POLYTECHNICS ARE…

Training Canadians to work in critical occupations

View our video on how polytechnics are shaping skilled professionals in the culinary arts

POLYTECHNICS ARE…

Producing graduates who are skilled and ready for the workforce

Read the full report to explore the polytechnic solutions for Canada’s labour market

POLYTECHNICS ARE…

Unlocking Canada’s productivity with applied research

Read the full report on the economic impact of applied research at Canada’s polytechnics


noun
an institution of higher education providing technical, applied, hands-on learning; offering applied degrees, diplomas, certificates and apprenticeship training; fuelling business innovation with applied research expertise

Value and Impact

Polytechnics Canada is a non-profit association representing 13 leading research-intensive, publicly supported polytechnics and institutes of technology. We advocate for federal action in areas where polytechnics provide solutions for a more innovative, productive and globally competitive country. As a result, our advocacy priorities are related to:

Innovation & Productivity

Innovation & Productivity

Applied research at Canada’s polytechnics helps non-profit and business enterprises of all sizes find solutions to the challenges they face. In many cases, these projects are also supporting significant social advances from improving health and eldercare to boosting environmental sustainability.

Workforce Development

Workforce Development

Among Canada’s post-secondary institutions, polytechnics have proven themselves to be the most adaptable, agile and well-connected to industry. Polytechnics are focused on strategic workforce development, ensuring learners have the skills required to succeed.

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity & Inclusion

Polytechnics are committed to creating equitable and inclusive places to study and work. Recognizing that the learning environment is enriched by those of various backgrounds and abilities, institutions offer programs and services to meet the needs of the students and communities they serve.

Applied Research Inventory

Applied research refers to an exceptionally broad range of innovation services that polytechnics offer business and community partners to advance new ideas or overcome challenges. Our applied research inventory is a searchable database showcasing the applied research expertise resident at our member institutions.

Latest News & Resources

Interested in learning more about the polytechnic advantage? Our resources bring the polytechnic model of education to life with examples of initiatives and partnerships underway across our member institutions.

News Articles
Reimagining education: A polytechnic path to youth employment – and Canada’s resilience

Reimagining education: A polytechnic path to youth employment – and Canada’s resilience

Policy Papers & Submissions
Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research – Private Sector Investment in Research and Development

Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research – Private Sector Investment in Research and Development

Policy Papers & Submissions
Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry – Canada’s Underlying Productivity Gaps and Capital Outflow

Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry – Canada’s Underlying Productivity Gaps and Capital Outflow

News Articles
Why investing in people is Canada’s most critical infrastructure project

Why investing in people is Canada’s most critical infrastructure project

News Articles
Ottawa’s blind spot on applied research makes productivity an afterthought

Ottawa’s blind spot on applied research makes productivity an afterthought

News Articles
George Brown College changes name to stand out in crowded higher-education marketplace

George Brown College changes name to stand out in crowded higher-education marketplace

News Articles
Building a stronger Canada requires people, partnerships and polytechnics

Building a stronger Canada requires people, partnerships and polytechnics

News Articles
Tories pitch plan to address youth unemployment

Tories pitch plan to address youth unemployment

Policy Papers & Submissions
Joint Teaching & Learning Initiative between Canada’s Polytechnics & Ireland’s Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology

Joint Teaching & Learning Initiative between Canada’s Polytechnics & Ireland’s Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology

News Articles
How Canada can succeed in the global AI race by playing to its strengths – its people

How Canada can succeed in the global AI race by playing to its strengths – its people

News Articles
Nation building needs nation builders

Nation building needs nation builders

Best Practices
Polytechnics at Work

Polytechnics at Work

Get Social with Polytechnics

When managing hundreds of medical and legal documents daily, efficiency isn’t just a goal — it’s a necessity.

That’s why @AcclaimAMgmnt partnered with @SenecaPoly to build an AI-driven document processing system that automates data extraction, streamlines workflows, and ensures…

Alberta's tourism sector is surging, at four times the national average – and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is stepping up in a big way 🚀

As Alberta’s largest post-secondary provider of hospitality education with a 75-year track record, @sait is shaping…

With major nation-building projects in the works while thousands of tradespeople are set to retire by the end of the decade, Canada needs skilled tradespeople now more than ever 🛠️

@GBCollege is stepping up with made-in-Canada solutions. Their new Master of Construction…

Land Acknowledgement

As a national association, Polytechnics Canada acknowledges that our offices are located on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe Nation and that our members are located on the traditional territories of numerous Indigenous nations. We recognize there is much to learn on the path to reconciliation and that Canadian post-secondary institutions have a responsibility to be active participants. To learn how Canada’s polytechnics are supporting Indigenous inclusion on their campuses, click here.