Mitacs expands innovation-focused internships to colleges, polytechnics

On April 29 the federal government announced a new pilot program that will give colleges and polytechnics opportunities for their students to participate in hands-on learning placements in industry or not-for-profit organizations that particularly focus on innovation. The program will expand Mitacs’ research internship that is being federally funded for over five years up to FY2020-21 for $221 million. The Mitacs initiative enables colleges and polytechnics to engage with businesses and not-for-profits in training students to increase their chances of employment in a competitive job market. Businesses and organizations, on the other hand, get opportunities to discover innovative ideas from young innovators and entrepreneurs — ideas that may have possible applications in the marketplace. Mitacs, a national not-for-profit organization providing post-secondary researchers with innovation-focused internships, recognizes the significant role that colleges and polytechnics play in innovation, particularly when supplying businesses with talent, knowledge and infrastructure resources. Mitacs CEO and scientific director Dr Alejandro Adem noted that these resources are required to support experimental development, technology adoption and commercialization, and added that Mitacs looks forward to supporting innovation by working closely with institutions across Canada.