In just over two weeks since his election, Prime Minister Mark Carney has already outlined some bold objectives for building housing, improving affordability, boosting productivity, and transforming the Canadian economy through bold action.
On these priorities, the message from our sector is clear: Canada’s colleges and institutes are key partners in getting things done.
The Big Conversations
Last month, CICan convened over 130 leaders from Canada’s public colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics along with key partner organizations for our first-ever Leaders Summit to chart a path that will empower our sector to continue doing what we do best.
Bringing together the right people to ask the right questions at the right time, conversations focused on the most pressing questions where Canada’s challenges, a new government’s priorities, and the big opportunities in postsecondary education intersect:
- Growing domestic enrollment in ways that build a made-in-Canada skilled workforce, driving digital transformation and leveraging digital tools to enhance Canadian innovation and productivity, and boosting inter-provincial learner and credential mobility to create a connected, competitive Canadian economy.
The result? A renewed spirit of unity and urgency, driving bold action for Canada.
Some of the ideas:
- Strengthening programs with real-time labour market data and industry partnerships.
- Building new models to support microcredentials, modular learning, and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).
- Supporting non-traditional learners through expanded financial aid and flexible pathways.
- Scaling national initiatives like Military-Connected Campuses to grow enrollment and better support Canada’s defense and civilian workforce needs.
- Empowering faculty and staff to champion digital innovation through peer-driven training.
- Balancing digital delivery with hands-on learning to meet diverse learner needs.
- Leveraging sector-wide tools like Digital Campus Canada and the Canadian Coalition of Affordable Learning to drive access, efficiency, and innovation.
- Connecting learners more effectively to programs and careers through digital tools and labour market data.
- Advocating for national coordination on credential and competency recognition.
- Piloting innovative models like the Authentic Competency Evaluation (ACE) system, led by Atlantic Colleges Atlantique (ACA), that validates real skills, not just classroom time.
- Forming regional and national coalitions to drive political momentum, share best practices, and accelerate change.
- Prioritizing inclusive solutions that work for non-traditional, marginalized, and mobile learners.
The Road Ahead
This is a new chapter for Canada and our sector. Canadians are asking for change, reassurance, and confidence in public institutions following what has been called the most consequential election since the end of the Second World War – and our sector is front and centre in this national frame.
Canada’s public colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics are central to building and making stuff in Canada. We are the path to good careers in the skilled trades and ensuring exponential growth in talent and labour mobility in the skilled workforce needed to support sectors of critical national importance. We are essential partners to boosting productivity among Canadian SMEs via AI uptake and applied research and innovation at scale, and to building Canada’s national security and defense capacity through training partnerships.
Investing in the capacity and expertise of our institutions isn’t just good policy, it’s essential for Canada’s future. From building and making things right here at home, to growing a more competitive, productive workforce and economy, to strengthening global trade, our sector is where it starts.