Policy Papers & Submissions

Key recommendations include:

1. Make the Budget 2023 investment in the College and Community Innovation Program permanent
2. Establish a $46-million Polytechnic & College Research Growth Fund to propel applied research solutions to Canada’s major challenges
3. Invest $50 million over five years in cybersecurity at Canada’s polytechnics and colleges
4. Provide sustained funding to support work-integrated learning for post-secondary students and enable upskilling for mid-career workers
5. Establish a Canadian Work Experience Pilot to encourage international students to study in priority fields
6. Prioritize the retention and completion of apprentices in high-demand trades

Polytechnics Canada has worked with economists at Prism Economics and Analysis to study the economic and social impacts of applied research underway at our member institutions. Along with datasets drawn from NSERC, Statistics Canada and our own annual surveys, principal investigators and business partners provided information about the value derived from applied research collaborations. The report includes 30 case studies, showcasing projects driving market innovation, technology adoption, environmental impact or improved health and wellness.

Key takeaways include:

• Every dollar invested in polytechnic applied research generates a return on investment from a low estimate of $8.09 to a high of $18.49
• As a result of applied research collaborations, 51 per cent of project partners reported increased R&D capability, 48 per cent achieved improved competitiveness and 12 per cent said they created new jobs
• More than 85 per cent of applied research partners are small- or mid-sized organizations – a group that faces unique barriers to investing in R&D. Among the barriers identified are a shortage of technical staff, lack of facilities, capital constraints and regulatory burden

Key recommendations include:

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

Key recommendations include:

1. Establish an equitable research funding framework that fully captures the capacity of polytechnics and colleges to respond to the needs of Canadian businesses, boosting private sector participation in the innovation ecosystem
2. Revisit funding models and programs which rely heavily on prior funding success, peer-reviewed publications and patents as indicators of research excellence. Productivity gains should be an important driver of government investment
3. Consider mechanisms to more evenly distribute research support funding to ensure all players in the academic research ecosystem have sufficient resources to build and sustain a research infrastructure in service of their mandate

Key recommendations include:

1. When considering a response to the Report of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System, ensure new measures fully utilize capacity across the entire post-secondary research ecosystem, especially as it relates to mission-driven and industry-led research at polytechnic institutions
2. As Indigenous businesses and communities seek economic empowerment and solutions to local challenges, ensure there are funding mechanisms that activate existing academic capacity and enable institutions to build effective, long-term relationships with their Indigenous partners
3. Ensure post-secondary institutions have adequate access to strategic infrastructure funding to support campus renewal, invest in affordable student housing and undertake sustainability projects
4. Implement a $25 million cost-shared training equipment fund for Canada’s hands-on learning institutions to ensure they can better unlock industry investment and adapt programming to respond to a rapidly evolving labour market
5. To boost apprenticeship starts, introduce support for high-intervention apprenticeship intermediaries that support the hiring, training and deployment of apprentices and reduce friction to employer participation
6. Launch a national consultation to inform policies related to Canada’s international student population with a view to developing a long-term strategy to ensure ethical recruitment, efficient visa processing, adequate supports and resources during training and transparent pathways to immigration

Key recommendations include:

1. Modernize Canada’s academic research and development system with more flexible funding mechanisms that fully utilize capacity across the post-secondary research ecosystem
2. Create a dedicated Tri-Agency funding allocation for Indigenous-led applied research
3. Relaunch a $3.5 billion post-secondary infrastructure program that enables institutions to invest in green infrastructure and ensure campuses meet sustainability standards
4. Establish a $25 million per year training equipment fund for Canada’s hands-on learning institutions to support skills development for a rapidly evolving labour market
5. Restructure the Canada Training Benefit to increase awareness, navigation and upfront financial supports for workers
6. Establish permanent baseline funding for the Student Work Placement Program, with additional investments designed to address the lingering impact of the pandemic on Canada’s youth

Key recommendations include:

1. Enhance the capacity of Canada’s innovation intermediaries to boost performance within small- and medium-sized companies by investing $331 million over five years in the College and Community Innovation Program
2. Renew support for experiential learning by making the Student Work Placement Program permanent and expanding eligibility to include post-secondary institutions and international students
3. Strengthen awareness of and navigation to lifelong learning by ensuring Canadians have relevant labour market information and guidance to available training
4. Invest in the research and learning infrastructure designed to develop a future ready workforce. Ensure all new infrastructure programs can be accessed by post-secondary institutions to make their campuses more sustainable, accessible and better equipped with the tools and technologies used by employers

Key recommendations include:

1. Enhance the capacity of Canada’s innovation intermediaries to boost performance within small- and
   medium-sized companies by investing $331 million over five years in the College and Community
   Innovation Program
2. Renew support for experiential learning by making the Student Work Placement Program permanent
   and expanding eligibility to include post-secondary institutions and international students
3. Strengthen awareness of and navigation to lifelong learning by ensuring Canadians have relevant labour
   market information on skills in demand, flexible financial supports to pursue training and guidance to
   available courses
4. Relaunch a post-secondary infrastructure program that enables investments in green infrastructure,
   new technology and systems designed to develop a future-ready workforce

Key recommendations include:

1. Activate applied research to enable business innovation
2. Increase access, navigation and support for lifelong learning
3. Make investments in post-secondary infrastructure a part of Canada’s long-term growth and development plan
4. Support a robust and inclusive economic recovery