Marti Jurmain

Canada's colleges and polytechnics helping to put people into innovation

By Marti Jurmain ]& Robert Luke

The government of Canada's 2007 Science and Technology Strategy marked the formal entry of Canada's college, institutes and polytechnics into the country's research and development ecosystem, although many institutions had already been conducting research prior to this date. Since 2007, the College and Community Innovation Program (CCIP) funded by Canada's granting agencies, has enabled research capacity-building and supported many colleges to engage in applied research with community and industry partners, coupled with training the "talent" needed for the innovation economy.

CCIP-funded research has focused on solving industry problems and bringing technologies to market while supporting the development of technical skills in students. While necessary, technical skills alone are not sufficient. The innovation economy demands a focus on understanding human thought and behaviour and developing people-centred skills as central to innovation, economic productivity and social wellbeing.

These "innovation literacy skills" have been identified as key to future prosperity in a recent OECD study. Taken together, we have a complete picture of the kind of innovation needed for Canada to thrive in the global economy. The study indicates that the predominant form of innovation in firms is incremental, with a central role for the workforce in the generation, adaptation and diffusion of technical and organizational change.

Putting the "people" into innovation is the purview of humanities and social science (HASS). Canada's colleges have been increasingly conducting HASS research — which represent approximately 60% of their program base — over the past decade.

Colleges have significant assets and attributes that include: strong community relationships and formal partnerships across many HASS disciplines; faculty with the credentials and experience to conduct such research including providing research leadership as principal investigators or program applicants; a commitment to fostering community wellness, including social and economic development; a pragmatic and responsive approach to address community issues and explore community development opportunities; and, a local focus but provincial and national reach.

A recent study on college research in the social sciences and humanities by Marti Jurmain and Jim Madder has shown the depth and breadth of college capacity and its impact on Canadian businesses and communities.

Specific examples abound of the capacity of colleges to support economic development through HASS research. The Early Childhood Education Program at Red River College in Winnipeg began The Science of Early Child Development project in 2001, a multimedia, online resource that synthesizes current knowledge on early human development and bridges the gap between research and practice. With the generous support of the Lawson Foundation, Red River College was able to partner with the Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development at the University of Toronto to develop this tool for knowledge transfer.

Red Deer College and Alberta Health Services are partners in a Health Research Collaborative (HRC), an applied research initiative that establishes teams of health professionals and decision makers, multi-disciplinary faculty, students and community stakeholders to develop and support evidence-based initiatives that address the health issues they face across Alberta.

Niagara College conducted a cross-college analysis of the impact of a new program for laid-off workers, Ontario's Second Career program. Business professor Dr. Holly Catalfamo developed the study parameters and conducted the study with the assistance of three Human Resources Management students (two of whom were second career students themselves). Interdisciplinary research is common in colleges.

George Brown College and Niagara College, in partnership with Sheridan College, conduct research into healthy living and food nutrition among specific target groups such as older adults and immigrant communities.

HASS research conducted by Canada's colleges is rarely theoretical in nature. Often the research has developed as a result of the identification of a problem or opportunity by local community partners or college faculty. The research may focus on improvement of practice, problem solving or the development of new services and processes.

Research results are likely to be disseminated and adopted throughout the regional and national community through practitioners rather than formal HASS literature. In this regard colleges have acted as catalysts and accelerators of social innovation that has often been implemented by collaborators or partners. College research typically involves very large numbers of students, who may be involved through experiential learning (e.g. project based academic delivery), or as research assistants.

time to integrate

The opportunity now exists to more seamlessly integrate colleges with universities for HASS research, in order to develop the full HASS capacity latent in the system, and to provide leadership for Canada's innovation agenda. Linking research and development in universities and colleges will increase the potential for engaging in partnerships outside of academe.

With Budget 2012 allocating funding to the granting councils for industry-academic partnerships, universities can work with a college or polytechnic to access partners who already work closely with the college. Student researchers from universities and colleges can work together, creating a multiplier effect: graduate and undergraduate students working together in complementary fashion amplifies or multiplies the innovation capacity of teams and replicates the work force these graduates will enter.

The skills needed for advancing Canada's innovation agenda are the combination of technical and people skills working in concert to more broadly spur the diffusion of new knowledge and technology. This means giving learners the advanced vocational skills required for any number of occupations and wrapping these in people-centred skills, team work and product development. The result is an innovation skill set that will help "future proof" Canada's economy.

Marti Jurmain is director of research and innovation at Niagara College. Dr Robert Luke is assistant VP, research and innovation at George Brown College.