As part of our advocacy work in Ottawa, Polytechnics Canada issues written submissions and policy papers to inform and guide decision-makers in areas where polytechnic institutions offer pragmatic solutions to the country’s skills and innovation challenges.
2018 – House of Commons study on experiential learning Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development & the Status of Persons with Disabilities
Key recommendations include:
- Create a single point of entry for employers and students to access all federally-funded experiential learning programs
- Adopt a broad definition of experiential learning that includes learning typologies beyond the traditional co-op model
- Leverage existing investments in infrastructure and Innovation Superclusters to expand experiential learning placements and apprenticeships
- Grow the number of employers offering experiential learning placements by directing federal supports to a greater diversity of employers across a broader range of sectors
- Invest in improved data on experiential learning placements and outcomes
- Extend Youth Employment Strategy (YES) programming to all employers and deliver programming through a single federal department
- Extend YES programming eligibility to recent post-secondary graduates
- Embrace parity of esteem in the skilled trades by treating apprenticeship as an equally valuable post-secondary education pathway in YES programming