Headlines across Canada and around the world continue to be filled with news of shutdowns, widespread economic chaos and the race to vaccinate.  Where we once defaulted to small talk about the weather, conversation has turned to daily case counts, ICU beds and vaccination statistics.  Health has become a national obsession, with all signs suggesting it will remain so until the pandemic fades into memory.

That’s why now is the right time to talk about – and invest in – the future of Canada’s healthcare system.

Read More > “Window of opportunity for feds to address healthcare deficits”

As Canadian businesses look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and toward recovery, many will want to revamp or re-tool their operations. This is where applied research can be a game-changer, a ready-made solution for post-pandemic economic recovery, utilizing post-secondary innovation capacity to help businesses identify and respond to challenges. Canada’s polytechnics bring space, equipment, and expertise to the table, supplementing the capacity of Canada’s business community to engage in pragmatic research and development.

In an interview with Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director of Digital Economy, Technology, and Innovation at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Watts-Rynard, a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Polytechnics Canada, explains how applied research can address the unique challenges that lie ahead for Canadian business.

Read More > “How applied research can support a business-led recovery”

It’s time for a national skills and experience strategy.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians are retiring or are being laid off in greater numbers and taking their much-needed skills and experience out of the workforce. At the same time, many others are facing career disruptions and have had to quickly retool just to survive.

As we work towards a long-term economic recovery, policy makers and postsecondary institutions need to ensure younger learners and mid-career professionals are acquiring the right mix of skills for the future.  Often forgotten in the discussion around skills development are the critical ‘soft skills’ that are essential to every workplace and much sought-after by employers.

Read More > “We need to start giving soft skills more credit”