labour demand

Accounting for more than 10 per cent of Canada’s GDP and for exports of over $354-billion annually, manufacturing is a powerful economic driver that spans industries ranging from aerospace and agrifood to medical devices, wood products and beyond.

Bolstering the sector’s potential resilience and growth depends on a workforce with up-to-date skills and competencies, says Sarah Watts-Rynard, CEO at Polytechnics Canada, an association representing research-intensive, publicly supported polytechnics and institutes of technology.

Read More > “Workforce development key to industry success”

Representatives from more than 10 Canadian polytechnics are in Winnipeg for an annual conference that allows them to share ideas and projects in progress.

The 2025 Polytechnic Showcase kicked off Wednesday at Red River College Polytechnic’s downtown campus.

Under the theme, “Propelling Canada’s productivity,” the two-day event is exploring how polytechnics — post-secondary institutions that offer applied and hands-on learning — are propelling the country toward a more prosperous future.

Read More > “Linking hands-on education at the 2025 Polytechnic Showcase”

While Canada continues to contend with long-standing challenges – including lagging productivity, lack of housing supply and labour shortages in the health sector – a recent call to safeguard national interests comes amid geopolitical upheaval stemming from disruptive U.S. foreign policy.

For a sound response, Sarah Watts-Rynard, CEO of Polytechnics Canada, proposes bolstering collaboration between industry, government and post-secondary education with a common goal: to strengthen economic resilience.

Read More > “Strengthening economic resilience through access to talent and applied research”

At an annual event for bringing together industry and community leaders and representatives from the colleges and institutes sector, one construction company executive was asked how his organization stays up to date on technology, regulations and industry trends. The answer was simple: “We hire new graduates, who are exposed to all that in school and who come with fresh ideas and new energy.”

This is part of the value proposition of Canadian colleges and institutes, along with their mandate to educate career-ready graduates, says Sarah Watts-Rynard, CEO of Polytechnics Canada, an organization representing publicly supported polytechnics, colleges and institutes of technology.

Read More > “Funding changes affect labour-market-driven education capacity”