Information Technology Services (ITS)

ITS learning challenge accepted

Published on: March 21, 2023

Bo Wandschneider drawing the winning names.

In November 2022 all ITS staff gathered for a town hall on the theme of human connection and happiness. Among the themes discussed was the importance of learning for psychological well-being. According to Vanessa King, Psychologist at Action for Happiness (Psychologies, 2015), “Learning can help us build confidence and a sense of self-efficacy. It can also be a way of connecting with others too.” Staff were then invited to reflect on their plans for participating in a learning activity over the next three months, including skill building, pursuing new work experiences or networking opportunities.

A few months later, ITS staff were invited to share updates on those learning plans to be entered in a draw for lunch with Bo Wandschneider, Chief Information Officer and Laurie Harrison, Director, Digital Learning Innovation at the Gallery Grill.

The winners have been randomly selected! The following three individuals’ names were drawn from all ITS staff submissions:

Bo and Laurie with winners Kevin Brennan and Justin Charlick.

Kevin Brennan, Business Architect, User Experience & Quality Assurance, Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI), has recently had a proposal for a professional conference presentation accepted. He recommends sharing insights as a way to reflect on one’s own work activities and to learn by explaining them to others. He notes that both writing and presentation skills can be honed, and that paying it forward makes it easier for the next person.

Justin Charlick, Meeting Room Technology Coordinator Digital Workplace, EASI, is taking advantage of LinkedIn Learning resources, including MS PowerShell and Python programming, as well as time management strategies to improve efficiency in his current role. He is also aiming to advance his career in the future by working on his Azure Administrator certification and appreciates the benefit of some hands-on experience in sandbox environments.

Peter St. Onge, Acting Manager, Identity and Access Management Team, Information Security, is preparing to write the exam to become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. This qualification demonstrates an ability to implement and manage a cyber security program, and the process will help him to hone his expertise and validate skills.

Congratulations to these three individuals for their proactive investment of time in professional development! For more information on career planning and learning opportunities available to U of T staff, visit ITS Employee Resources.