February 24, 2023

The Government of Canada has made a $46.5M investment into Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2). C2R2—which is led by Mohawk College—develops training solutions to prepare workers for the net-zero emissions economy. Through the investment, C2R2 has launched Quick Train Canada, which provides workers with fully funded micro-credential training in areas of workforce need. The project will train 10,000 people, including upskilling for 3,000 current professionals and training for 1,000 new entrants with no or little sector training.

The Black Law Students’ Association of Canada recently released a census report on Black law students across Canada. The report notes the percentage of Black law students enrolled at a given law school, the percentage of Black people in the local city community, and the percentage of Black people in the broader province. Overall, the highest estimated percentages of Black law students in entry-level law programs were found at Toronto Metropolitan University (12.83%), Université de Moncton (9.46%), and McGill University (8.4%), each of which met or exceeded the percentage of Black people in the local community population. The lowest estimated percentages provided were found at Thompson Rivers University (0.2%), Lakehead University (0.5%), and University of Alberta (0.73%). “Who is or is not admitted into law school directly impacts our justice system,” states the report.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations has launched the #HalfYourCSG campaign to call on the federal government to reinvest in the Canada Student Grants Program. The CSG program was temporarily doubled in 2020, but this increase is set to expire in July 2023. CASA argues that the drop from $6K to $3K will impact vulnerable students’ access to postsecondary education at a time when students are also facing a high cost of living. “The low and middle-income students that benefit from Canada Student Grants are facing the fact that next school year, they could have $3,000 less in their bank account than they had at this time last year,” said CASA Chair Christian Fotang. “That’s $3,000 worth of sacrifices they will have to make.”

Almost every piece of writing produced by academics includes numbers, writes Martha B Coven, and there are best practices to ensuring these values are effectively used in reports and papers. The author offers a variety of tips for writers looking to more effectively weave data and numbers into their work, including explaining the math for the readers, providing context that shows the significance of the numbers, avoiding misleading averages and confusion over percentage points, and rounding numbers where appropriate. Coven also encourages authors to add compelling and readable visuals that draw the reader’s attention to key elements of the visual, and include a helpful title so readers can quickly see what the visual is about.

Several institutions have recently launched new or revised programs in order to meet industry and student needs. Wilfrid Laurier University launched a Navigating the Music Industry Ecosystem Certificate to better prepare music students for the complexities of working in the sector. York University’s School of Continuing Studies has launched a post-graduate certificate in CloudOps that will prepare recent graduates for entry-level cloud computing roles. Yukon University has partnered with CWB Welding Foundation and Yukon Women in Trades and Technology to act as one of the hosts of The Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program. Cégep de Drummondville has updated three of its programs—supply chain logistics, humanities, and criminology—to better reflect the reality of work in their respective fields and meet the new ministerial requirements.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be developing a new childcare facility at its Surrey campus with funding from Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC). The facility will provide 36 infant-toddler spaces and 25 spaces for children aged two-and-a-half to kindergarten, with Métis children receiving priority access to some spaces. KPU students and employees will be able to access the childcare spaces, which will ensure they have childcare while they are working and learning. KPU has also partnered with Capilano University and MNBC to offer early childhood education (ECE) programming at the Surrey campus. The new childcare facility will also provide ECE students with practicum placement opportunities.

Several institutions have been reflecting on and developing new plans for their campuses and physical spaces. Concordia University has released a master plan for the facilities on the Loyola and Sir George Williams campuses. The plan outlines its campus vision across points such as mobility and transportation, inclusion and accessibility, heritage buildings, and sustainability. The Spectator reports that Mohawk College is interested in expanding its Fennel Avenue West site. Mohawk had previously secured a deal with the provincial government to purchase the brow lands in 2020, but ON reportedly stepped back in favour of establishing a long-term care home. York University’s Senate has sponsored a forum to discuss the opportunities posed by a multi-campus university. The forum comes at a time when York is preparing for the launch of its Markham campus in 2024 and undertakeing a revisioning process at Glendon College.

A recent decision by the Federal Court on Tehrani v Canada has positive implications for international students, writes Julia Hornstein for CIC News. Mahyar Haji Tehrani, a citizen of Iran, was accepted to Northeastern University in Toronto and applied for a study permit to enter Canada. His application was reportedly refused when the officer was not satisfied that the applicant would leave Canada after the program was complete. The court ruled that the officer’s decision—particularly the errant references to Tehrani’s establishment in Iran and need for further education, as well as using tuition payment history—was unreasonable and that the applicant was denied procedural fairness. Hornstein writes that this ruling emphasizes educational affordability and could remove a barrier for foreign nationals who are unable to pay their full tuition at the time of submitting a study permit application.

The University of Toronto Scarborough has partnered with the Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) to support Black entrepreneurs. FBC will provide U of T Scarborough with a platform that Black entrepreneurs can use to develop, launch, and scale up their businesses. The university and campus organizations like the Black Founders Network will collaborate with FBC to determine the needs and challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs, as well as supporting the development of FBC’s mentorship program. The partnership is supported by part of a $1.3M investment from the Government of Canada.

The Hydrogen Centre of Excellence recently announced funding for 18 projects to support and advance hydrogen innovations. Four of the projects will be led by postsecondary institutions in the province. The University of Alberta will receive $500K for a project on hydrogen storage in Alberta’s salt caverns, while the University of Calgary will receive $1.25M for projects on underground hydrogen storage, of the use of natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport, and blended hydrogen behaviour in pipe systems.