Polytechnics Canada is a national alliance of Canada’s leading research-intensive, publicly-funded colleges and institutes of technology. Located in Canada’s key economic regions, the current nine member colleges and institutes of Polytechnics Canada are: British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), SAIT Polytechnic, Olds, Conestoga, Sheridan, Humber, George Brown, Seneca and Algonquin

All nine members of the association are degree-granting and industry-responsive post-secondary education institutions committed to education, training, and applied research for industry. Ensuring that graduates find employment as highly qualified workers in the industry sector of their choice is a paramount motivation.

Representing one of three pillars in Canada’s post-secondary education sector, along with universities and colleges, members of Polytechnics Canada are committed to securing the prosperity of Canadians through applied education, training and research.

Polytechnics Canada represents:

• more than 128,000 full-time degree and diploma students
• over 414,000 part-time and continuing education students
• over 18,000 apprenticeship students
• over 8,600 international students

Polytechnics Canada offers Canadian post-secondary students:

• 70 Bachelor Degrees
• 19 joint Bachelor Degrees with Universities
• over 1,400 Certificate an Diploma programs

Polytechnics Canada members play a critical role in enhancing Canada’s productivity and innovation performance by collaborating with industry to resolve commercial problems. Through their joint lab facilities, networks and specializations members of Polytechnics Canada work to provide solutions to industry problems and accelerate knowledge transfer by putting research into practice in a wide range of commercial sectors.

What is Polytechnic Education?

Polytechnics develop the highly qualified skilled people essential to the Canadian economy by:

• providing career-focused and community responsive education developed in partnership with employers.
  
• committing to a wide range of credentials including bachelor degrees, diplomas, apprenticeships, certificates, post-graduate offerings, continuing education and corporate training, spanning many fields.
  
• combining theoretical and applied learning, relevant work experience, and the opportunity to participate in applied research and commercialization projects.
  
• offering pathways that allow students to build on their credentials;  and recognizing previous learning.

All Polytechnics Canada members offer:

• Offer 4 year bachelor degree programs with a focus on (or in) applied studies
• Joint Bachelor degrees with universities
• Diplomas at the technologists and technicians levels
• Apprenticeship programs
• Post-graduate certificates
• Continuing Education programs
• Post-secondary certificate courses
• Specialized corporate and government training
• Online learning and distance education
• Solutions for industry through applied research

Polytechnics Canada members share an extensive track record in applied research and in fostering research partnerships with industry. They conduct applied research based on identified industry need aimed at specific commercial objectives. Our member institutions deliver maximum return on investment for business, industry and government by accelerating knowledge transfer and putting research into practice.

Through its members’ joint lab facilities, networks, and specialists; Polytechnics Canada is playing a growing role in Canada and internationally in all phases of applied research and development activities including:

• Proof of Concept
• Prototyping
• Design
• Testing
• Product Development
• Pre-Commercialization
• Commercialization
• Market Testing and Product Validation
• Applied Social Science and Skills Assessment Investigations
• Training of high quality personnel

Download our Applied Research Capacity document.

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