The year that changed everything

The past year was one of global crisis and transformation that has changed the world. While the calendar year is coming to an end, it’s clear that the impacts and long-term effects of the pandemic and our collective response to change will be felt for many months to come. So, even though we are all tired of talking about COVID-19, here are a few reflections on the past year and what it has meant for colleges and institutes:

On working, learning, and skills

In March, millions of workers suddenly found themselves unemployed, small businesses were hit with unprecedented challenges, traditional office spaces shut down and many students missed out on learning opportunities through internships and co-op placements.

• With a strong history in online and blended learning methods, colleges and institutes across the country were also able to quickly respond to distancing measures necessitated by COVID-19 and shift instruction to online methods.
• In June, we reflected on the importance of hands-on, work-integrated learning opportunities to ensure that students don’t miss out on valuable opportunities while driving innovation to strengthen economic recovery.
• As many Canadians are now working and learning from home for the foreseeable future, we also reflected on how further investments in universal broadband connectivity across Canada can support virtual learning and work during recovery and into the future.

Meanwhile, the online shift and a confrontation with what Dictionnaire Le Robert called “illectronisme,” (digital illiteracy or a lack of proficiency with electronic resources) sparked a conversation on what defines “essential” when it comes to skills for the future.

• In the federal government’s Fall Economic Update, we welcomed additional support for skills development and training, including $1.3 billion over two years for measures targeted at young Canadians, students and vulnerable populations to help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
• As many workers have had to adjust to a completely different way of working, the critical role of Canada’s colleges and institutes helping Canadians adapt and develop the skills they need to succeed becomes more important than ever.

On internationalism and global skills

As early as April, border closures around the world and travel restrictions between regions led to a global decrease in demand for air travel, which the International Air Transport Association doesn’t predict will return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

• In light of the challenges, we worked tirelessly with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada to ensure that the needs of international students were being heard. See all of our updates related to international students arriving in Canada, post-graduation work permits, and study permit processing online.
• While delayed, we launched the first phase of our Outbound Student Mobility program with Universities Canada, which will provide opportunities for Canadian students to gain important cross-cultural skills that will help them remain competitive in a global market.

On racism, social justice, and gender inequality

In June, protests against systemic racism made headlines following the police killings of Black men and women in the United States, and reports of police brutality against Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) in Canada.

• We reflected on systemic racism and discrimination in Canada; challenges to success disproportionately faced by Black students, Indigenous students, Asian students, and other visible minority groups; and the work we must do to expose implicit and unintentional biases in order to drive meaningful change.

We also reflected on the fact that economic losses from the COVID-19 pandemic have had a greater effect on women than on men and that a sustainable recovery plan for Canada needs to do more to empower women, transgender, and gender non-binary individuals.

On mental health

The seemingly endless scroll of bad news throughout the year left Canadians with a fairly bleak world view and, not surprisingly, Statistics Canada reported that over half of Canadians’ mental health had worsened since the pandemic began.

• In immediate response, colleges and institutes made online support mechanisms available to students, including resources for managing stress and anxiety, tailored approaches for Indigenous students, and creative ways of maintaining connected communities while physically distancing.
• The Mental Health Commission of Canada also released its highly anticipated new national standard on Mental health and well-being for post-secondary students, including a Starter Kit to help post-secondary institutions build momentum toward aligning with the Standard.
• Visit Wellness Together Canada for free online mental health and substance use support, including resources, tools, apps and connections to qualified people when needed. Share this free online resource with your students, staff, and faculty. 

On data and statistics

In 2016, the Oxford English Dictionary called “post-truth” its word of the year. While no single word was chosen this year, fake news, disinformation & misinformation, conspiracy theories, and pseudoscience continued to occupy large spaces in public discourse.

• In November, we reflected on the nature of Fact & Fiction and the importance data and statistics in our advocacy efforts with the federal government in support policy decisions that help build a more innovative, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable future.
• We ran several surveys this year to better understand the challenges and needs of our members and support our advocacy. Your responses are critical to influencing decision makers and we thank those who participated!

On recovery, rebuilding, and sustainability

In March, global financial markets experienced the worst one-day crash since 1987. Since then, governments around the world, including in Canada, introduced stimulus packages in an effort to support small businesses, minimize losses, and encourage growth. And, we haven’t forgotten that the end of 2020 leaves us only ten years to achieve the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030.

• We issued recommendations, both independently and as part of an applied-research taskforce, to the federal government’s prebudget consultations to leverage college and institute expertise in sustainably relaunching our economy; and further outlined the essential role that colleges, institutes, polytechnics and cegeps can play to support Canada’s economic recovery in our new whitepaper: COVID-19 and beyond.
• On sustainability, we highlighted colleges and institute as leaders in initiatives to reduce their own carbon footprint, have a lasting impact in their communities, and make progress towards achieving the goals.

Now, with several promising vaccine candidates, which the Government of Canada hopes to start distributing this week, we’re thinking about what comes next.

Overall, we are optimistic. 2020 challenged us to confront systems of inequality, to reflect on sustainability, to redefine our objectives and indicators of success, and gave us an opportunity to build a better future.

Tune into Perspectives LIVE!

If you haven’t joined us yet, Perspectives LIVE is our new series connecting post-secondary leaders and experts on thought-provoking topics. So far, we’ve tackled Rebuilding a sustainable economy in crisis, Supporting mental health & well-being, and Hacking education in a digital world. Watch all the episodes on our YouTube channel!

Last week, we wrapped our last French-language episode of the year! Thank you to our fantastic co-hosts, Collège Boréal president Daniel Giroux and Normand Latour; as well as our speakers, Patrick Charland, Jacques Cool, and Nadia Naffi.

In the new year we’re continuing the show with topics like linking life-long learning to the needs of employers; equity, diversity, and inclusion; and embodying sustainability. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming episodes in January!

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