post-secondary institution

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