Right-size, re-balance, re-tool the polytechnic contribution to productivity and competitiveness

Canada’s polytechnics have significant untapped innovation and skills development potential that is key to remedying persistent productivity and competitiveness challenges. Investing in and scaling the existing capabilities of polytechnics can yield valuable benefits to the Canadian economy. Polytechnics Canada, the national association of research-intensive polytechnics, colleges and institutes of technology, presents a suite of recommendations that right-size, re-balance and retool federal supports, enhancing productivity and competitiveness: Grow support to polytechnic and college applied research and innovation; Improve business access to polytechnic innovation capability; Create a regional commercialization voucher program. Invest in new labour market information tools; Scale federal work-integrated learning supports; Invest in prior learning recognition supports for mid-career workers.