Connecting with Youth and Using Technology to Build Bridges
Jennifer Corriero, Executive Director/Co-Founder, TakingITGlobal

Fully wired and fully mobile, today's youth are on the cutting edge of communication technologies and are increasingly fueling the transition from old school to new school in terms of global interaction and worldwide relationship building. The ways in which the technological revolution is shaping youth encompasses everything from internet usage and mobile phones to online banking and the global media. In a world of instant and constant connectivity, youth today face the challenge of building relationships both globally and locally, integrating the effective use of technology in everything from education to leisure and the workplace. Companies and organizations are facing the challenge of engaging some of the most sophisticated users of technology on the planet.

Drawing on her own experiences as a young social entrepreneur and consultant, as well as innovative research, Jennifer Corriero will provide insight on how to connect with the youth demographic as customers, employees, and stakeholders. Jennifer will also offer practical strategies and approaches to engaging youth through the use of technology and social networking tools.

Her dynamic presentation will get you thinking about the future of your credit union and get you started on your youth strategy.

Why it Matters – Mentorship and Hip Hop Culture
Michelle Dagnino, MA, LLB, Social Justice Advocate, Author, Lawyer, Consultant, Speaker

As pop culture trends become the common language amongst youth, we need to develop fresh ideas, forge new partnerships and design strategies to engage youth on a meaningful level, both in their workplaces and communities. Through engaging youth on their terms we can learn to involve youth as valued members in the decision making process to make credit unions, workplaces and neighborhoods forums for creativity and innovation. Through funny insights, and discussions of mentorship, diversity and – hip hop! - this workshop delves into the lives of youth and teaches us how to reach young people through issues that are relevant to their lives.

Unmasking the Emerging Generation: Key Clues to Youth Strategies
Dr. Reginald Bibby, Research Chair, Dept. of Sociology, University of Lethbridge

Reginald Bibby draws on his unparalleled national surveys of Canadian young people and adults spanning the mid-70s to the present to identify six major ways in which life has been changing, and four important areas where things are staying much the same. Major shifts, for example, have included a movement from an outlook of dominance to diversity, from an emphasis on ‘we’ to an emphasis on ‘me’, from valuing deference to valuing discernment, from knowing too little to knowing too much. At the same time, there has been little change in the importance given to family, civility, and the central things people want from life.

Overall, younger people are drawing selectively from the past and showing the potential to experience an enhanced quality of life to that of their parents and grandparents. These trends have major implications for organizations that are effective in relating to younger Canadians – including, of course, credit unions.

Cool Marketing: Using YAP and YAM^TM for Cool Kids
Dean Gagne, President & CEO Checkmate Strategic Planning Inc.

Let’s face it. Youth do what the “in crowd” deems worthy and they won’t buy your products and services until the Cool Kids do. So who are the Cool Kids? How do you find the Cool Kids? How do you tap into their minds? How do you make them consumer advocates?

Learn how to use Checkmate’s proprietary YAP and YAM program (i.e., Youth Advisory Panels and Youth Ambassador Marketing) to help your organization tap into the influence of Cool Kids.

Financing a New Venture: Financial Institutions Need to Rethink their Approach
Danny Elder, Owner, OffAxis

Danny Elder, owner of OffAxis, an extreme sports retail and event marketing company, will share his entrepreneurial journey and the trials and tribulations of financing his business along the way.

Danny will share his future plans and how financial institutions will need to rethink their approaches for dealing with him and other young entrepreneurs.

Youth Credit Unions Under Investigation
Kelly McNeil-Sproxton, Manager, Segment Marketing, Vancity Credit Union

Canada’s largest credit union, Vancity, has successfully established a network of 48 youth credit unions over the last ten years. At this scene you’ll uncover what a Youth Credit Union means to 4,400 elementary school students, their educators, and their parents. And you’ll learn why this Youth Credit Union program is key to Vancity’s youth strategy.

At the end of the investigation you’ll have all the clues you need – the successes, pitfalls and learnings – to reach your own verdict: Is a Youth Credit Union program run by kids for kids what you need in your community? Case closed.

Leading For The Future: Unlocking the Puzzle
Michael Atkinson, Vancity Credit Union
Sean Lesy, Synergy Credit Union

What are our young credit union employees and future leaders looking for when it comes to their careers? Why should credit unions care? What does the credit union system need to do to develop a sustainable human resource business model that will meet the needs of tomorrow? This presentation, made on behalf of the National Young Leaders Task Force, explores some of the answers to these questions. Find out what role your credit union, central, or partner company can play in ensuring that our system attracts and retains the talent necessary to thrive in a world of continual change. Also, find out what Canada's National Young Leaders Task Force is doing today in order to ensure a strong and sustainable future for Canada's credit unions.

Centrals and Credit Unions Working Together – Everyone Wins!
Mel Gosse, Vice President, Operations, League Savings and Mortgage Company
Carolyn Grant, Marketing Manager, Bergengren Credit Union, Nova Scotia

Learn how Centrals and credit unions can collaborate and work together to not only benefit one another and the credit union system …but also benefit their members and customers.

Mel will discuss the reaction to a need identified by credit unions that is typical of the support role of Centrals. Carolyn will talk about what they did and their involvement in this important and growing market, and the pay-offs that have resulted. It really has been a win-win situation for everyone involved – credit unions, Central and young customers.

This discussion will emphasize how individually credit unions can be successful and how sharing newly developed programs and services and best practices can gain momentum and success across an entire system.

Retention of Youth: The Times, they are a Changin’
Bob Lane, Vice President of Human Resources, CUETS

Join Bob Lane, CUETS Vice President of Human Resources, for a lively look at the changing attitudes towards work among emerging young adults and, specifically, what progressive organizations can do to ensure they are connecting with their future leaders and contributors, both those already employed and potential employees. Participants will hear several practical ideas they can explore further, both in the short and long term.

CUETS has been named to the List of Top 100 Employers four times in the last six years and also named one of the Ten Best Places to Work for Young People.