News & Events Archives - Page 3 of 17

2024 Polytechnic Showcase Spotlight: How Sheridan is Leveraging AI for Improved Elder Care

By Lia Tsotsos, Stephan Kozak | March 28, 2024

From improving healthcare to confronting climate change, polytechnics have a front-row seat to industry’s most pressing talent and productivity challenges. Ahead of the 2024 Polytechnic Showcase, Polytechnics Canada connected with Sheridan to discuss their session on Leveraging AI for Improved Elder Care: Innovative Digital Companions for a Changing Demographic.

Project leads, Lia Tsotsos, Director of the Centre for Elder Research and Stephan Kozak, primary investigator and CG Animation VFX Lead at Sheridan’s Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) were able to share a glimpse into their collaborative research.

Polytechnics are preparing Canada’s next-generation workforce

By Robin Brunet | March 4, 2024 | Originally featured in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix

It’s no secret that unrelenting technological progress and chronic labour shortages challenge Canada’s ability to remain prosperous and compete globally. Unfortunately, traditional academic learning doesn’t necessarily prepare young talent for the 21st century work world.

That’s why polytechnics, with their delivery of hands-on, technical, and career-focused education, are increasingly being viewed as the best solution. But Polytechnics Canada CEO Sarah Watts-Rynard prefers to describe the situation more magnanimously.

In Canada’s housing crisis, skilled tradespeople as essential as blueprints. Here’s how Ottawa can grow their numbers

By Piers Young | February 11, 2024 | Originally featured in the Toronto Star

Canada is facing its worst housing affordability crisis in decades, putting home ownership out of reach for many young people looking to get a foothold in the market.

Despite federal investments designed to boost housing supply and expedite building approvals, the need for millions of new homes comes with additional challenges. At least as urgent as freeing up land and issuing building permits is the need for skilled tradespeople able to turn blueprints into bathrooms and concepts into kitchens.

Canada’s cap on international students shows a university bias

By Sarah Watts-Rynard | February 6, 2024 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

When Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a new cap on international students last month, exemptions were made for Master’s and PhD students because “these are the highly skilled people Canada needs.”

Another exemption was made for those who complete short-term graduate programs, who are now eligible for three-year postgraduate work permits so long as their credentials are earned at one of Canada’s universities.

To hear the minister explain it, the exemptions are designed to address labour market needs. But has Canada’s business community found itself suddenly short of doctoral candidates and MBAs? Job vacancy rates in the federal government’s own analyses suggest otherwise.

Strengthening Canada’s Cybersecurity Workforce: The Mission Critical Role of Polytechnics

By Ricardo Arena | January 16, 2024

With the rise of remote and hybrid work, organizations have increasingly moved to cloud-based servers and become reliant on virtual environments. Data breaches and ransomware attacks that threaten to both tarnish a company’s image and inflict severe financial losses are increasingly common. In today’s environment, the need for robust cybersecurity has never been more apparent.

With these concerns, the demand for cybersecurity professionals has skyrocketed. Organizations increasingly need both in-house talent and the support of dedicated cybersecurity firms. Unfortunately, like many technical industries in Canada, cybersecurity experts are in short supply.

Canada must ramp up skills for the AI revolution or risk falling behind

By Ricardo Arena | January 6, 2024 | Originally featured in the Toronto Star

Like it or not, the age of artificial intelligence (AI) is upon us. While Canada has every reason to be ahead of the implementation curve, with a highly educated workforce and excellent access to cutting-edge tech, history suggests Canada will be well behind on the path to AI adoption.

How do we break the cycle and become technology leaders?

2023 in Review: Navigating Canada’s Challenges

By Leah Clarke | December 13, 2023

As another year comes to an end, it’s time to reflect and set goals for 2024. At Polytechnics Canada, part of this effort will include re-dedicating ourselves to addressing longstanding challenges like climate change, diversity and inclusion, lagging business productivity and skills shortages in critical occupations – areas where it is clear that polytechnic education is already making important contributions.

Here are just a few examples of the significant impact of our members in 2023:

Adopting clean technology is a skills issue

By Alyssa Buttineau | December 11, 2023 | Originally featured in The Hill Times

The urgency of climate change action is no longer theoretical. Worldwide, fires, floods and extreme heat have made it clear that we have a major global challenge on our hands.

Among the solutions, Canada should be all-in on clean technology adoption. While renewables are increasingly viable and tax levers have proven to influence company and consumer behaviour, clean tech offers immediate-term benefits that are critical to achieving climate wins.

Humber College uses digital twins to make buildings smarter

By Wallace Immen | September 28, 2023 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

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.