Ottawa, June 29, 2020 – Mitacs was named as Colleges and Institutes Canada’s (CICan) 2020 Outstanding Partner in recognition of its important contribution to the post-secondary education sector, providing valuable work-integrated learning opportunities for Canadian students across the country.
Working with colleges, institutes, polytechnics, and universities, over 6,000 companies, and federal, provincial, and territorial governments, Mitacs builds partnerships that support industrial and social innovation by funding student research internships that connect them with industry.
In 2018, the Mitacs Accelerate program was expanded to provide opportunities for students at Canadian colleges, institutes, and polytechnics. Students from these institutions can now undertake paid innovation-focused co-op placements and internships with a company or non-profit organization under the supervision of a faculty member, gaining on-the-job experiences in non-academic settings.
This collaboration with CICan members was taken to a new level in February when both organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will drive innovation by creating 1,000 additional research internships for college and institute students across Canada over the next five years.
“Work-integrated learning is a critical part of college and institute learning and our ongoing collaboration with Mitacs has helped offer more opportunities to students across Canada through research internships”, said Denise Amyot, President and CEO, CICan. “By expanding eligibility to their programs over the past few years to include college and institute students, Mitacs has helped more young people acquire hands-on experience while contributing directly to Canadian innovation.”
About Colleges and Institutes Canada:
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the voice of Canada’s publicly supported colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics, and an international leader in education for employment with ongoing programs in over 25 countries. CICan’s members add over $190B to Canada’s economy each year and contribute to inclusive economic growth by working with industry and community partners to offer more than 10,000 programs to learners in urban, rural, remote, and northern communities.
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For more information :
Julien Abord-Babin
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
Colleges and Institutes Canada
Email: jabord-babin@collegesinstitutes.ca
Phone: 613-746-2222 ext. 3131
Twitter: @CollegeCan