polytechnic Archives - Polytechnics Canada

Program Preview: Parity of Esteem for the Skilled Trades

By Dr. David Burns, Laura McDonald | April 10, 2026

Polytechnic institutions play an important role when it comes to developing Canada’s skilled trades workforce, training some 70 per cent of apprentices actively progressing toward certification. Even more importantly, polytechnics are considering how best to support career progression and continuous learning. At Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), they are working to create new pathways for tradespeople into undergraduate education.

Polytechnics Canada caught up with Dr. David Burns, Associate Vice-President, Academic, and Laura McDonald, Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology, to learn more about KPU’s efforts to foster parity of esteem for skilled trades learners.

Program Preview: Building Skills for the Canadian Military

By Darlene O'Neill, Lieutenant-Colonel Carlo Tittarelli | April 9, 2026

Ahead of the 2026 Polytechnic Showcase, we connected with Fanshawe to discuss their session, Innovation in Education in Action: Canada’s First Post‑Secondary Military Co‑op. We sat down with Lieutenant-Colonel Carlo Tittarelli, Assistant Chief of Staff at the 31 Canadian Brigade Group, and Darlene O’Neill, Fanshawe’s Military Connected College Lead Administrator, to learn more about their partnership.

We need more skilled workers and we need them faster

By Dr. Larry Rosia | April 4, 2026 | Originally featured in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix

In every conversation I have with employers – from mining and construction to energy and manufacturing – the message is consistent: ‘We need more skilled workers, and we need them faster.’

Across Canada, hundreds of thousands of tradespeople will retire by 2028. Employers are sounding the alarm. Here in Saskatchewan, we’ll need thousands of new apprentices and journeypersons just to maintain momentum, never mind delivering the ambitious nation-building the federal government envisions.

How to fix Canada’s sputtering productivity

By Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan | March 5, 2026 | Originally featured in the Hill Times

Canada is facing a national productivity emergency. This country’s economic output per worker, which has been stagnant for decades, took a turn for the worse during the pandemic, declining by 0.6 per cent since 2020.

Since the turn of the 21^st century, Canada has responded to this slow-growing crisis with familiar policies, modest reforms, and prolonged study. The results are now unmistakable: productivity has stalled and peer economies are pulling away, while Canada confronts stagnant wages, declining competitiveness, and growing economic insecurity. As this country works to build a more resilient national economy and diversify its international trading relationships, it must find a way to raise its lagging productivity now.

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Empowering the Next Generation: A Closer Look at Indigenous Learner Success

March 3, 2026 | Originally featured on the Jelly Academy website | 6.34MB | Download pdf >

The journey toward reconciliation in Canada is paved with practical action, meaningful relationships and a deep commitment to educational equity. We are proud to introduce the 2026 Edition of Enhancing Educational Outcomes: A National Report on Supporting Indigenous Learners in Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions.

Co-authored by Jelly Academy and Polytechnics Canada, this comprehensive report explores the current landscape of career counseling and institutional support for Indigenous students across the country.

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Polytechnic Applied Research

January 26, 2026 | 491.02KB | Download pdf >

Applied research is an important way that Canada’s polytechnics support small- and mid-sized businesses that lack internal R&D resources. This four-page brief includes annual statistics gathered from our member institutions and provides ideas for how to maximize the impact of applied research in Canada.

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Productivity Now: How an underutilized — yet proven — model of higher education can lift Canada’s economy out of the productivity crisis

By Humber Polytechnic | January 26, 2026 | Originally featured on the Humber Polytechnic website | 4.31MB | Download pdf >

Humber Polytechnic has released “Productivity Now,” a report on how to address the nation’s productivity emergency through its underutilized polytechnic model of education.

Authored by President and CEO Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, “Productivity Now” argues that polytechnic education links theory to practice in ways that directly impact productivity, accelerate technology adoption and build end-to-end skills pipelines for sectors critical to Canada’s future.

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Submission to Employment and Social Development Canada – Consultation on Building Canada Strong: Youth in the Labour Market

December 19, 2025 | 1.86MB | Download pdf >

Canada’s federal government recognizes the current and growing challenges faced by youth looking to secure and maintain employment. Across the country, young people are struggling to find meaningful work, even as employers report difficulty filling key roles. Youth unemployment is stubbornly high and the share of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) has grown.
The causes are complex: economic shifts, tariff impacts, the influence of artificial intelligence on entry-level roles and the lingering effects of the pandemic on mental health and foundational skills.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to Employment and Social Development Canada include:

Enrich student grants to help youth take refuge in post-secondary education during periods of economic uncertainty
Remove structural barriers to work-integrated learning by reviewing the supports available for unpaid placements, particularly in high-demand occupations
Expand access to short-cycle programs that integrate digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills with experiential opportunities
Improve apprenticeship completion using a whole-of-system approach
Prevent prolonged disengagement from school or work by exploring a “Youth Guarantee” model

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Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research – Canada’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy

December 19, 2025 | 2.19MB | Download pdf >

Canada has long been a global leader in artificial intelligence. Yet, despite strengths in theoretical research, businesses across the country have been slow to adopt and commercialize AI technologies. Weak adoption hinders economic growth and productivity, leaving much of AI’s potential stranded in theory rather than translated into real-world impact.

Polytechnics Canada’s recommendations to the Standing Committee on Science and Research include:

Create an annual $100-million funding stream within the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program
Expand the National Research Council’s (NRC) IRAP Interactive Visits program to support AI exploration
Invest $30 million per year in dedicated compute resources for polytechnic Applied AI Research Centres
Embed polytechnic applied research centres in Bureau of Research, Engineering and advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) investments