TID Holdings investing in commerce students

Back in the 1990s when proud alumnus Terry Degner was at the University of Alberta, he was fully immersed in trying to juggle his studies as a bachelor of commerce student and a Golden Bears hockey player. When it came to hands-on, experiential learning, he says, he would have probably been too busy to be aware of those opportunities — if they even existed. Fast forward to today, and his family company has just become an integral part of the growing slate of experiential learning opportunities in the U of A’s Alberta School of Business.

Beginning this fall, TID Holdings will be the sponsor for the newest iteration of the four-year Impact Series, which embeds real-world, community-based problem-solving into all four years of the bachelor of commerce curriculum. The series, which launched in 2022, gives students the invaluable opportunity to follow a project from inception to completion with support from the local business community.

TID Holdings is an investment company that evolved out of Waiward Steel, launched by Degner’s father. It was there, long before university, that a young Degner began to learn about the inner workings of a company. Degner, his sister, and her husband — who all went through the U of A’s business school together — today co-lead the company.

Degner and his team have been in conversations with the school for a couple of years, he says, designing the series that begins this September. Working with small to medium-sized enterprises, he sees first-hand the challenges in today’s fast-paced, constantly changing business ecosystem.

“We want to be able to share this real-life knowledge with students, and to broaden their view about neat opportunities that exist outside of large corporations.”

As a father with kids in university, Degner says he’s very aware of how difficult it can be for students to discern a career path. “There are so many options; so much noise,” he says. With experiential learning, students get the chance to clarify what they enjoy most and build confidence along the way. “I also think enjoying that journey is very powerful for personal growth,” he says.

Degner is quick to stress that the benefits of the Impact Series are real not just for participating students, but also for the organizations who support them — and he encourages other local businesses to get involved. “It can really enhance your organization to have fresh, new perspectives from these young people,” he says, not to mention when they graduate, they are immediately prepared for the work world thanks to their exposure during the program.

The Degner family has always maintained a strong connection with the U of A, working closely with leadership in the Faculty of Engineering during the Waiward Steel days, sponsoring chairs and providing work experience for students, some of whom would end up staying on as permanent employees. “I always thought it would be nice to work closely with the business school, too,” says Degner, and the Impact Series provided the perfect opportunity.

“I think it’s a very powerful thing that the school is doing,” says Degner. “I didn’t have any formal experiences like that and I believe I would have benefited a lot from it. When you’re a student you’re not sure where you’re going to end up, and to be able to help make that path a little more clear through this series feels really good.”

“It’s great to be in this place where we can give back and participate in something like this. I feel like it’s come full circle.”