How are polytechnics advancing Canada's artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions? Find out in our latest video! 🎥 As AI continues to reshape industries, Canada's leading polytechnic institutions are playing a vital role in bringing these technologies from potential to practice. Through applied research and hands-on talent development, polytechnics are helping businesses and industries harness AI to boost productivity, improve healthcare and drive innovation in sectors such as energy, mining, manufacturing and robotics. Featuring perspectives from @larryrosia (@SaskPolytech ), Dr. Panos PanagioTakopoulos and Kent Peel (@SenecaPoly ), and Dr. Ethan Shen (@sheridancollege ), this video highlights how polytechnics are helping Canadian industries adopt and apply AI to meet emerging challenges and opportunities. Watch now to explore how polytechnics are helping shape Canada's AI future and turn ambition into action🎥 youtube.com/watch?v=bXKO4y7c…

Canada’s skills challenge demands stronger connections between education and industry. In a new @TheTorontoSun op-ed, Polytechnics Canada’s @SarahWRynard and @riipen 's @GreatDanez make the case for expanding work-integrated learning to help businesses boost productivity and ensure learners are equipped with the skills Canada’s economy needs. With more than 1/3 of Canadian businesses reporting difficulty finding candidates with the right skills, and an estimated 40% of students still lacking access to work-integrated learning, the opportunity is clear: we need to scale proven approaches that connect learning with real-world experience. Canada’s polytechnics are already helping lead the way, connecting students and employers through industry-aligned training and practical, employer-driven learning opportunities. Federal initiatives like Innovative Work-Integrated Learning demonstrate how these partnerships can deliver tangible benefits for students and businesses alike. Sustained investment in work-integrated learning is an investment in Canada’s productivity, workforce and economic prosperity. Read the op-ed here: polytechnicscanada.ca/news-e…

The Government of Canada has announced more than $430 million over five years through the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), including two funding opportunities available to polytechnic institutions: •Training Equipment ($100M): Additional funding to support equipment purchases, with the federal contribution temporarily increased from 50% to 70% of eligible costs. •Innovation ($135M): New funding to improve access to apprenticeship training, strengthen delivery, support certification and address barriers to participation. Applications are now open! The Innovation stream closes December 17, 2026, while Training Equipment applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Polytechnic institutions are encouraged to review eligibility requirements and explore opportunities for projects and partnerships. You can find the full announcement from Employment and Social Development Canada here: canada.ca/en/employment-soci…

Today’s the day! @SarahWRynard, CEO of Polytechnics Canada, will join leaders from across Canada’s innovation ecosystem at the 2026 @CANARIE_Inc Summit to explore how trusted connections are accelerating skills development, applied research, commercialization and economic growth. Sarah will be speaking on the Trusted Innovation Networks panel at 2:45 p.m. at the National Arts Centre, alongside Sandra Cutrona, President and CEO at CENGN; and Pari Johnston, President and CEO of Colleges and Institute Canada. The discussion will be moderated by Sonya Shorey, President and CEO at Invest Ottawa. Stay tuned for more coverage of the CANARIE Summit.

How can technology support safer and more resilient Northern communities? @SaskPolytech 's Digital Integration Centre of Excellence is working with Alpha-EL Inc., a northern First Nations-owned company developing remote surveillance systems. The collaboration applies engineering and data expertise to wildlife monitoring, wildfire detection and flood-risk assessment in the Yukon. It is a strong example of Indigenous-led innovation supported by polytechnic research capacity, combining local priorities with technology that can strengthen environmental monitoring, land stewardship and emergency preparedness. Explore our Applied Research Inventory to find the labs, equipment and expertise that can support projects like this: polytechnicscanada.ca/applie…

Congratulations to Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (@sait) on this transformative investment in the future of autonomous aviation education, applied research and industry innovation. Polytechnics Canada commends Calgary philanthropist and long-time SAIT supporter David Bissett for his extraordinary $30-million gift to establish the Bissett Autonomous Aviation Park. This one-of-a-kind facility will create new opportunities for students to train, test and innovate alongside industry partners while helping advance autonomous aviation research and workforce development in Alberta and across Canada. With funding also supporting student awards and expanded access to remotely piloted aircraft systems education, this investment will help prepare the next generation of highly skilled talent for a rapidly growing aerospace sector. This is also a significant contribution to SAIT’s $150 million Real Futures campaign. Thank you for investing in students, innovation and Canada's future workforce! sait.ca/news/media-releases/…

Canada’s labour market is changing and the demand for skilled talent is clear. Our report, 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 & 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺: 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢’𝘴 𝘓𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥, developed in collaboration with researchers at Signal49 Research, examined millions of job postings to understand where employers are hiring and how polytechnic education is responding to those needs. The findings point to five high-demand occupation clusters: 🏥 Healthcare 🔧 Skilled trades 💻 Information and technology 🧳 Tourism and hospitality ❤️ Care occupations, including childcare and social services The report finds that Polytechnics Canada member institutions offer programming that prepares graduates for 86% of the in-demand skilled occupations across these five clusters. That’s the value of polytechnic education: connecting learners with practical skills, employers with talent, and Canada’s workforce with the opportunities ahead. 📊 Read Skilled & Ready report to learn more: polytechnicscanada.ca/resour…

At yesterday’s meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Polytechnics Canada CEO Sarah Watts-Rynard discussed retention and mobility of apprentices in relation to @pbainsy private member's Bill C-266. Although Canada needs more skilled tradespeople to build housing, advance major projects and meet workforce demands, too many apprentices face delays to achieving certification. A more streamlined and efficient system stands to help more Canadians enter, progress and complete skilled trades certification. The framework proposed in Bill C-266 is an opportunity to collect better data on why apprentices stall or leave, identify where workers and training opportunities are available, and identify system inefficiencies. Click on the link to hear the complete conversation on apprenticeship completion, labour mobility and Canada’s skilled-trades workforce: ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/…

New video just dropped! Polytechnics Canada is proud to present Polytechnics: Delivering on Canada’s Ambitions - National Defence. In this video, leaders from @RRC Polytech, @FanshaweCollege and @sait highlight how polytechnics are helping strengthen Canada's defence sector. From training aircraft maintenance engineers and creating pathways into the Canadian Armed Forces, to advancing cybersecurity, aerospace and AI-powered drone technologies, polytechnics are delivering solutions that support Canada's defence readiness and industrial capacity. Featuring insights from Fred Meier (RRC Polytech), Darlene O'Neill (Fanshawe College) and Wade Hawkins (SAIT), this video showcases just a taste of the innovative work happening across our member institutions. Watch now to see how Canada's polytechnics are helping deliver on the country's defence ambitions. youtube.com/watch?v=mntit2Bb…

What does “expanding access to international learning” look like in practice? It looks like an international partnership between @HumberPoly and @WeAreTUDublin , wherein students in Humber’s UX Design program and TU Dublin’s Fashion & Retail Business program participated in a collaborative hackathon. By working with peers from another country, students exchanged perspectives, tackled shared challenges and developed intercultural skills. Discover more in our report, 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢-𝘐𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴: polytechnicscanada.ca/resour…

Congratulations to Fanshawe on their new partnership with the Canadian Armed Forces . Through this $34.4-million agreement, Fanshawe will provide aircraft maintenance training with the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering at CFB Borden. The initiative will provide Royal Canadian Air Force technicians with recognized postsecondary credentials while strengthening military workforce development and reinforcing Southwestern Ontario’s growing role in Canada’s defence and aerospace sectors. This partnership highlights the important role polytechnics can play in strengthening Canada’s skilled workforce while supporting national priorities in defence and aerospace. Read more: canada.ca/en/department-nati…

Canada needs more skilled tradespeople. But attracting people to the trades is only the first step 🛠️ In this @CDNAffairs article, Polytechnics Canada CEO @SarahWRynard highlights a critical issue facing the country’s skills system: while interest in the skilled trades is growing, our training capacity and apprenticeship pathways aren’t always keeping pace. That’s where polytechnics can play an important role - delivering hands-on, industry-aligned training and helping more learners move efficiently into the skilled workforce 🛠️ Read the full article here: polytechnicscanada.ca/news-e…

Canadian polytechnics and Irish technological universities launched eight collaborative projects focused on teaching innovation, applied research, digital transformation and sustainability through a combined investment of nearly €800,000. These projects demonstrate how international partnerships can accelerate innovation in applied higher education. Through this approach, new solutions are developed for digital transformation, AI adoption, sustainability and future workforce development. Learn more by reading our Canada–Ireland Collaborative Projects publication: polytechnicscanada.ca/resour…

Congratulations to @AlgonquinColleg and the Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation for Education on this important partnership! The $50,000 donation will have a direct impact on Algonquin’s Bachelor of Engineering (Automation and Robotics Engineering) (BEARE) program, creating new financial aid opportunities for students while supporting student success. Investments like this help reduce financial barriers, recognize student achievement and ensure engineering programs can continue developing the skilled talent Canada needs. Learn more 👇

Last week, Polytechnics Canada and the Presidents of Canada’s top polytechnic institutions met with Minister @PattyHajdu for an important conversation about strengthening Canada’s skills system and ensuring Canadians have the training they need to succeed in a changing economy. We discussed four key priorities: - Recognizing the central role of polytechnics in Team Canada Strong and in apprenticeship training, attraction and retention - Embedding polytechnics in Workforce Alliances so they are grounded in current employer needs, relevant curriculum and existing training capacity - Making mid-career upskilling more accessible - Building a coordinated defence-skills system that uses existing civilian training capacity Canada’s leading polytechnic institutions are ready to work with the federal government, employers and communities to turn these priorities into practical pathways for Canadians and to help build the skilled workforce Canada needs for a strong, resilient future. Thank you to Minister Hajdu for the opportunity to advance this important conversation. @AlgonquinColleg @bcit @ConestogaC @FanshaweCollege @GBPolytech @HumberPoly @KwantlenU @NAIT @RRC @SaskPolytech @SenecaPoly @sheridancollege @sait

As electric vehicles become more common, how can charging infrastructure work for everyone? @bcit ’s Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team is testing EV charging solutions for apartment buildings, curbsides and streetlights. Using full-scale demonstrations and feedback from users, the team is also helping inform Canada’s first national accessibility guidelines for EV charging infrastructure. Explore our Applied Research Inventory to find the labs, equipment and expertise that can support projects like this: polytechnicscanada.ca/applie…

An important announcement for the future of Canada’s skilled trades by Minister @PattyHajdu , hosted at @AlgonquinColleg ! Polytechnics Canada welcomes measures that help more young Canadians gain hands-on experience, access apprenticeships and complete their trades training. With Canada facing significant demand for skilled trades workers, strengthening pathways from education and training into the workforce is critical. Canada's leading polytechnics play a major role in helping Canadians enter and succeed in the skilled trades. Through hands-on education, apprenticeship training, industry partnerships and employer-connected learning, polytechnics, like Algonquin College, help bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. Learn more about the Team Canada Strong announcement: canada.ca/en/employment-soci…

How can first responders prepare for situations that are difficult, or dangerous, to recreate? @FanshaweCollege is combining artificial intelligence, virtual reality, extended reality and motion capture to build immersive training environments. The technology can adapt scenarios based on a learner’s decisions, track performance and provide feedback to strengthen readiness. Researchers are also studying stress, recovery and long-term wellness, helping connect operational training with the wellbeing of those who serve. Explore our Applied Research Inventory to find the labs, equipment and expertise that can support projects like this: polytechnicscanada.ca/applie…