Although it pains us to admit, the summer is quickly coming to a close – which means an exciting new academic year is around the corner.
For CICan, the fall means renewed advocacy efforts coinciding with the start of a new Parliamentary session. Recently, CICan welcomed the opportunity to help shape the federal government’s priorities for the coming year, submitting recommendations for Budget 2018 to the House of Commons Standing Committee of Finance.
As the national voice of Canada’s colleges and institutes, CICan took this opportunity to advocate for measures that would help colleges and institutes realize their full potential in addressing the skills development needs of Canadians, and to infuse innovation in their communities and regions to increase productivity and strengthen the middle class.
Here are CICan’s recommendations:
• Increase the current funding for college applied research to $100 million per year, as a first step towards ramping up this investment to $300 million per year by 2022.
• Make a new investment of $25 million per year in research support funding for college and institute applied research offices to stabilize their role as innovation centres in their communities and regions.
• Invest in a second round of the Postsecondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, prioritizing investments that will makes campuses greener, more energy efficient, and aligned with key priorities including Indigenous learning, entrepreneurship development, and innovation.
• Invest further in adult basic education, essential skills training and upskilling for Indigenous people to improve labour market outcomes and support economic development in Indigenous, rural, remote, and northern communities.
• Invest $26 million per year to support truth and reconciliation programming and wrap-around services at postsecondary institutions to improve the recruitment, retention and academic success of Indigenous students.
• Enhance incentives to employers for the retention of third- and fourth-year apprentices through to completion.
• Invest in incubators for student entrepreneurs at colleges and institutes to expand employment options for young graduates and career transition opportunities for mature learners.
• Fund international work-integrated learning mobility opportunities for college and institute students to enable them to acquire the skills needed to compete in a global marketplace.
CICan believes that these recommendations will enable colleges and institutes to help both Canadians and Canadian businesses be more productive, competitive, and innovative in their communities.
