The College@ESDC opened its doors in September 2006 as Service Canada's national corporate learning institution. The Service Canada College (since renamed College@ESDC) sets the direction for and integrates all learning activities and learning priorities within the organization. Modeled on the "corporate university" concept, the College@ESDC weaves service excellence throughout all its activities. It is the organization's strategic lever for achieving cultural change. The objective is to change attitudes, behaviors and mindsets and give our employees the tools and confidence to deliver service that goes beyond client expectations. The College@ESDC is distinctive in the sense that:  It is the first federal organization to recognize service as a key competency in addition to valuing knowledge.  It formally recognizes the role of service providers as a profession and a career in the federal public service.  It is the first in government to centralize a learning, training and development function based on a corporate university model.  It consists of a nation-wide network of physical and virtual learning centres to accommodate the needs of staff across the country; and  It is recognized as one of seven "noteworthy department – specific examples" of public service renewal by the Clerk of the Privy Council.