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Polytechnics Canada worked with researchers at The Conference Board of Canada to illustrate the extent to which polytechnic education responds to labour market demand for talent in the five provinces where our member institutions are located. Using data from Vicinity Jobs, Statistics Canada and its proprietary Model of Occupations, Skills and Technology, The Conference Board assessed more than 2 million job postings in 2023, compared wages by credential and provided five-year job forecasts.

Key findings include:

• The most in-demand skilled occupations can be found in five clusters: healthcare, skilled trades, information and technology, tourism and hospitality, and care occupations including childcare, social services and early education. All five clusters demonstrate robust hiring demand in 2023, despite cooling in the overall job market. Employment in these fields is projected to experience steady growth in the next five years.
• Employment and job postings data reveal significant labour shortages in the five high-demand occupation clusters, particularly for skilled workers with post-secondary education. Job postings requiring apprenticeships, diplomas or certificates offered substantial wage premiums and increases in 2023.
• Polytechnics Canada member institutions offer programming that prepares graduates to work in 86 per cent of in-demand skilled occupations within these five clusters.

Canada is facing grave economic threats from its closest neighbour and long-time trading partner. While issues such as lagging productivity and sufficient housing supply are longstanding issues, U.S. tariffs and an American expansionist agenda have seized the attention of Canadians and policymakers alike. There is an urgent need to safeguard Canada’s interests and rally around pragmatic policy prescriptions. The urgency is undeniable. This must be the driving ambition for Budget 2025.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to Finance Canada for Budget 2025 include:

• Support business innovation and derisk technology adoption by making significant new investments in polytechnic and college applied research
• Enable quick access to upskilling and reskilling with vouchers to offset the cost of training for employers and individuals
• Better position the skilled trades workforce to respond to demand for new housing, domestic manufacturing capacity and the renewal of transportation infrastructure by prioritizing the retention and completion of apprentices in high-demand trades

Recent changes to international student policy represent one of the most consequential federal actions affecting the post-secondary education sector in decades.  The damage to Canada’s international reputation has been profound, tarnishing its image both as a destination for international students and as a welcoming place for immigrants. 

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration include:

• All Bachelor’s degree programs should be treated equally with regard to post-graduate work permit (PGWP) eligibility, reflecting undifferentiated labour market outcomes
• Provincial labour market data should inform PGWP eligibility, recognizing that institutions respond to local and regional employer requirements for talent
• Desist in making additional changes to the international student program, enabling the sector to stabilize and regroup without threat of continued uncertainty

Though Canada makes considerable investments in academic research, its struggle with productivity is well documented. Knowledge mobilization remains a significant challenge. The capstone research funding organization has the potential to address this shortcoming. 

As the Standing Committee on Science and Research considers recommendations for a new capstone organization, Polytechnics Canada sees tremendous value in the creation of an organization focused on connecting academic research to the innovation supply chain.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations include:

• Identify priorities and focus for the new capstone research organization
• Assess capacity and expertise to address those priorities across the research ecosystem
• Encourage and support inter-disciplinary partnerships, including with industry partners who are positioned to test and implement research findings