October 15, 2024

In Canada’s Workforce Conversation, Our Voice Matters

What’s on My Mind? With Pari Johnston.

This week, I’m at the Workforce Summit 2024 hosted by Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault. The Summit is bringing together more than 200 thought leaders to gather diverse views on how Canada can build a modern, inclusive, and productive labour market for the 21st century.

Attending is an important opportunity to highlight the impact of our network in meeting regional and national workforce demands to respond to Canada’s biggest challenges.

On the agenda: 

  • Demographic shifts and Canada’s future labour market programs  
  • Technology, the digital economy and changing nature of work 
  • Developing skills to meet workforce demands of a net-zero economy 
  • Improving labour market outcomes of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups 
  • Upskilling mid-career workers, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and more. 

All Canadians rely on college and institute graduates.

When we think purposefully about the connections between what we teach and what we need in our country and our communities, colleges and institutes become natural partners in meeting Canada’s biggest public policy challenges.

We train the builders, growers, makers, caregivers, first responders, innovators and job creators that Canadians depend on. As a sector, what we do ensures we have a skilled workforce to meet housing and healthcare demand, ensures workers are equipped to thrive in green and digital industries, and makes Canada’s small businesses more innovative, efficient, and productive.

I’m attending this National Summit as your voice in Ottawa.

As your national association, our work is making it clear to leaders, decision makers, employers and to Canadians that colleges and institutes are high-value ecosystem partners. Our unique and differentiated value proposition lies in our ability to upskill and reskill resilient, adaptable and diverse learners – individuals equipped with the 21st-century skills needed to enter the workforce quickly and help grow Canada’s economy.

CICan understands and promotes this impact wholeheartedly. What we’ve heard in the past few weeks, is that – crucially – the federal government still does not.

While Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is implementing top-down policies that will seriously undermine the capacity of the public college system to deliver its mandate, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is convening a national conversation on leveraging that same capacity to address pressing current and future workforce needs. This contradiction highlights a stark policy disconnect and raises the question: are the right voices being included in these national discussions and decisions? If not, we risk failing Canadians and their local communities.

Our message – in plain language – is that through colleges and institutes, students are equipped with the skills they need to find good jobs and help solve Canada’s most pressing challenges. And, through their strong community and industry relations, CICan members are the partners on the ground fostering local sustainability and developing practical solutions to build more homes, effectively integrate newcomers, support local businesses and train the skilled workers – especially in health and childcare – our country desperately needs.

The Summit is an important opportunity to connect some dots and tell this impact story.

September 27, 2024

A Renewed Commitment to ReconciliACTION

As we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, we remember the children who never returned home and honour the Survivors, their families, and communities. This day is a powerful reminder of the painful legacy of residential schools and the undeniable need for meaningful, sustained change.

Reconciliation isn’t just talk; it demands action. As educators, that means both removing barriers for Indigenous students and recognizing and valuing Indigenous Knowledge and practices by meaningfully embedding them into college and institute curriculum, pedagogy, and research. It’s about more than just inclusion—it’s about embracing the transformative power of Indigenous Knowledge to drive innovation and address Canada’s biggest challenges.

  • On the blog: Explore recent examples of how colleges are collaborating with Indigenous communities on challenge-driven research here.

Looking ahead, CICan is focused on amplifying Indigenous voices and leadership to advance Indigenous Knowledge, perspectives, and practices throughout the college and institute sector. This commitment is integral to our Roadmap to 2026 where reconciliation stands out as a core value shaping our actions, including: 

  • Working with Indigenous-led member institutions to advance their specific goals for leadership, capacity and partnership development to meet community needs; 
  • Advocating for increased federal support for Indigenous students and research; and 
  • Deepening our relationships with National Indigenous Organizations to support their goals for enhanced outcomes for college and institute students. 

Ultimately, our sector’s renewed commitment to reconciliation will take form in a refreshed Indigenous Education Protocol.  

10 Years In: A Renewed Indigenous Education Protocol 

Since 2014, our Indigenous Education Protocol has served as a guiding framework to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous learners and help our member institutions support their Indigenous students. This goes beyond programs to also involve governance frameworks, mutual respect, and accountability. To date, 72 CICan member institutions havesigned the Protocol.

  • On the blog: Learn about the dynamic landscape of Indigenous postsecondary education in Canada—a realm of resilience, progress, and ongoing challenges – here. 

This year, coinciding with its 10-year anniversary, CICan is taking action to reassess and refresh the Protocol. Working in a co-creative approach with Indigenous advisors, partners, and members, this renewal will ensure the protocol can continue to meet the evolving needs and aspirations of Indigenous communities, engage even more colleges and institutes, and spark transformative change across our sector. 

  • Did you know? With over 86% of Indigenous people residing within 50km of a college campus, colleges and institutes are the primary providers of post-secondary education for Indigenous learners. We offer over 300 credential programs designed to meet their unique needs and support their communities. 

Take Part: Reconciliation as a Shared Journey 

Reconciliation is a journey we must take together. From October 27-29, 2024, CICan, in partnership with the Indigenous Institutes Consortium (IIC), will host the National Indigenous Education Symposium. Set on the ancestral lands of the Mi’kmaq people, this event will unite postsecondary leaders from across the country to explore how Indigenous education can drive solutions to Canada’s biggest challenges. It’s also a time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the IIC and kick off the renewal of the CICan Indigenous Education Protocol, which marks its 10th anniversary this year.

Join us in this discussion – learn more and register here.

Building Skills, Building Homes

As we navigate the shifting landscape of post-secondary education, CICan’s focus is sharper than ever. 

For the first time, our vision is defined around five new Impact Goals that will direct our efforts around priority areas where we want to drive tangible change – where colleges and institutes can deliver results for their communities and the country. 

Boosting Canada’s Job-ready Workforce 

A key part of this vision is serving as the national voice for the innovative and inclusive training programs offered by colleges and institutes. These cutting-edge programs, including upskilling and reskilling initiatives, create fast and effective pathways to employment to address Canada’s critical labour shortages. They train the builders, makers, caregivers, first responders, and innovators shaping Canada’s economic future. 

Why does this matter? Because a job-ready workforce is the only way to meet Canada’s – and the world’s – biggest challenges.

The Challenge: Build More Homes 

Building a typical home involves more than 30 different skilled trades and technical occupations, from carpenters to painters, plumbers to electricians, masons to roofers and on-site managers, many of which are expected to retire by 2028. Preparation for these jobs comes directly from colleges and institutes.  

  • In fact, as experts in hands-on learning, colleges and institutes offer over 300 pre-apprenticeship programs in over 20 skilled trades. And, over 80 of those programs are designed to support groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the trades.

Harnessing the full potential of colleges and institutes to develop the homebuilding workforce will be key to realizing the success and greater downstream impact of federal housing investments. 

The Challenge: Build Better Homes

Boosting innovation and labour productivity is pivotal for the future of Canada’s construction sector. According to a new report by economists at Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canada may face declining living standards if productivity does not improve, highlighting the construction sector as a particular concern due to this moribund productivity.  

Colleges and institutes with strong community ties and expertise in skills training, applied research, and technology transfer, are essential partners in driving progress. They are building and reskilling the technical workforce required to meet future demands and build better homes through cutting-edge, inclusive training, upskilling and reskilling programs. 

To further support educators in delivering the skills shaping the construction sector—particularly in sustainability—CICan recently launched four Green Training Modules. These free modules equip educators with the tools to integrate climate awareness, eco-friendly practices, and Indigenous perspectives into their lessons, preparing students to build smart, sustainable housing that addresses environmental and community needs.

Colleges and institutes also play a role in driving innovative, sustainable research. For example, BCIT’s High Performance Building Lab explores designs and technologies to reduce energy consumption while enhancing comfort, while Cégep de Trois-Rivières is developing bio-based materials like hemp concrete to support greener, more energy-efficient construction.

Investing in the homebuilding workforce Canada needs  

Looking ahead, CICan is focused on securing increased federal funding for college and-institute-based skills and training initiatives. We are calling for investments that accelerate housing construction while enhancing productivity and innovation in the construction workforce. Our fall 2024 recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance include expanding training opportunities and pathways in trades, supporting business innovation, and modernizing critical skills infrastructure.

Read: Canada’s Colleges and Institutes: Partners in Building Productivity

By fully leveraging colleges and institutes as high-value partners, Canada can equip its construction sector with the modern skills and innovative practices needed to drive productivity and build more and better homes faster.

June 28, 2024

Winners: CICan’s 2024 Student Art Contest

CICan is thrilled to announce the winners of our 2024 Student Art Contest. This annual competition, which began ten years ago, provides students at CICan member institutions across Canada with a platform to showcase their creative skills and engage in art-making. It also gives us an opportunity to celebrate the diverse artistic talents of students nationwide.

This year’s theme, “Unbounded Creativity,” truly challenged the participants by removing any thematic constraints; the only limit was their imagination. 

We received 85 submissions across five categories: photography, drawing and painting, textile and mixed media, sculpture and printmaking, and digital illustration or animation. Out of these submissions, five talented students were selected as winners. 

The winners in each category will receive a cash prize of $500, courtesy of our affinity partner, TD Insurance, and have their artwork displayed at our national headquarters in Ottawa.

Thank you to everyone who participated! 

The winners of the 2024 CICan Student Art Contest are:

Drawing

Cavia Porcellus 

Ashaya Hargreaves | Red Deer Polytechnic

Painting

White Buffalo Calf Woman 

Natalia Sokolianska-Kiba | Bow Valley College

Photography

Black And White

Kannan Ravi Sundar | Confederation College

Digital illustration or animation

Shinrin Yoku 

Kim Earlie Sadang | Bow Valley College

Textile, mixed media, sculpture or printmaking

The Creature of Fire

Yin Chi Lam | St. Lawrence College