Keynote Speakers
Majdi Bou-Matar
Majdi Bou-Matar is a theatre director and performer who immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 2003. He holds an MA degree in Drama from the University of Guelph with research focus on Canadian intercultural theatre, a BA degree in directing from the Lebanese American University and BA Honours in theatre studies from the Lebanese University. Majdi directed several productions in Beirut and has been a key participant in several theatre, television, and film projects in the Middle East and Tunisia. Majdi represented his country of origin in the Afro-Arab Centre for Theatrical Research in Tunis where he gained considerable knowledge in the inter-cultural aspects of theatre.
An active member of the Waterloo Region arts community, Majdi founded The Multicultural Theatre Space (The MT Space) in 2004. At The MT Space Majdi designed and managed several programs using theatre as a tool for community building, settlement, and social change. Such projects include the Immigrant Youth Theatre program with the KWYMCA and Theatre for Social Change with the Centre for Community Based Research.
Majdi's directing portfolio includes Nijinski the hour of his Wedding to the Lord (1998), Miss Julie (1999), Something Like Macbeth (2000), Three-Legged Horse (2004), Seasons of Immigration (2005), Yes or No (2006), Exit Strategy (2007), The Last 15 Seconds (2008) and Body 13/The Change Room (2010). Majdi is also the Artistic Director of IMPACT, a biennial international theatre festival in the Waterloo Region. In its first incarnation IMPACT 09 presented theatre from China, Hungary, Belgium and Canada. The festival engaged over 100 artists, 100 volunteers and 3300 visitors. Majdi is currently preparing for IMPACT 11 scheduled for September 22-October 1, 2011.
Afternoon Keynote on ESSENTIAL SKILLS
By: Sherri Tryon, Manager, Job Connect
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.
Essential Skills are not the technical skills required by particular occupations but rather the skills applied in all occupations. For example, writing skills are required in a broad range of occupations while the complexity and frequency of the essential skills may vary among occupations or positions.
In our afternoon Keynote, Sheri will educate you on the 9 Essential Skills as people who have the essential skills at the levels required for their desired occupations will have enhanced employability. However, there are other factors that also enhance employability. Higher skilled occupations, of course, also require a variety of technical skills!
The 9 Essential Skills are:
- Reading Text
- Document Use
- Writing
- Numeracy
- Oral Communication
- Thinking Skills
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Job Task Planning and Organizing
- Significant Use of Memory
- Finding Information
- Working with Others
- Computer Use
- Continuous Learning
Sherri Tryon
Sherri Tryon, Manager of the Workforce Access Programs and Conestoga Career Centre in Guelph.
Sherri is a graduate from the University of Waterloo in the Social Development Studies Program. Her career at Conestoga College began in 1998 working in an employment program to assist youth and adults transitioning to the workplace. Her work balanced the needs of the employers' recruitment needs while advocating for an individual's access to workplace training and employment.
Over the past 10 years as a Manager at Conestoga College, Sherri has managed employment programs, Essentials Skills projects, Work-place component for Enhanced Language Training programs for Engineers and Advising for Internationally Trained Immigrants. One commonality among all the services and projects is increasing the awareness of employers and clients to better prepare for and engage in upgrading to improve Essential Skills competencies.
