News Articles

On a scorching summer day at Toronto’s Humber College, a smart system precools buildings in the early morning to avoid the afternoon spike in electrical rates at peak demand time. Another system turns on lights in rooms only when people are using them. And when the weather is cold, heat pumps have learned to redirect heat from crowded spaces on campus to other buildings that can use some warming.

Since 2014, Humber College facilities have grown by 25 per cent, yet the school’s use of smart controls as well as energy-efficiency initiatives and retrofits has reduced energy use per square foot by more than 20 per cent.

Read More > “Humber College uses digital twins to make buildings smarter”

Labour force challenges could impact Canada’s future economic growth and innovation. These challenges include modest population growth, labour market shortages and skill mismatches within our current workforce.

A recent survey commissioned by Polytechnics Canada found that 90 per cent of Canadian employees believe skills development is important. Nearly 50 per cent of workers feel the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of upskilling and reskilling to advance their careers.

Read More > “Canadians are upskilling and reskilling at polytechnics”

Ontario’s public colleges have always worked with industry and community organizations to ensure curriculum was relevant and up-to-date, and that students had opportunities for work-integrated learning experiences.

Today, partnerships with industry are the lifeblood of our institutions and are helping to shape the future of education in the province and beyond.

Applied research, scholarships, work-integrated learning on-campus and online as well as networking, mentorship and outreach are some of the ways these relationships expose Ontario students to career options and help Ontario businesses succeed.

Read More > “Harnessing the power of partnerships to drive post-secondary forward“

A sustainability-focused approach to combatting environmental degradation and resource scarcity is now critical. It is no longer viable to consume the world’s natural resources or develop our natural landscape in the manner of the last century. At current rates of fossil fuel consumption, climate models predict that Earth’s global average temperature will rise an additional 4°C (7.2°F) during the 21st Century, threatening coastal cities, increasing the frequency of natural disasters and heightening the risk of extinction among numerous plant and animal species (UCAR, 2022).

Read More > “Regenerative Revolution: How Canadian Polytechnics are Leading the Charge”

The job market in British Columbia has faced its share of challenges. The effects of the pandemic and rising inflation have led to acute labour shortages as employers across all sectors face difficulties finding and keeping skilled workers. Meanwhile, many job seekers are rethinking their investment in higher education or re-evaluating their career path entirely.

Read More > “Flexible post-secondary education key to closing skills gap in B.C.”

Over the course of the last few years, there has been a drastic restructuring of the Canadian labour force. Businesses across sectors are contending with labour shortages and widening skills gaps.

According to a recent Statistics Canada report, 56.1 per cent of businesses say their workforce is not operating at the level required; 60.3 per cent report existing skills gaps are negatively impacting business.

So, what can be done? Plenty.

Read More > “Canadians know they need new skills — now governments need to step up to make training accessible, affordable and timely”

Another “back to school” season is upon us — but education is not for youth alone. The World Economic Forum estimates that half of all employees globally will need re-skilling by 2025. The fall reminds us that learning is lifelong, and the invitation is open to everyone.

Yet Canada needs to remove a few critical barriers to lifelong learning.

Read More > “‘Back to school’ can mean you too — if we remove barriers to lifelong learning”

Considering a career change? Canada will soon need many more skilled technicians and tradespeople to usher in a new era of transportation.

We are in the midst of an energy revolution. By 2030, the International Energy Agency expects there will be 145 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road globally. But where are the charging stations needed to power them, or the skilled workers to service them? Currently, Canada does not have the infrastructure required to sustain the projected influx.

Read More > “Canada is not ready for the coming electric vehicle revolution. Here’s what we need to do”

When we talk about creating more inclusive workplaces, this effort is most often framed as a moral imperative. In other words, we should strive for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) because it is the right thing to do. This is absolutely true and it can form the normative basis for action and results. However, it is not the only reason we need to actualize EDI in our workforce. There is also an economic and social prosperity imperative – a business and social case, if you will – for building a society and labour market that empowers all Canadians to contribute, participate, and thrive.

Read More > “The ROI on EDI”