Author Archives: Ashley Alfred

Welcome to the Future

When I grow up….
In the future….
One day….

To 80’s kids & the generations prior to us, 2020 sounded like a faraway utopian land. To me, it was a place where the Jetson’s lived and we would be travelling in flying cars with robots as our ‘hired help’.

We grew up without seatbelts or helmets. We sat at local libraries using pens and paper for our research papers. Children today are safer and more protected. They have the ability to write faster, learn faster, do faster. They’re uploading assignments to cloud accounts for teachers to grade remotely from Airbnb’s in foreign countries. Tutoring is easily available online. Learning is mixed with gamification and has even become “fun”.

Technology has afforded us so many incredible opportunities that have enabled us to be bigger, better, faster, stronger, wiser, and more globally unified. In the past century, we have gone from travelling across continents by boat to travelling by rocket ship to outer space. Our neighbours used to be the people on our streets, now they are the countries that surround us.

The past twenty years have brought about an explosion of social media, which has changed the world as we knew it. Marketing, communication, dating, travelling, and shopping have all changed in one way or another. We send Snaps, marketing ads are in real-time, we swipe left or right to determine who we want to date and restock our shelves via Amazon all while travelling to a shared office space in our Uber pool. Space is reducing, but through technology, we are finding a way to manage.

There have been extraordinary advances in medicine with the pioneering of 3-D printers, genetic testing, and robotic instruments in the operating room. We have built technology that helps the blind to see, wireless brain sensors, a machine that prints skin, new brain imagery and artificial organs. Neurofeedback enables those with Anxiety and ADHD to thrive. These medical marvels are enabling us to live longer lives, become stronger and healthier and have more opportunities to thrive. At the same time, stress and anxiety are almost the norm. ADHD, Cancer, and Heart Disease have become a part of our vocabulary when addressing friends & family.

Are we living in a world of flying cars and robots? Not yet, but we are certainly close. Importantly, we’ve changed the face of healthcare and opened up new doors and avenues for personal growth. We have come so far and technology has improved the lives of the many. We are growing as a culture and a community but there are still many hurdles that we face. Climate change is happening and our world sometimes feels like it’s at the end. We have one life, one planet, and one opportunity to get this right. Technology has taken us far, but I wonder, what’s next?

Not ‘looking’ for a job…

I’m a recruiter in Toronto and work with high-caliber candidates for some of the top companies in the GTA. My focus is executive and technical search and 95% of the time I’m headhunting. Yes, 95% of my time is spent calling random people and asking them if they are open to hearing about better offers. If you ask one of these potential candidates if they’re looking for a job, the answer will always be no. NO! Not one of these people are “looking” for a job. These are successful, senior level engineering and professionals working for some of the biggest brands in the world! Of course they’re not LOOKING for a job!!!

So if nobody is “looking” for a job, why am I here?

Well, a lack of active candidates on the market IS reason why I’m here. Talent is becoming more and more passive; recruiters not only fill jobs, they also create opportunity. We create opportunity for companies to flourish and grow faster than they could without us, but importantly, we create opportunity for employees by way of creating the need for retention strategies. If candidates are being called by umpteen recruiters on a daily basis, employers will do more to ensure they are happy (catered lunches, anyone?). So, to anyone out there that says they don’t like recruiters, think again. What you don’t like is where the industry has headed, the mass approach lead by an army of junior recruiters that won’t last 6 months and don’t have a clue. The profession itself (and the good ones in it) is another story; thanks to the mass increase in recruitment, companies are competing against each other to attract AND retain talent, continuing to add perks and benefits like never seen before. The trick is to find yourself someone that’s actually good at their job and stick with them as long as you can. That’s not always easy to find, but then again, you can always call me 😉

One other thing I just had to say to the candidates out there interviewing. It’s okay to talk to a recruiter if you’re not serious, as long as you communicate that to them. I am always open to talking to anyone proactively! That said, if you go to an interview, you’re looking for a job. The single act of interviewing with a company means that you are now “looking” for a job. An interview is not a coffee at a coffee shop with a hiring manager, I get that there are proactive meetings, but if you’re going in and writing code on a whiteboard with half the team, you’re looking for a job. Just had to get that out.

GOOGLE GENERATION SETS TONE FOR CANADIAN HEALTHCARE

By BECKY RAMPHAL

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) commissioned Lpsos to conduct a survey in May to reveal Canadian’s perceptions on the current direction of the Canadian healthcare system and their level of acceptance to technology being integrated more rapidly into their healthcare. Its findings suggest a more technological-based approach should be implemented to reduce the generation gap with patients’ wants and needs.

On average, the report shows those within the Google Generation (people between the age of 18 and 34) are visiting doctor’s offices more frequently – up to 11 times per year – and are more eager to embrace new technology to assist in monitoring their personal health.

Utilizing wearable monitoring systems such as Fitbits and other smartwatches, as well as phone apps to track heart rate, blood pressure, diet and sleep habits have created a more informed patient pool. CMA urges the implementation of new policies, and encourages the system to embrace technological enhancements quickly due to the large impact this generation is having on present and future healthcare.

CMA President, Laurent Marcoux, Ph.D., said “Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual monitoring provide an opportunity to address the health needs of the Google Generation as they embrace technology in all facets of their lives.

“The way this generation manages and tracks their health is much different than any other demographic group,” Marcoux said. “To ensure we are ready to tackle this new wave of tech savvy patients; we need to have the right policies as well as action plans to [futurize] our healthcare ecosystem.”

Implementing virtual doctor visits, and the use of AI are tactics the Google Generation believes could help lead to more timely care, convenience and overall quality of care. However, 6 in 10 Canadians are excited about the incorporation of this new technology, but would only trust a diagnosis if delivered by a physician.

There are issues with privacy and ethics that 7 out of 10 Canadians believe haven’t been fully thought out in regards to AI usage in healthcare, and 67 percent are worried about losing the human touch factor.

Nevertheless, the implementation of technology within the Canadian healthcare system is necessary in order to match the demand of the evolving generations.

“We need to look at this information as a warning sign,” Marcoux said. “Every generation presents a new challenge to our healthcare system, but with the Google Generation, healthcare is about convenience and timeliness, and the current system does not provide for that.”

CANADA’S FIRST AUTONOMOUS ELECTRIC SHUTTLE WILL DEBUT THIS FALL

By MAX GREENWOOD

Sometimes a patient bus driver will wait and let trailing passengers hop on before they leave for the next stop. Well, those late riders may have to start waking up a few minutes early, at least in one Canadian town.

The City of Candiac in Quebec—about 20 minutes outside of Montreal—has announced the completion of a long-term project that will see a 100 per cent electric autonomous shuttle used on public roads for the first time in Canada’s history. The shuttle was created with the help of transportation company Keolis Canada, manufacturer NAVYA, Propulsion Québec, la Grappe industrielle des véhicules électriques et intelligents du Québec and Technopôle IVÉO, along with help from the Quebec and Candiac governments.

Beginning in September, the shuttle will carry citizens from a park-and-ride lot to André-J.Côté Park, all for free. It will travel along Montcalm Boulevard North and make several stops along the way, including one at city hall and several businesses.

An operator will be on-board the shuttle itself throughout the run of the project, but they will simply be answering questions riders may have, and not actually operating the vehicle—though they will have the capacity to take control if need be. The shuttle will travel at 25 km/hr and can adjust to different circumstances, say if it is trailing a bicycle. A touchscreen will let passengers request to be let off at a certain stop.

The video below (in French) shows off some of the features of the shuttle. It was made by Keolis Canada, the company responsible for the construction of the shuttle.

The shuttle will run throughout the fall until winter sets in and it is unable to operate. After that, another experimentation phase will take place to see if the shuttle can handle icy and snowy roads without a driver.

“Candiac places great importance on public and active transport,” said Normand Dyotte, Mayor of Candiac. “We are constantly working to provide additional multimodal transportation options while remaining steadfastly focused on the notions of sustainable development and the smart city.

A true showcase of technological advancements, the autonomous electric shuttle project put forth by Keolis Canada and NAVYA is perfectly aligned with our vision in terms of innovation and is at the heart of our 2014–2029 strategic development plan.”

“We are extremely proud to be the first city in Canada to move forward with a project of this nature.”

The overall goal for this project, aside from transporting Candiac’s 21,000 citizens, is to advance the evolution of autonomous technology.

Original article can be found on techvibes.com.

Written August 13, 2018

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