work-integrated learning Archives

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.