February 20, 2026

The Government of Canada has announced five new Workforce Alliances in housing and construction, transportation and supply chains, energy and electricity, mining and minerals, and the care economy. The announcement builds on Canada’s creation of a Workforce Alliance in Advanced Manufacturing earlier this month. Each of the workforce alliances will bring together government, industry, labour, and training partners to address labour market challenges and coordinate public and private investments in skills development. Over the coming weeks, Canadian Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu will meet with educational institutions and other alliance members to announce the leadership and priorities for each of the six Workforce alliances.

The Government of Canada has confirmed its funding commitment to Inuit Nunangat University. The university will receive $50M in funding through the Federal Budget 2025’s Build Communities Strong Fund. “Inuit Nunangat University is a transformative initiative that will strengthen Inuit-led education and community wellbeing, and contribute to long term economic and social development across Inuit Nunangat,” said Federal Housing Minister Gregor Robertson. The university has also begun the process of choosing its satellite campuses and regional knowledge centres, where students will be able to study without being away from home for extended periods of time.

The Université de Montréal has announced the location of its future campus in the Laurentides region. The new campus—developed through a partnership with the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS)—will be located near two CISSS facilities in the Complexe médical des Laurentides in Saint-Jérôme. The campus will offer dedicated classrooms and learning spaces for problem-based learning in medicine, a study room, and an administrative area. UMontréal says the space may also include a supervisory laboratory for the pharmacy program. This off-site training facility is focused on attracting and retaining doctors in a region with a severe medical professional shortage.

The Globe and Mail reports that Canada saw a disproportionate decrease in international master’s degree applicants, relative to their undergraduate counterparts, according to an analysis of IRCC data. Despite the fact that federal policy changes were centered on college and undergraduate applicants, the number of master’s program applicants granted permits fell 46% relative to the number in 2024. This contrasts with a 40% reduction at the bachelor’s level. Government of Canada Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said that the government is taking steps to attract more graduate students from abroad, such as by removing the cap on graduate applicants in 2026 and implementing a social media strategy.

Okanagan College and Shuswap Nation Tribal Council have signed the House of Learning Partnership Agreement. The partnership—which Castanet says is thought to be one of the first postsecondary partnerships developed in a traditional Indigenous language—lays the foundation for the college and the Shuswap Nation to work together towards economic reconciliation. “By working collaboratively with the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council and Okanagan College, we are investing in Indigenous talent, supporting community-driven growth, and creating real opportunities for learners and future leaders,” said Tribal Kukpi7 Darrel Draney. “Together, we are demonstrating what it looks like when business, education, and Indigenous governance move forward in true partnership.”

Two institutions have announced recent changes to ensure their institutions’ long-term financial stability. CBC reports that Fanshawe College is looking to cut another 163 positions, due to low enrolment. While Fanshawe President Peter Devlin said that he was “encouraged by the announcement” of new ON funding, he explained that the college’s layoff targets are tied to enrolment. The University of Saskatchewan has reportedly eliminated seven positions from its Information and Communications Technology unit. CTV News reports that the decision was made to ensure the unit can operate “responsibly and within financial means.” USask says that transition supports have been offered to affected employees.

In an interview, Hilton Guidry (Delgado Community College) discusses how institutions can transform their websites into more dynamic, personalized guides for students. “Many students don’t come in with a clear plan,” explains Guidry, so institutions need to move from “informational” websites to more dynamic, “exploratory” websites that help students find the right options for them. He offers advice on how to draw on tools to offer a more dynamic experience to students, tailor the website and self-service model to the institution’s specific student populations, and demonstrate key concepts like learner pathways. He concludes by sharing how he is drawing on AI to understand the questions students are asking about higher ed so that he can provide answers through the website.

Mohawk College, Ontario Shipyards, and Korean company Hanwha Ocean have signed a letter of intent to pursue a collaboration on the front of shipbuilding. The three partners will reportedly establish a shipbuilding workforce development hub in Ontario. Over the next 10 to 15 years, the hub will train workers in key professions related to shipyard expansion and modernization, such as welding, fabrication, and marine machinery. According to Business Korea, the partners also plan to jointly identify research projects.

AI has made assessments like essays and problem solves less useful, argues Chrysanthos Dellarocas (Boston University), and institutions must turn to a “game tape” approach to assessment. Dellarocas explains that a “game tape” model is one that captures the entire process of a students’ work. Examples of this game tape approach involve instructors using AI to track and summarize students’ work over time, generating unique lines of questioning in “checks” throughout the semester using AI, and allowing students to (transparently) use and critique AI.

Champlain College Saint-Lambert and the Université du Québec à Montréal have announced updates to their programs to align with current workforce needs. Champlain College Saint-Lambert’s Computer Science Technology program has been updated to include concepts from data science and cloud computing, and to integrate generative AI into software development. The college says that the updated program, which will replace the older version starting in Fall 2026, will put graduates at the “forefront of innovation.” UQAM’s second language teaching programs have also been redesigned for Fall 2026. The program is now aligned with the Government of Québec’s reference for professional competencies and involves a dozen new courses and better integration of language skills.