You are now in the main content area
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Through its academic programming, research and community engagement, TMU aims to prepare students for rewarding careers, contributes to the development of a highly skilled workforce, and champions innovation. The university is also dedicated to fostering a positive workplace that supports the health, wellbeing, and professional growth of faculty and staff.
#1 employer in Canada for diversity (Forbes, 2023)
Top 10 among Canadian universities for graduate employability (Times Higher Education Global Employability University Ranking 2025)
In 2023, 3,076 TMU students took work placements as part of their studies
Our goals in action
TMU strives to equip students with the future skills necessary for employment in a dynamic and changing world. With a focus on experiential learning, innovation and unique experiences, TMU’s academic programming prepares students for successful careers and encourages them to develop ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit that will support economic growth.
- TMU’s Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre supports students’ navigation of resources as they transition in, through and out of TMU into their full-time careers. The Centre provides students and recent alumni with responsive navigation supports, career navigation and development skills so they can chart their path to success at TMU and throughout their careers. Employers seeking to connect with TMU students or recent graduates will receive customized recruiting opportunities and strategies to hire the best possible candidates.
- TMU’s academic programming places an emphasis on experiential learning as a way to prepare students for rewarding careers. In 2024-25, 96.6% of undergraduate programs at TMU had a formal experiential learning component, with more than half including an optional or required co-op placement, internship, work placement or clinical placement.
- TMU’s Zone Learning incubator network provides Toronto’s ecosystem with an accessible first step for early-stage startups and entrepreneurs, as well as support for the growth of their ventures. Each of the 10 incubators, or “zones”, provides a suite of support for the entrepreneur – coaching, a community of thousands of entrepreneurs and industry leaders, and access to customers and funding.
Students from any discipline can apply their degree coursework or their personal interest to real-world startups, causes, companies, projects or ventures. It’s not uncommon to find a nursing student with a fashion startup, or a psychology major building a practice. Zones are also open to the external community
The experience of building a real venture builds entrepreneurial mindsets and valuable power skills needed for innovation in the 21st century. In just 13 years, more than 5,000 new jobs have been created and more than $2.5 billion has been raised. Standouts from their network of more than 5,000 alumni startups include Mejuri, Inkbox, AccessNow, 500px, Medstack, Zensurance, The Gist, Knix, Ulula, and Ownr. - Ten TMU students had the opportunity to present their business ideas at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan. The Ted Rogers School of Management students travelled to Tokyo and Osaka for DMZ Japan’s Global Entrepreneurship Exchange Program. They partnered with students from Japan’s Chiba University to develop ideas that could help transform Japan’s sake industry on a global scale.
DMZ Japan launched in 2025 and is one of the many zones that offer opportunities for TMU students to learn about entrepreneurship and exchange knowledge with peers from around the world.
TMU researchers are turning research into innovation to support economic growth. From working with industry partners in agriculture to developing training on harnessing new technologies such as artificial intelligence, TMU research is leading to cutting edge developments across sectors.
- TMU researchers Habiba Bougherara and Lesley Campbell were awarded $5 million by the Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge to scale their revolutionary berry-growing system. The three-year funding will support their innovative pollination system for berries that aims to revolutionize sustainable farming in Canada. The system addresses key challenges in modern agriculture while reducing environmental impact – a critical need as Canada faces food security concerns.
Their innovation, called “MoFarm” is a modular, vertical farming system designed for year-round berry production. Developed with industrial partners Yves Bélanger and Pascal Gagnon of Montel Inc. (Montmagny, Quebec), the system’s multi-layered design can pollinate and grow multiple types of crops at various stages. This maximizes bold yield and efficiency. - TMU has received $1.65 million over six years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to launch a robust training program for highly qualified personnel. Spearheaded by Sharareh Taghipour, an engineering professor and Canada Research Chair in Physical Asset Management, the Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence for Decision Optimization research training program will be the first in Canada to integrate the predictive analytics power of artificial intelligence, the prescriptive analytics capability of operations research and the computational power of quantum computing into a comprehensive curriculum for graduate students.
Through hands-on learning, including boot camps, technical courses, research seminars, workshops, symposiums and internships, trainees will be coached to recognize the potential, benefits, challenges, methodologies and available toolkits for next-generation technologies.
Through its internal operations TMU demonstrates leadership on decent work and economic growth by creating a positive work environment and collaborating with labour groups. A suite of official policies are intended to create a healthy and welcoming workplace and make the university a great place for faculty and staff to lead rewarding careers.
- TMU has a strong history of collaborative collective bargaining and positive labour relations, with no labour disruptions on our campus for the past 30 years. Negotiations at TMU have been successful because of the joint commitment from both sides. The university’s collective agreements are posted publicly.
- TMU has various official policies that are established and updated regularly to ensure a healthy and safe workplace that promotes a positive workplace culture. These include the Respectful Workplace Policy, the Disconnecting from Work Policy, the Flexible Work Policy, the Discrimination and Harassment Policy, and the Environmental Health and Safety Policy.
- TMU earned the top spot on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity 2023 (external link) , a ranking of leading organizations across the country promoting creative, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. TMU consistently engages with community members to understand their experiences and expectations. The Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review, the (PDF file) Truth and Reconciliation Community Consultation Report and Access TMU are all examples of how the university aims to bring about sustained systemic change that is informed by the campus community.
TMU’s research and innovation network extends into the community, offering training, counselling and engagement to new and growing businesses. This network supports the development and scale-up of innovations in Canada, providing a catalyst for economic growth.
- The DMZ is a tech incubator and global startup ecosystem at TMU that helps founders build high-impact ventures. The DMZ supports entrepreneurship at every stage—from early ideation to international expansion. Its tailored programs, world-class resources and expansive network fuel bold ideas and drive global economic impact. For example, through the Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) program (external link) funded by the Ontario government, the DMZ provides free training, mentorship, networking opportunities and a one-time $10,000 grant to racialized and Indigenous business owners. The initiative is designed to help entrepreneurs turn innovative ideas into viable companies, create local jobs and fuel long-term economic growth.
- The Lincoln Alexander School of Law collaboration with DMZ’s Intellectual Property (IP) Clinic makes free and low-cost IP support more accessible to startups incubated at DMZ and across TMU’s Zone Learning network. DMZ’s startup legal service, backed by in-house experts, experienced lawyers and dedicated students from the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, provides free and low-cost general counsel to entrepreneurs building new ventures.
- The Future Skills Centre (external link) (FSC) is a pan-Canadian initiative to connect ideas and innovations from across Canada to generate a robust evidence-base for decision makers so that workers and employers can succeed in the labour market and ensure that local, regional, and national economies thrive.
The FSC was conceived to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the changing nature of work, by fostering a more responsive skills development ecosystem. Based at TMU, the centre was founded by a consortium of partners including TMU, The Conference Board of Canada, and Blueprint. - The Pop-up Shop, housed at the School of Retail Management’s facility in the Ted Rogers School of Management building at 55 Dundas Street West, provides an opportunity for student-owned and/or local businesses to display and sell their merchandise. The shop gives entrepreneurs the chance to showcase innovative products, reach new customers and create memorable experiences. One of the shop’s goals is to provide a platform for community partners to engage in market testing and deliver positive short-term retail experiences. Vendors can stay at the shop for up to a week.
