2020 – House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance study on the Impact of COVID-19

Key recommendations include:

  1. Invest in Canada’s post-secondary infrastructure to ensure training can occur in an environment that responds to physical distancing and other safety protocols while also supporting “green” retrofits
  2. Support the digital adaptation of learning and training in Canada, enabling learners who will face challenges to in-person instruction and ensuring applied learning can be delivered in a broad range of new ways
  3. Empower Canadians to retrain and upskill at this critical juncture by offering all Canadian Emergency Response Benefit recipients a one-time boost to the Canada Training Benefit
  4. Enable the business- and innovation-enhancing services available at Canada’s polytechnics, ensuring they are positioned to support Canada’s small- and medium-sized enterprises
  5. Support the expanded participation of industry and non-profit partners in polytechnic applied research, ensuring all enterprises in Canada have the support they need to survive and thrive

2020 – House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology study on the Impact of COVID-19

Key recommendations include:

  1. Targeted investments in polytechnic/college applied research capacity to scale up the critical support these institutions offer to SME partners
  2. Expanded funding to existing grant categories and broader eligibility criteria to ensure enterprises that need support can access it
  3. The temporary suspension of employer cash contributions on applied research activity