In early December 2021, we learned that Symplicity Corporation acquired Orbis Communications. While the acquirer is well-known for its student employability systems, the acquiree is Canada’s most trusted experiential learning solution.
According to the press release, Symplicity wanted to expand its footprint in Canada. Orbis can call 100 institutions its clients. With Orbis’ solutions, connections were forged between more than 350,000 employers and one million students. In these unprecedented times, tighter integration of higher education with career services will play a critical role. Improving work skills outside of the classroom is essential to students’ success in the job market.
Our database shows that almost all Orbis clients are Canadian. Orbis dominates the Canadian market in the work placement category, with over 85% of all market shares. Symplicity comes in second place with 10%. With little to no white space in this product category in Canada, acquiring competitors is the only way to increase market shares. Symplicity did exactly this, with the bonus of getting the most trusted experiential learning solution for post-secondary institutions in Canada.
As mentioned above, today more than ever, students need to develop job market skills in addition to their fundamental training to be ready for their careers. In the past twenty years, we have seen that work placement systems are on the rise and being implemented faster.