The future is now: our vision for the 20s

Welcome to 2020. Seminal works of science fiction from the 19^th and 20^th centuries predicted the year 2020 in various ways, sometimes fundamentally different from the world we know, and sometimes merely an imaginable reality augmented by new technologies.

While their visions haven’t been fully realized, much of the technology is already here. We can 3-D print everyday objects, robots are now routinely performing tasks identified as too dangerous or time-consuming for humans, the underwater world is being mapped with optical and acoustic remote-sensing technologies, and scientists can detect radio signals emerging from distant parts of the universe.

The United Nations has set a 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to direct how we can use these technologies, along with collective action, for the good of the planet and humanity in the next ten years. Without letting our imaginations run too wild, here’s our optimistic vision for the coming decade:

Following the development of a national framework to integrate principles of climate change adaptation and mitigation into postsecondary education, all students will graduate with a climate credential.
All workers displaced by automation will be fully reintegrated into the workforce thanks to reskilling and upskilling programs; micro-credentials; and part-time, online, hybrid, and accelerated programs.
With expanded wraparound supports for Indigenous students and curriculum supporting truth and reconciliation, Indigenous and non-Indigenous post-secondary attainment rates and labour market outcomes will be on par.
Businesses and government will fully recognize the college and institute research and innovation capacity to offer solutions to pressing real-world problems.
In line with the Government of Canada’s goal to be completely carbon neutral by 2050, sustainable cities and communities of the future will only offer carbon-neutral public transportation, including infrastructure to support the use and recharging of electric vehicles on campus.
Buildings, classrooms, and research facilities on campus will all be constructed from recycled or recyclable resources, reducing garbage production, and retrofit to ensure energy efficiency to become net-zero.
All post-secondary students will have opportunities to learn and develop global and intercultural skills through educational and work experiences abroad.
As Canadian institutions welcome international students in increasing numbers year after year, expanded welcome and orientation programs, language training, and integration support will ensure the success and integration of all international students.
As warming climates continue to cause geographic shifts, many inland and northern colleges and institutes will emerge as leaders in unexpected areas such as marine research, agriculture, and freshwater and natural resource management.
With the help of on-campus student entrepreneurship incubators, young people will have the resources they need to step up to their innovation potential and launch small businesses in line with their own values systems for sustainable design.
Small and medium-sized enterprises will benefit from the college and institute system – a Canada-wide research and development engine – to become internationally competitive.
As mental health is recognized as a fundamental component of good health and wellbeing through initiatives such as Bell Let’s Talk and the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s new national standard on mental health for students, all post-secondary institutions will be equipped with the necessary individualized mental health support services to ensure student success.
All employers will get on board with lifelong learning opportunities for employees, matching government incentives, providing tuition reimbursement programs, and allowing employees time for professional and personal development.
All Canadians will have access to high-speed Internet service and the 5G network, no matter where they live, including universal broadband access for rural, remote, and northern communities.
Work-integrated learning in all programs will give every student the hands-on technical and entrepreneurial skills they need to satisfy employer demand upon entering the workforce.
Specialized programs will be accessible and affordable anywhere in Canada regardless of geographic location thanks to high-quality simulation, augmented and virtual reality, and open educational resources.
All learners, including students from underrepresented populations, women, LGBTQ2S+ students, and students with disabilities will be able to pursue post-secondary education without facing physical, emotional, financial, or psychological barriers.
As robots, drones, and other automated processes perform everyday tasks, we will have more time to direct towards innovation and global problem solving.
Canadians will age comfortably and securely thanks to college and institute training and applied research in seniors care, aging, and gerontology.
Hands-on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) all over the world will be completely destigmatized, and diploma, degree, and certificate programs and credentials will be recognized by employers as “top quality education”.

The start of a new decade is a good time to reflect on how far we’ve come and where we are going. By setting the right goals, working together to develop new solutions, and investing in the right infrastructure and skills, there’s no telling how far we can go.

Home / Archive by category "Accelerating Reconciliation" ( / Page 4)

August 12, 2019

Transportation innovation: from autonomous vehicle retrofits to drone piloting

According to Transport Canada, transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, or a quarter of Canada’s total GHG emissions. Confronted with these figures, transportation innovation is absolutely critical to minimizing Canada’s GHG emissions in line with the goals set out in the Paris Accord. As such, one of five themes of Transportation 2030, the Government of Canada’s strategic plan for the future of transportation is “green and innovative transportation.”

Transportation is more than just planes, trains, and cars; and, Transport Canada says its mandate is to “ensure Canada’s transportation systems support our ambitious economic growth and job creation agenda.”

Colleges and institutes contribute to transportation innovation by leading research projects that modernize and transform road, rail, air, and water transportation; by providing solutions to problems experienced by pilots and drivers; and ensuring that training in all fields of transportation is up-to-date, ever-evolving, and accessible to all. For example:

The First Peoples’ Aviation Technology program at First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) is the only Indigenous aviation post-secondary program of its kind in Canada and is delivered in partnership with Canadore College. FNTI also recently hosted its inaugural Indigenous Youth Aviation Camp to encourage younger generations to pursue careers in piloting, which is considered key to the sustainability of many Indigenous communities.
The Centre québecois de formation aéronautique (CQFA) at the Cégep de Chicoutimi offers more than 50 training opportunities in the aviation sector and is the only institution in Canada that offers all three fields of specialization: commercial multi-engine, bush pilot (hydro-aviation), and helicopter. For more on aviation and aerospace technologies and training, including the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, Confederation College, BCIT, and Red River College, check out this previous issue of Perspectives.
Fanshawe College’s Norton Wolf School of Aviation Technology offers a Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems Commercial Operations graduate certificate that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to design, support, operate, and maintain unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, operations. Given the potential use of drones in collecting data in rural, remote, and northern communities, Aurora College also recently began offering a 3-day intensive course in UAV operations.
The Institut du véhicule innovant (IVI) [Innovative Vehicle Institute] is a College Centre for the Transfer of Technology (CCTT) affiliated with the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme specializing in applied research and the development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative technologies in the transport sector. One such project involves the development of a modular-design-compatible retrofit kit capable of converting regular vehicles into autonomous vehicles.
Durham College is participating in the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN), a community partnership designed to help SMEs develop, prototype, test, and validate transformative automotive technologies. By providing technology companies access to faculty expertise, student talent and state-of-the-art research facilities, Durham College is helping them develop autonomous vehicle capabilities in a safe and controlled environment.
The Railway Conductor program offered through the Rail Training Centre at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) provides highly-skilled graduates for an industry experiencing significant growth. Students are given hands-on training using real equipment covering areas such as handling of dangerous goods, railway safety, and mechanical components of rail cars.
The Institut technologique de maintenance industrielle (ITMI) [Industrial Maintenance Technical Institute] is a CCTT affiliated with the Cégep de Sept-Îles and, since 2013 has been home to an NSERC Industrial Research Chair specializing in rail maintenance and operations. ITMI’s research includes automated data treatment, communications protocols in northern and isolated regions, and warning systems for railway conductors to avoid risks of derailment.

As the pace of transportation innovation accelerates, colleges and institutes provide bold and innovative solutions to enhance the safety, security, efficiency, and environmental performance of transportation in Canada.

Home / Archive by category "Accelerating Reconciliation" ( / Page 4)

June 10, 2019

Building public safety in communities across the country

Public safety professionals, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics, are a vital part of strong communities, protecting individuals and property, responding to emergency situations, and saving lives.

At colleges and institutes across the country, unique training opportunities and applied research projects are preparing Canadians to work in the public safety sector, advancing the capacity of emergency response professionals, and making sure that Canada’s emergency management framework can be successfully implemented in communities with diverse challenges. For example:

The Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) is Canada’s unique leading public safety educator, developing dynamic justice and public safety professionals through applied education, training and research, training approximately 26,000 students on campus and online each year.
- Through its Centre for Applied Research, JIBC is also advancing justice and public safety, providing solutions to real-world questions that impact first responders, emergency managers, and other public safety professionals, including the development of a mental health screening tool for public safety personnel, through funding awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
- JIBC has also developed a web-based Aboriginal Disaster Resilience Planning (ADRP) guide to help First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities assess emergency preparedness and build resiliency plans specifically designed to be compatible with Indigenous cultures and to ensure the continuity of traditional knowledge.
Researchers at Grande Prairie Regional College have partnered with the RCMP, Alberta Health Services, and the City of Grande Prairie on a Police and Crisis Team (PACT) project to examine and improve upon police response to mental health issues in remote communities.
Bow Valley College’s two-year Justice Studies diploma with Aboriginal Focus Specialization trains students for careers in justice sectors, covering topics such as psychology and mental health, correctional methods, and intervention strategies with youth.
The Northern Justice and Criminology program at Yukon College also provides a uniquely northern perspective on the study of crime, justice, criminal behaviour, and social reactions to crime.
For public safety and emergency services professionals, Fanshawe College offers a one-year Public Safety Leadership program to help advance their careers with the leadership skills necessary to move into roles such as staff sergeant, captain, charge nurse, or EMS superintendent.
At Durham College, Fire and Life Safety Systems Technician students learn about the design and technical methodologies for various fire and life safety systems, including building codes and construction, fire alarm design and fire dynamics.
The 911 Institute at Collège la Cité brings together under one roof training for professions related to emergency services, offering future police officers, firefighters, paramedics, 911 respondents and dispatchers, and security professionals an unrivalled environment for highly realistic simulation.
The Cégep de Sainte-Foy offers seven programs in public health and safety, including Paramedic Emergency Care [Soins préhospitaliers d’urgence], taking advantage of sophisticated equipment and mannequins programmed to reflect targeted situations at the cégep’s Le Centre S, a specialized centre for clinical simulation.
Public safety training at the Cégep Garneau includes protecting citizens and maintaining public order with the Police Technologies program [Techniques policières] and crime prevention and resocialization of offenders with the Delinquency Response Technologies program [Techniques d’intervention en délinquance].
The Collège d’Alma’s Police Technologies for First Nations program [Techniques policières des Premières Nations] trains public safety officials with particular emphasis on the unique realities and challenges often faced by Indigenous communities.
The Atlantic Police Academy (APA) at Holland College provides training to enter public safety careers such as firefighter, correctional officer, and conservation enforcement officer as well as in-service skills upgrading for those looking to advance their careers. APA is also a leader in the development of the Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN), an innovative network of training and knowledge sharing between police and public safety professionals.

These types of programs, community partnerships, and applied research projects are a vital part of building Canada’s public safety and emergency management capacity.

Home / Archive by category "Accelerating Reconciliation" ( / Page 4)

April 8, 2019

Innovation north of 60°

Canadian media turned its spotlight on the country’s arctic as Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released Canada’s Changing Climate Report (CCCR) indicating that we are experience warming at twice the global average, with Northern Canada in particular heating up at almost three times the rate of the rest of the world.

With a growing and pressing need to address climate change in the North, colleges and institutes in Canada’s three territories have risen to the challenge, using their unique expertise to undertake research projects that improve the well-being of their communities.

The many research specializations of Aurora College, Nunavut Arctic College, and Yukon College include climate change mitigation and natural resources management; alternative energy; food security; and also socio-demographic challenges, such as mental health, suicide prevention, and substance abuse; and preserving Indigenous knowledge, culture, and histories. For example:

The Aurora Research Institute division of Aurora College is currently undertaking a project to provide solutions to food security issues in the North incorporating Indigenous traditional knowledge to meet dietary guidelines set out by the Canada Food Guide;
The Arts, Craft and Technology Micro-Manufacturing Centre (ACTMC) at Aurora College helps artists and entrepreneurs merge traditional arts and crafts with new technologies, such as 3D printing, laser cutting and computer-aided design; and,
At the college’s Yellowknife North Slave Research Centre, researchers are collaborating on the Welcoming the ‘Sacred Spirit’ project connecting Indigenous and western ways of knowing to optimize maternal health delivery. Other areas of focus include femicide, domestic abuse, and women’s health in rural and remote communities.
Nunavut Arctic College is home to a grid-connected photovoltaic array, fully operational since 1995, investigating the potential for solar alternatives to diesel fuel in power generation for northern communities that experience long periods of limited sunlight; and,
The college also houses Nunavut’s only water quality laboratory, conducting applied research with government and post-secondary partners in wastewater treatment and decontamination prior to discharge into marine environments.
At the Yukon Research Centre, part of Yukon College, researchers participating in the Hazards Mapping Project have published an online atlas highlighting the vulnerability of areas of land to climate change. The maps can be used as a tool by engineers and infrastructure planners, contributing to future transportation security.
The college is also partnering with Ryerson University to study how social work is practiced in the small and remote communities of Canada’s North. The pilot study is a first for research into northern social work led by social workers who actually work in the North.
Additionally, the college’s Cold Climate Innovation (CCI) Centre specializes in the development, commercialization, and export of sustainable cold-climate technologies and related solutions for subarctic regions around the world. CCI project areas include alternative energy, building construction, climate-related research, environmental remediation, food security and mechanical innovation.

Budget 2019 reinforced the importance of the Arctic region in Canada, stating that we have “an opportunity – and a responsibility – to be world leaders in sustainably developing the north.”

Given their innovation capacity and research expertise, Northern colleges and institutes have, and will continue to have, a vital role to play in sustainable economic and community development in the North, contributing to the mitigation of the effects of climate change, and working towards Reconciliation for northern Indigenous communities. Budget 2019’s investments in climate resiliency of northern communities, post-secondary education in the North, and universal high-speed internet for rural, remote, and northern communities are important steps to ensuring that these institutions are given the resources they need to grow their leadership role not just in Canada, but globally.