MANAGEMENT Provides guidelines and hands-on training on how to deliver engaging
Discover how teams tick and gain skills and a new appreciation for visual presentations with confidence.
team-building and teamwork.
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
LEADERSHIP SKILLS Learn to use proper etiquette in a variety of business situations and
Provides an understanding of the principles of leadership, your social settings.
potential as a leader and how to get results through strong leadership.

“At Larus Technologies, we believe the VAP
Program is so valuable, we are enrolling all our
recent engineering hires so they too can benefit
from this excellent technology-focused
management development program.”
“I have a dream to be an entrepreneur. But to
be honest, I didn’t think I had the ‘street sense’
for it. OCE’s VAP program has given me
something to start with.”
“VAP courses changed my life in a big way.
Before attending VAP courses I was more
focused on technical oriented jobs. After
taking VAP courses, it opened my doors to
business and entrepreneurship. I also got a
chance to network with other Ontario
University students.”

Gail diCintio Michele Heng Altaf Khetani

Vice President Operations Student Student
Larus Technologies University of Waterloo University of Ottawa

ABOUT OCE
Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Inc. drives the commercialization of cutting-edge research
across key market sectors to build the economy of tomorrow and secure Ontario’s global
competitiveness. In doing this, OCE fosters the training and development of the next generation
of innovators and entrepreneurs and is a key partner with Ontario’s industry, universities, colleges,
research hospitals, investors and governments. OCE’s Centres work in communications and
information technology, earth and environmental technologies, energy, materials and manufactur-
ing and photonics. OCE is funded by the government of Ontario and is a key partner in delivering
Ontario’s Innovation Agenda. OCE through its Centre for Commercialization of Research (CCR),
The Ontario Centres of Excellence program is made possible
an initiative supported by the federal government, also acts as catalyst which allows innovative through the financial support of the province of Ontario.
businesses to grow and achieve sustainable, commercial success and global competitiveness. The Ontario Centres of Excellence is a member of the Ontario
Network of Excellence (ONE).