skilled trades Archives - Polytechnics Canada

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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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.

Reimagining education: A polytechnic path to youth employment – and Canada’s resilience

By Dr. Larry Rosia | December 3, 2025 | Originally featured in SaskToday

Canada stands at a crossroads. Youth unemployment is surging, reaching levels more typically seen during recessions: 14.7 per cent nationally, with Saskatchewan’s only slightly lower at 13.4 per cent.

These are not just numbers. They reflect a growing disconnect between education and employment.

As we navigate economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts, and rapid technological change, one thing is clear: Canada’s global competitiveness and economic resilience depend on how we prepare young people for the future of work. That means reimagining education – through a polytechnic lens.

Why investing in people is Canada’s most critical infrastructure project

By Sarah Watts-Rynard | November 28, 2025 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

In the face of a changing relationship with our southern neighbour, Canada is on the cusp of rewriting its trade, defence and infrastructure story for the next century. This will mean new investments and opportunities as the country aims to make itself more efficient and productive. Economic prosperity will rely, first and foremost, on enterprising Canadians putting their skills to work.

Statement on the Release of the Federal Budget 2025

November 4, 2025

November 4, 2025 – Ottawa, ON – Polytechnics Canada acknowledges the federal government’s commitment to economic resilience and workforce development outlined in Budget 2025.

In Canada’s housing crisis, skilled tradespeople as essential as blueprints. Here’s how Ottawa can grow their numbers

By Piers Young | February 11, 2024 | Originally featured in the Toronto Star

Canada is facing its worst housing affordability crisis in decades, putting home ownership out of reach for many young people looking to get a foothold in the market.

Despite federal investments designed to boost housing supply and expedite building approvals, the need for millions of new homes comes with additional challenges. At least as urgent as freeing up land and issuing building permits is the need for skilled tradespeople able to turn blueprints into bathrooms and concepts into kitchens.