Polytechnics Canada targets business innovation, skills and apprenticeships in pre-Budget submission

Polytechnics Canada (PC) has released a three-pronged strategy for improving skills training and firm-level innovation as part of its pre-Budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. As the organization representing 11 research-intensive colleges and polytechnics, it is calling on the government to implement "10 practical ideas" including a $12-million annual boost to the College and Community Innovation Program (CCIP).

The increase in CCIP funding is one of three recommendations aimed at enhancing industry innovation and responds to the overwhelming demand the program has received since it was made permanent by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) in 2007.

PC is also calling for a re-design of the Indirect Costs of Research Program and an increase to its budget of $20 million, making colleges eligible for the first time. The mechanism for including the colleges is the CCIP program.

The third business-related recommendation is the creation of a Small Business Innovation Research Program. Although the recommendation does not attach a price tag to the initiative, PC notes that all recommendations have been costed and involve a combination of new funding and reallocation of existing resources.

For skills, PC makes three recommendations to improve labour market information. It calls for the creation of a Labour Market Intelligence Agency ($13 million), a national skills-in-demand list ($1 million) and a pilot labour market information liaison program run by the agency to capture real-time, supply-side data ($9 million).

PC makes four targetted recommendations to increase the volume and improve the matching of apprentices to firms. It calls for the creation of a National Registered Apprentice Number to track key indicators on apprentices ($8 million), a $4,000 tax credit for employers who sponsor a Red Seal apprentice through to certification, promotion of a Blue Seal certification to provide business support and entrepreneurial support ($1 million) and a $25-million High Demand Training Capacity Fund so that institutions can increase their intake of apprentices for high-demand professions.

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