Three hands pointing in a forward direction.

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September 5, 2023

A Preview of Colleges and Institutes Canada’s Fall Advocacy Agenda

The Fall months bring with them an invigorating energy. It is a season of transformation and renewal, particularly within the post-secondary sector, as learners, educators, and administrators begin a new academic year. For Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), it’s a time to reaffirm our commitment to creating better futures for people and communities and amplify our advocacy agenda for the year ahead.

This year, aligning with the government’s heightened focus on youth, our priorities gain a renewed purpose. We’re zeroing in on our key priority areas and driving practical solutions that strengthen our system’s ability to cultivate diverse, confident, and resilient leaders and workers prepared to take on future challenges and propel Canada forward.

Here’s an overview of those solutions as recommended in our recent submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance – Pre-budget Consultations in Advance of Budget 2024:

Supporting the Supporters: As labour gaps persist, we remain focused on ensuring our members receive the support needed to fulfil their critical roles producing highly skilled and future-ready workers. We’re asking the government to increase investments in the Canada Social Transfer escalator, which aids provinces and territories in funding vital social programs like post-secondary education.
Giving Learners a Place to Call Home: Recognizing the severity of Canada’s housing crisis, colleges and institutes are eager to be a part of the solution. We’re pushing for the government to integrate students’ unique housing needs into federal housing policies, programs, and data, as well as introduce a new Student Housing Loan and Grant Program.

Supporting Learners in a Globalized World: Global skills are crucial in today’s interconnected world. It’s why we are advocating for the permanency of key programs, like the Global Skills Opportunity pilot program, along with increased funding to facilitate outbound student mobility and strengthen Canada’s global education standing.
Advancing Reconciliation: Reconciliation remains a cornerstone of our advocacy. We maintain an unwavering focus on securing substantial investments in programs like the Post-Secondary Support Program and tailored strategies for Inuit and Metis post-secondary education to foster Indigenous economic mobility and enrich Canada’s potential.
Supporting Learners’ Mental Health: Students’ mental health affects their ability to thrive. As mental health challenges continue to rise, we are underscoring the importance of investing in student mental health support services at post-secondary institutions.
Leveraging College Applied Research to Support Small Businesses: Colleges continue to play an increasing role in innovation and tackling pressing issues like climate change. We are advocating to enhance colleges’ ability to compete for research funding and ensure equity of opportunity in Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

How will we ensure these recommendations become a reality? As the collective voice of colleges and institutes, our advocacy efforts over the coming months will focus on:

raising awareness of our members’ invaluable contributions and ensuring their concerns reach the highest levels of government through impactful reports, publications, and meetings with key government officials (see our latest submissions);
ensuring our members’ active participation in critical discussions, like the House of Commons Standing Committees and high-impact events, such as our upcoming annual CICan on the Hill; and
amplifying our collective voice through strategic communication initiatives that target national, regional, and online media outlets (see the latest news from CICan).

Stay tuned as we embark on an exciting new year of advocacy as colleges and institutes continue to propel Canada forward.

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June 19, 2023

There is no sustainability without equity (SDG 10)

June is a unique month dedicated to celebrating diversity and promoting true inclusivity. It marks the convergence of two periods of recognition: Pride Month and National Indigenous Peoples Month.

Both are celebratory but draw attention to the ongoing journey toward equity and reconciliation. SDG 10 challenges us to reduce inequalities within and among countries, including income inequality, political and social inclusion, discrimination, and representation. It lies at the centre of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The role of colleges and institutes.

Canada’s colleges and institutes understand their critical role in reducing inequalities. As the primary access points to postsecondary education for many equity-deserving groups, we actively engage with community partners to remove barriers to education and promote a culture of respect and inclusion in our spaces. Here are just a few of the many ways colleges and institutes are showing their support this month, and beyond:

Red Deer Polytechnic, alongside its student’s association and Central Alberta Pride, has demonstrated its support to the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities through a flag-raising ceremony.
Assiniboine Community College has an Indigenization strategy to instil Indigenous worldviews, knowledge, and perspectives from the diverse Indigenous cultures at every level of our organization.
Cégep Heritage College has an Indigenizing Project to assist CEGEP teachers in the work of indigenizing the curriculum.
Sheridan College‘s student union is hosting several community events and offering students an opportunity to take a trip to the Toronto Pride Parade with them on Sunday, June 25.
Thompson River University provides its community various opportunities to learn about Indigenous people, cultures, histories, and stories of the local Secwépemc people and other Indigenous nations.
George Brown College‘s Office of Anti-Racism, Equity and Human Rights Services promotes fairness, equity, accountability, and transparency year-round.
Cégep de l’Outaouais has a community of practice that brings together staff to share their knowledge and expertise to bring about changes in their professional practices towards greater inclusivity.

While significant efforts are underway, we continuously seek new ways to address the need to do more. This commitment to equity goes beyond mere obligation. We consider equity an essential component of sustainability. And we are not the only ones who think so. The World Bank highlights that addressing inequalities is vital to eradicating poverty, while the World Health Organization emphasizes that equity is a fundamental determinant of health.

The good news? Access to learning is one of the best ways to reduce inequalities, and the data shows that more and more individuals traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education recognize colleges and institutes as accessible options.

Join us in taking action.

Let us use the month of June as fuel to ignite greater change. Here are some of the ways you can take action:

Join the 50-30 Challenge, which aims to advance equity, diversity, inclusion and economic prosperity from coast to coast to coast by ensuring everyone has a seat at the table.
Sign the Indigenous Education Protocol, which underscores the importance of structures and approaches required to address Indigenous peoples’ learning needs and support self-determination and socio-economic development of Indigenous communities.
Commit to learning about the history of residential schools, listen to survivors’ stories and reflect on our role in creating a better, more equitable future for Indigenous peoples. Here are just a few of the many resources out there to get you started:

And about the diverse experiences and challenges faced by the 2SLGBTQIA+ community by checking out:

- Government of Canada’s 2022 Pride Guide
- Egale Canada Research Papers on topics that reflect the local lived realities of 2SLGBTQI communities in Canada and internationally
- Red River Polytech Pride resources
- Centennial College parent and child Pride resources

Lastly, keep an eye on your inbox as we’ll soon announce the date for this year’s CICan Indigenous Education Symposium.

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April 11, 2023

Applied research allows more Canadian businesses to innovate in a global world

Budget 2023 is here, and our sector’s innovation story was a key investment. The budget recognizes the critical role colleges and institutes play in helping small and medium-sized businesses innovate. It’s a big win for Canadian businesses in challenging times.

Specifically, Budget 2023 invests $108.6 million over three years in college and institute applied research through the existing College and Community Innovation Program. Administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), The College and Community Innovation program is tri-agency funding that provides innovative solutions for local and regional challenges faced by businesses, government, and communities, through the expertise of Canadian colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics.

How it works? In the college and institute context, applied research is the development of innovative solutions to real-world challenges. Businesses and community organizations – especially SMEs and entrepreneurs that often do not have large budgets for research and development – come to their local institution with a problem to solve. There, they get access to state-of-the-art facilities, specialized equipment, and technical experts to help them advance their business.

In real numbers, that expertise led to over 6,400 applied research projects amounting to 5,500 new processes, products, prototypes, and services in only one year (2019-2020). In Budget terms, that means more than $108 million over three years is reinvested in the long-term sustainability of Canadian industry.

Applied research is at the intersection of SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 9 Innovation, Industry, and Infrastructure. Canadian businesses and community organizations of all sizes (in all areas of the country) benefit from real solutions to real problems. Students gain valuable work experience and skills to join the job market by participating in cutting-edge, industry-relevant research projects. And we all benefit from innovations that help futureproof the Canadian economy.

Facing inflation, labour shortages, large-scale economic transformations, and a climate crisis, there’s still more to do to rebuild Canada’s workforce, address inequality, and transition to a net-zero economy. Other Budget 2023 measures we’re keeping an eye on:

Skills and Training: Budget 2023 provides $197.7 million in 2024-25 to the Student Work Placement Program to continue creating quality work-integrated learning opportunities for students through partnerships between employers and post-secondary education institutions. It also introduces cross-government reviews to examine if improvements can be made to skills training and youth programming.
Infrastructure: Budget 2023 announces that the Canada Infrastructure Bank will invest at least $20 billion in existing priority areas to support clean electricity and clean growth infrastructure projects. It also provides $500 million over ten years to the Strategic Innovation Fund to support the development and application of clean technologies in Canada.
Indigenous Supports: Budget 2023 provides $5 million in 2023-24 to Indigenous Services Canada to support the co-development of an Economic Reconciliation Framework with Indigenous partners that will increase economic opportunities for Indigenous Peoples, communities, and businesses.

What now? We’re keen to get back to our regular advocacy and engage actively with key federal departments and stakeholders in the coming weeks as the announced programs are designed and implemented!

Be active in your communities and on social media to promote colleges and institutes as key players and be sure to let us know of visits and meetings that take place.

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February 9, 2023

Partnership means we maximize our contributions to lasting change (SDG 17)

Training institutions, their learners, and their industry and government partners in four Pacific-Alliance countries now have the connections, knowledge, and tools to make sustainable positive change. Working in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, we set out to strengthen socio-economic opportunities for men and women in a sustainable and inclusive extractive sector. Five years later, the impact of our work can be seen.

The Pacific Alliance Education for Employment Program (PA-EFE) is the latest of our international programs to soon come to an end (March 2023).

Around the world, our signature EFE approach pairs Canadian colleges and institutes with similar institutions in partner countries. At the institutional level, it helps ensure that training meets the needs of local labour markets, communities, and learners and helps local TVET institutions develop the capacity to sustain educational change long after the projects come to an end. At the government and industry levels, it helps strengthen capacity of civil servants and bring together different ministries to develop and exchange best practices. It also works with private sector and civil society partners to ensure dialogue and collaboration.

Our Pacific Alliance program in key numbers:

Starting in 2018, we connected 22 Canadian colleges and institutes through 16 institutional partnerships. The partnerships give Pacific-Alliance institutions the opportunity to learn from their Canadian counterparts (and vice-versa) and help strengthen post-secondary education and the alignment with private sector needs.
We helped develop ten training programs that address both labour market needs in the extractive sector as well as challenges related to gender equality and environmental sustainability. Over five years, more than 1,100 students have enrolled in the programs developed through the project.
We also helped systematize over 90 policies, guidelines, and best practices to strengthen governance across the sector and trained nearly 2,500 government leaders and administrators with recommendations for their implementation. And, ten institutions now have strategies, policies, and procedures to support gender equality and the empowerment or women and girls in place.
More than 250 civil servants from over 40 different ministries benefited from workshops to learn strategies to better design and implement gender equality and environmental sustainability across public policy.

The PA-EFE Program also contributed to our core SDGs: SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships to achieve the Goal).

In everything we do, we use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for collaboration to ensure that our actions make a positive impact for people, communities, and the planet.

This week is International Development Week (IDW). It’s an opportunity to highlight the many important contributions that Canadians are making around the world. The theme, #GoForTheGoals, calls on us, on our members, and on Canadians to contribute to positive change from one side of the world to the next.

Use IDW as an opportunity to act by signing the SDG Accord! As signatories, we maximize the impact of our efforts, share knowledge, hold each other accountable, and inspire each other to doing more.

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August 29, 2022

New resources! Help your students succeed in skilled trades programs.

A collection of tools and resources is available to support underrepresented groups in skilled trades, including women, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, and persons with disabilities.

Access promising practices in trades diversity and inclusion, tools to help adapt curriculum and programs to make them more accessible to and inclusive of underrepresented, and other multimedia resources!

The collection is a result of the Unlocking Inclusive Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways program, a two-and-half-year partnership between CICan and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum.

As the labour market continues to evolve it is more important than ever to support Canadians looking to develop their skills. Use and share these resources within your networks to ensure that all students can pursue fulfilling careers in trades!

Access tools and resources.

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June 1, 2022

Confronting our history and looking forward

(Originally published in Education for Employment magazine, June 21, 2022).

The past twelve months have been a monumental year for many Indigenous people and communities in Canada. One marked by trauma, the reopening of deep wounds, and a confrontation with the truth about more than 100 years of Canadian history.

In June of last year, the remains of 215 Indigenous children uncovered at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School confirmed what many Indigenous people have been saying for decades: that the truth about residential schools is much darker than what’s written in many history books. Since then, more Indigenous communities – many working with technical teams from their local college or institute – have conducted searches of the grounds of former residential schools with similar results.

The trauma is intergenerational, ongoing, and there is still so much work to be done; but we can be sure that education will be an important part of the healing process.

Education is essential to lasting reconciliation with Indigenous communities. Seven of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action relate directly to education, including eliminating educational and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, increasing available funding, and developing culturally appropriate and relevant programming.

But education isn’t just about improving labour-market outcomes, it’s also deeply connected to cultural preservation. In fact, seven CICan members are designated Indigenous institutions, meaning that they exclusively deliver culturally-relevant programs tailored to the needs of Indigenous learners and communities as a means of preserving and strengthening Indigenous cultures.

For example, Kenjgewin Teg in Ontario means “a place of knowledge” in Ojibwe and the institute includes Indigenous knowledge in all its educational programming and relationships with the community. Each learner works with staff to develop a unique learning plan and identify goals. Teaching includes lessons about obtaining sustenance from the land, using Indigenous games as teaching tools, and helping students broaden their cultural perspectives and ways of knowing.

In British Columbia, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology is grounded in Indigenous culture, traditions, and knowledge; and inspires learners to strengthen their communities. NVIT’s unique Elder Council also guides the institution, its staff and faculty, and supports the spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being of students through higher education.

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies is made up of more than 90% Indigenous students and 70% Indigenous staff. The institute is responsive to the needs of learners and recently launched a curriculum renewal project to support innovation, ensure programs reflect current labour-market needs, and position graduates for success.

More broadly, over 95% of all Canadians and more than 86% of Indigenous people live within 50 km of a college or institute location; and these institutions across the country offer over 300 credential programs tailored to the needs of Indigenous learners and communities. Colleges and institutes are also the primary access point to post-secondary education for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis learners, and are deeply engaged in advancing reconciliation and empowering communities. Even non-Indigenous institutions take this commitment to heart, as do we.

This year, CICan is also celebrating 50 years as a national association. In doing so, we’re looking back at our history over five decades. Indigenous education has been one of our top priorities for many years.

For example, did you know that in 1993, CICan (formerly the Association of Canadian Community Colleges) submitted its first position paper to the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples? And in 2006, we hosted our very first Indigenous Education Symposium bringing together Elders, Chiefs, Council Members, industry partners, and government representatives to discuss the unique needs of Indigenous learners. Since then, we’ve held a total of 11 symposia on the subject!

Since 2014, we’ve used our Indigenous Education Protocol as a framework to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous learners and help institutions support Indigenous students. It’s not just about programs, but also governance structures, mutual understanding, and accountability. To date, 67 institutions have signed the Protocol.

If we’ve learned anything in recent times, it’s that the future is unpredictable. Still, we know that a sustainable future is only possible if all learners have access to quality education. Education is as important to finding goods jobs and growing Canada’s economy as it is to cultural preservation. That means Indigenous education is essential to making Canada future-proof.

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May 30, 2022

Indigenous rights include language rights (SDG 10)

Language is a really important part of Canadian identity, but not just French and English. Did you know that over 70 Indigenous languages are spoken across the country, a key part of the many Indigenous cultures? The census divides those into 12 language families: Algonquian languages, Inuit languages, Athabaskan languages, Siouan languages, Salish languages, Tsimshian languages, Wakashan languages, Iroquoian languages, Michif, Tlingit, Kutenai, and Haida. Each one is vital to cultural preservation!

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report includes five calls to action that relate directly to language and culture and recognize the urgency of revitalizing Indigenous languages as a means of preserving Indigenous cultures. The two go hand in hand.

For postsecondary institutions, in addition to programs tailored to the needs of Indigenous learners, that also means language instruction!

Did you know that over 23 Indigenous languages are taught at colleges and institutes across the country? That includes language-specific programs as well as language courses taught as part of programs intended to teach about Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing, truth and reconciliation, and more! For example:

At Collège nordique francophone, the Tłı̨chǫ language course gives students a unique opportunity to learn about Dene culture and to practice constructing and pronouncing simple sentences through storytelling.
At Confederation College, the Let’s Start Ojibwe Maajtaadaa Anishinaabemowin course gives students an introduction to Anishinaabemowin (the Ojibwe language), focusing on the basic framework of orthography and pronunciation. Learning in this course is also supplemented with online-tutorials!
At Nunavut Arctic College, the Interpreter & Translator program is designed for students interested in technical aspects of the Inuktitut language and who wish to pursue a career in this field.
- The college also offers the Inuinnaqtun Language Revitalization Certificate program, which supports community by strengthening understanding of the complex context of language loss, maintenance, and recovery.

At Cégep de Sept-Îles, the Innu Translation & Interpretation helps students develop skills and abilities in translating documents written in French into Innu, as well as in the oral interpretation of an Innu or French speech into either language.
At Red River College Polytechnic, the Indigenous Language Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) course teaches students the fundamentals of reading, writing, and speaking Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) using the double vowel system.
At Fanshawe College, the new Oneida: Language Immersion, Culture and Teaching program prepares students for a variety of language-related careers including teacher of Onyota’a:ka as a second language, translator, language consultant, language specialist or storyteller.
At Kenjgewin Teg, Anishinaabemowin Early Childhood Education is a specialized Anishinaabe immersion program designed to help individuals improve their Ojibwe language acquisition while training to become early childhood educators!
At Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Indigenous language training includes a one-year Language Certificate, a two-year Language Diploma and a three-year Advanced Diploma in Indigenous Language Teaching. These programs encourage learners to begin speaking, practicing, and teaching their respective languages!
At Six Nations Polytechnic, the special Mohawk language app allows users to browse different categories, listen to words, see the correct spelling, understand pronunciations, and test their knowledge by playing games.

This year marks the start of the UN International Decade for Indigenous Languages, which draws global attention to the critical situation of many Indigenous languages and encourages everyone to take part in preservation, revitalization, and promotion of these languages.

As we start Indigenous History Month and celebrate the history, culture, and diversity of Inuit, Métis and First Nations people across all of Canada, let’s not forget about the richness and diversity of Indigenous languages!

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March 21, 2022

Voices for action against racism

That’s the theme of this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It calls on people everywhere to strengthen and consolidate their voices against racism, to mobilise against all forms and all manifestations of racial discrimination and injustice, and to ensure a safe environment for those who speak up.

Why March 21? Each year, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marks the day police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.

As educators, colleges and institutes play a vital role in combatting systemic racism and discrimination. In areas like healthcare and public safety, they ensure that workers are given tools to protect public spaces against injustice, now and in the future.

At Justice Institute of British Columbia, the Police Academy provides future municipal police officers with anti-racism and bias-free training through crisis intervention de-escalation techniques and scenario training involving vulnerable persons. In each debriefing session, learners are asked to reflect on what strategies they used, or could have used, to ensure that their future interventions as municipal police officers are fair, impartial, and bias free.
At Cégep de Chicoutimi, AIDE-mémoire is a training tool designed to help students in healthcare in Indigenous settings better address cultural sensitivities and systemic discrimination in healthcare. The tool was designed in collaboration with the Miro Matisiwin clinic at Saguenay’s Indigenous Friendship Centre for students in any of the cégep’s seven healthcare or psychology programs.
At Collège d’Alma, the 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.
Similarly, at Cégep de Rimouski is working to integrate new training in its police technologies program designed to provide future police officers with tools to address racial profiling and discrimination.
In Continuing Education at NAIT, the Racial Equity Strategies course gives learners an understanding of the impacts of racism, power, and privilege; their own social location; and the intersectionality of identities. Strategies help learners become effective allies in their workplaces and communities.
At Centennial College, the Race Matters: Challenging Racism course explores how systemic racism impacts our everyday lives through things like education, housing, employment, and media. The course equips learners with the tools to help combat racism and ethnic discrimination present in Canadian society.
At New Brunswick Community College, researchers are partnering with Black Lives Matter to study the key indicators of systemic anti-Black racism in the province and address barriers faced by the Black community. The study will look at how to change New Brunswick’s health care, education, social development, and justice sectors to make the province more racially equitable.

As institutions, we also recognize that systemic racism and discrimination exist in Canada and have work to do to address the challenges to success that Black students, Indigenous students, Asian students, and other visible minorities often face.

At George Brown College, the brand-new Black Futures Hub is part of the college’s Anti-racism Strategy and Action Plan. The hub offers anti-racism resources, including an anti-racism simulator that uses avatars and interactions with virtual humans to encourage learners to reflect on microaggressions safely and effectively.
At Confederation College, the Decolonization Report marks an important step in the college’s decolonization journey and outlines how the college will act on each of the recommendations from its internal review of systemic racism.
At Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the Taskforce on Anti-racism is a cross-institutional approach for teaching, learning, research, scholarship, and institutional change on racial equity, systemic oppression, and intersectional social justice. Check out their anti-racism blog and resources!
At Red River College Polytechnic, employees and students can take self-directed anti-racism training that tackles concepts of privilege, unconscious bias and decision-making, the difference between anti-racism and systemic racism, and microagressions with a particular focus on anti-black racism.
At NorQuest College, the Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership offers services that encourage and support other organizations in developing and sustaining inclusive cultures, including customized and focused training solutions and strategic consulting and measurement.

It’s not enough to be “not racist.” Anti-racism means that we must reflect on unconscious biases and institutional and structural policies that allow racism to exist, and consistently work to identify and dismantle them.

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March 7, 2022

What does it mean to be future-proof?

If we’ve learned anything in recent times, it’s that the future is unpredictable. Still, we can try to plan for what we know and prepare for what we don’t. That’s the essence of future-proof: it means that we ready for any and all challenges that could arise in 6 months, a year, 10 years or 20 years.

Colleges and institutes anticipate the needs of our economy, then train, upskill, and reskill thinkers and doers. They are vital to making Canada future-proof. As their voice in the national agenda, it’s our job to make sure decisionmakers know what college and institute expertise can do for Canada. For federal budget planners, we have some ideas:

There is no future without net-zero. We need colleges and institutes to get us there.
Our economy needs bold innovators. Colleges and institutes make Canada more competitive and Canadian business faster to commercialize.
A future-proof Canada needs newcomers to address labour shortages. Colleges and institutes ensure those coming to start a new life in Canada have the resources and support they need to realize their aspirations.
Our future is one where all are included and supported. We need colleges and institutes to support the wellbeing of all students and empower diverse groups to achieve their full potential.

Read “The Next Step Forward” our latest submission to pre-budget consultations. We have six recommendations that build on these fours ideas to make Canada future-proof!

Advocacy is a big part of what we do, but it isn’t just about the federal budget; it’s about maximizing our collective efforts and empowering colleges and institutes to lead change.

The latest in our 50^th anniversary series is a look back at the history of our work in advocacy!

In 1972, the first thing we needed to do was define the space. Remember that many of today’s colleges and institutes were officially created by provincial decree in the mid-to-late 60s.

Our earliest efforts were focused on bringing institutions together with a common goal, raising awareness about what the college and institute system is and what we could accomplish with the right support.
Explore our milestone successes in advocacy over the years: on applied research, on the environment, and on Indigenous education!

Today, we use the SDGs as a framework for collaboration to ensure that our actions contribute to positive change for people, communities, and the planet. Help us make Canada future-proof!

As signatories of the SDG Accord, we maximize the impact of our efforts, share knowledge, commit to doing more, and hold each other accountable. Help us reach our goal of getting 45 members on board to mark Earth Day on April 22.

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December 6, 2021

If you only read one thing this year, make it this!

We’re looking back at the biggest items of 2021 and what it means for the year ahead.

Pandemic work life, skills, and the Great Resignation

The labour market will never be the same after COVID, and so, how we conceive of training and skills must follow suit. In the midst of what some have called the Great Resignation, workers are revaluating their priorities, and for many that means a change in employment.

Inevitably, skills are on the agenda: future skills, essential skills, Skills for Success, green skills, intercultural skills – What does it mean to be highly skilled in a market in near constant flux?

We’re betting on microcredentials and hybrid learning models as the emerging go-to methods for flexible and accessible upskilling. Our new national framework and guiding principles on the subject will help educators develop microcredentials that meet high quality standards.

From members, we’ve seen a COVID-19 nasal swab microcredential at Red River College Polytechnic, mass timber construction at BCIT, a suite of microcredentials in clean energy and efficient buildings from Camosun College, municipal risk management at Conestoga College, and a joint microcredential in digital technologies from Cégep de Sainte-Foy and Cégep de Chicoutimi to name a few!
We launched the Supportive Care Assistant program: a new fully-subsidized micro-certificate developed to quickly address acute labour shortages in the long-term care sector. 14 CICan members are currently delivering the program across the country (and there is still time to become a delivery partner)!

Reconciliation and residential schools

As Canada’s colonial history and the legacy of residential schools makes headlines around the world, we need to ensure that truth and reconciliation efforts continue. The work to uncover all the Indigenous children lost to residential schools is just getting started.

As the national association representing colleges and institutes, we pledged to connect Indigenous communities with the resources available at their local institution: If you are a member of a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit community looking for technical expertise to search or map sites of former residential schools, contact us and we will connect you with your local institution.

Education remains vital to preserving and strengthening Indigenous communities now and in the future.

Formalize your commitment to Indigenous education: Over 65 member institutions have committed to making Indigenous education a priority, strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities, and supporting reconciliation through our Indigenous Education Protocol.
And don’t miss Perspectives LIVE: “Indigenous rights are human rights!” Episode 3 airs December 15. Are our collective efforts at reconciliation just lip service? And where do human rights, Indigenous rights, and our recovery efforts intersect?

Globalism, borders, and student mobility

Study and work abroad programs ensure students are culturally literate, resilient, adaptable, and ready to succeed in a global marketplace. But that becomes markedly more difficult when they can’t leave the country.

In March, we asked members to propose mobility-focused innovation projects and provided funding to 47 colleges and institutes to implement 69 projects!
Now, the long-anticipated Global Skills Opportunity is officially here. More than 16,000 Canadian students – especially those for whom international learning experiences have traditionally been less accessible – will acquire the global skills employers want and the Canadian economy needs.

Immigrants are another important talent pool for Canada. If Canadians can expect to welcome over 400,000 new permanent residents in 2022, we need an audacious plan to ensure that those coming to start a new life in Canada have the resources and support they need to realize their aspirations. Our latest paper offers recommendations.

Border closures and travel continue to impact international students arriving in Canada, and we continue to work with government to ensure that the needs of international students are being heard. See all our updates related to international students arriving in Canada, post-graduation work permits, and study permit processing online.

Climate, sustainability, and the race to net-zero

As devastating flooding and record amounts of rainfall continue on the west coast, we are seeing the very real effects of climate change. We need to get serious about reducing emissions, in a big way, now.

Canada needs leadership and colleges and institutes are stepping up. At more than 670 locations, we pledged to achieve net-zero emissions on campus by 2050!
It’s an ambitious goal, but not out of reach. In fact, many examples of net-zero and LEED-certified campus facilities, learning environments, and research centres already exist!
And, our new Impact-Climate initiative will raise awareness among colleges and institutes and enhance engagement to reduce their environmental footprint.

Watch: “Are we moving the needle on climate change?” Last month on Perspectives LIVE, we looked at the reality of climate change and the race to net-zero. Is it a race we can win?

Recovery, equity, and innovation

The latest OECD Economic Outlook report is optimistic that recovery from COVID-19 will continue despite concerns over the new variant, but warns that unequal access to vaccines could leave some countries behind. While we plan for recovery, we also need to ensure that structures are in place to reduce inequalities.

On economic recovery, we know that each year, more and more Canadian businesses and community organizations of all sizes (in all areas of the country) benefit from college and institute applied research to find real solutions to real problems.

The latest data from our annual survey on applied research points to growth in all directions: more projects, more partnerships, more solutions, more students, and more dollars. This will prove critical in the coming year!

We’re also serious about equity, diversity, and inclusion, not only as an ethical and moral responsibility, but also as necessary for sustainable recovery. You can expect more from our new ImpAct-EDI iniative in the coming year!

50 years young!

Last but not least, in 2022, we have a special year of surprises coming your way. We’re turning 50 and taking the opportunity to look back at some of the key highlights in our history and asking some old friends and experts to share their thoughts for the future!

For now, take some time to rest and reset – you’ve earned it – and we’ll see you in the new year!