October 19, 2026

The Government of Canada has recently announced two initiatives to support the country’s skilled workforce. Over the next five years, $430M will be invested in the Union Training and Innovation Program. Organizations can apply for funding for projects related to expanding training infrastructure, introducing innovative training approaches, or purchase training equipment. Canada also announced $258.6M over the next five years in the Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund (SWIF) to address skilled labour shortages. Speaking on the investment in SWIF, Canada Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu explained that “we are investing in training and supporting more [skilled workers], so that communities across the country have the people they need to get the work done.”

Fleming College and St Lawrence College are creating new program intakes as part of their planned integration. The offerings will create additional study options at both colleges. At Fleming, four SLC programs will be offered: Communicative Disorders Assistant, Cybersecurity, Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician, and Medical Laboratory Science. At SLC, seven Fleming programs will be offered, including Educational Support, Environmental Land Management, and Massage Therapy. “Bringing new programming to Fleming will give students more options to pursue their education closer to home, while sharing Fleming programs with SLC will create additional opportunities for students in the communities it serves,” said Fleming Interim President Dr Theresa Knott. “Together, these offerings will help both colleges respond to local workforce needs.”

Alberta University of the Arts has received $5M from the Government of Alberta to mark its centennial. This funding will be used to upgrade teaching and learning spaces; add study and flex areas; and provide new technology. AUArts VP, Academic Dawn Johnston told Calgary Journal that the institution will start rolling out the upgrades in phases, with updates to larger classrooms and studios likely being completed during breaks to avoid disruptions to classes.

Northern College has launched a new brand as part of a five-year marketing and recruitment strategy. The brand consists of two messages: The primary advertising message for areas outside of Northern’s region will be GO NORTH, while the advertising message within the college’s region will be STAY NORTH. “Consistency, exposure, and familiarity are the main goals of this refreshed marketing approach,” stated Northern College Executive Director of Marketing, Communications, External Relations and Recruitment Jaret Dicks. “Rather than make small changes and improvements to existing branding each year, we’ll be maintaining this core messaging year over year for at least five years or longer.”

Cape Breton University has received a $1M donation from BMO to support its health care education offerings at its Cape Breton Medical Campus. CBU President David C Dingwall explained that the donation will be used to “educate future physicians, strengthen healthcare in rural Nova Scotia and create lasting opportunities for generations to come.” The donation is a part of the university’s Forever CBU Campaign to support the campus, which has currently raised over $14M.

Durham College has launched a new credit transfer process that will help applicants to identify potential transfer credits from their previous postsecondary education. The new credit transfer pre-assessment process will provide applicants with information about potential transfer credits before they accept their offer of admission and pay their tuition deposit. The college is also eliminating the credit transfer application fee. “By understanding which of their previous courses may transfer before accepting their offer, students can make a more informed choice about their next step and have a clearer plan for starting their program,” said Durham AVP Enrolment and Registrar Thom MacDonald.

The federal government should bolster programs supporting WIL, argue Sarah Watts-Rynard (Polytechnics Canada) and Dana Stephenson (Riipen). Watts-Rynard and Stephenson explain that a third of Canadian businesses struggled to find candidates with the appropriate skillsets last year, and that WIL offers a solution to this issue by bridging the gap between learners and the labour market. The authors write that an estimated 40% of Canadian students do not have access to WIL, and that participation must be accelerated to support the country’s economy. They recommend “harnessing the expertise of Canada’s polytechnics” by using the model offered by polytechnics and with sustained federal commitments so businesses and institutions can sustain and expand partnerships.

Centennial College and Ontario Tech University have signed a memorandum of understanding focused on expanding rail education, training, research, and workforce development to address labour market demands. Through this partnership, Centennial’s strength in applied technical education and transportation programming will come together with Ontario Tech’s engineering programs, research assets, and rail academic pathways. The collaboration will support the development of accessible pathways into rail careers and build capacity for rail-focused education, research, and innovation. This MOU also is a foundation for broader industry collaboration, including between the two institutions and the Canadian Mobility and Aerospace Institute.

Despite efforts by the Government of Nova Scotia to support students who have been in government care through tuition waivers, postsecondary attainment by students in this group has not changed, according to Mount Saint Vincent University Associate VP, Research Jacquie Gahagan. Gahagan, who leads the Atlantic Tuition Waiver project, explained that less than 10% of former youth in care finish postsecondary education. While Gahagan praises Nova Scotia’s Path program, in which former youth in care can receive biweekly payments to be used for any purpose, she says that intervention should begin earlier. “This is a symptom of a bigger problem, which is to say: we’re not focusing on the educational attainment of kids in care. And we should be doing that,” concluded Gahagan.

Seneca Polytechnic and Toronto Pearson have signed a memorandum of understanding focused on connecting students to aviation careers. This partnership expands the longstanding relationship between the two partners, creating new pathways for students and graduates with an aim of helping them build meaningful careers. “By expanding our work with the airport, we will help more students and graduates from our aviation programs and beyond discover the wide range of opportunities available at Toronto Pearson while supporting the workforce needs of one of Canada’s largest employment hubs,” said Seneca President David Agnew.