Canada’s federal government recognizes the current and growing challenges faced by youth looking to secure and maintain employment. Across the country, young people are struggling to find meaningful work, even as employers report difficulty filling key roles. Youth unemployment is stubbornly high and the share of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has grown.
The causes are complex: economic shifts, tariff impacts, the influence of artificial intelligence on entry-level roles and the lingering effects of the pandemic on mental health and foundational skills.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to Employment and Social Development Canada include:

• Enrich student grants to help youth take refuge in post-secondary education during periods of economic uncertainty
• Remove structural barriers to work-integrated learning by reviewing the supports available for unpaid placements, particularly in high-demand occupations
• Expand access to short-cycle programs that integrate digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills with experiential opportunities
• Improve apprenticeship completion using a whole-of-system approach
• Prevent prolonged disengagement from school or work by exploring a “Youth Guarantee” model

Canada has long been a global leader in artificial intelligence. Yet, despite strengths in theoretical research, businesses across the country have been slow to adopt and commercialize AI technologies. Weak adoption hinders economic growth and productivity, leaving much of AI’s potential stranded in theory rather than translated into real-world impact.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to the Standing Committee on Science and Research include:

• Create an annual $100-million funding stream within the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program
• Expand the National Research Council’s (NRC) IRAP Interactive Visits program to support AI exploration
• Invest $30 million per year in dedicated compute resources for polytechnic Applied AI Research Centres
• Embed polytechnic applied research centres in Bureau of Research, Engineering and advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) investments