This pan Canadian participatory action research project involved faculty and managers in twelve Canadian colleges and institutes, nine employers, and 1300 students and workers in examining exemplary practice in essential skills as a way of catalyzing system change. Multiple sources of data were used in the three year project and key findings included: (1) the advance of a new knowledge system that documented an integrated approach to developing essential skills; (2) a culture shift that moved towards rigorous needs analysis and evidence based interventions in technical training programs; and (3) integration and ownership of essential skills in college programming.