May 16, 2024

Confederation College has signed a partnership agreement with Chi Mino Ozhitoowin (CMO) to train workers for the Waasigan Transmission Line project. The partners expect that the transmission line project will create approximately 200 worker positions, and that future employees will need training in a variety of areas to support the project. In addition to providing training and employment opportunities, the partners hope that this agreement will also create economic spinoffs and growth for the region. “Individuals in the communities will have the opportunity to be trained right within their own community and then have viable jobs in the community, working careers, working on the power line,” said Confederation Dean of Workforce Development Carol Cline.

Keyano College and Athabasca University are responding to wildfires in the regions where their students are located. Keyano has cancelled classes after parts of Fort McMurray were evacuated on Tuesday and closed all buildings except for residence halls, which it stated will remain open as long as they are not in an area that is being evacuated. Athabasca University has issued an update to students with information around re-booking exams, accessing course extension, and withdrawals in order to help reduce stress for those who have been evacuated or are first responders.

Several postsecondary institutions are drawing attention to Global Accessibility Awareness Day to work toward more inclusive environments for people with disabilities. Brock University is hosting a digital accessibility workshop where community members can learn more about creating and participating in inclusive digital environments. Centennial College is running the “I am ME” campaign to educate the college community about disability identity and hosting a panel that discusses the challenges and successes experienced in the workplace by people with disabilities. Sarah Rahimi (Concordia University) has penned an article for The Conversation discussing how employers can learn from universities when it comes to supporting students and new graduates with dyslexia as they transition from postsecondary institutions into the workplace.

Statistics Canada has released data on new entrants to college and university, which shows the differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. As part of this release, StatCan created a highlights tool that shows the distribution of new entrants by Indigenous identity; the educational qualifications and field of study they pursued; and their gender, age, and province of study. Among the key findings from the data, StatCan notes that Indigenous students represented 5% of all students who were admitted to one of the five main postsecondary qualifications in 2021/22. Indigenous students were more likely than their counterparts to start a career, technical, or professional training certificate and slightly less likely to pursue STEM programs.

Indigenous scholar Dr Candace Brunette-Debassige (Western University) recently spoke at a Dalhousie University workshop about how the efforts of postsecondary institutions to ramp up inclusion efforts have negatively affected the Indigenous women who lead this work. Brunette-Debassige studied the perspectives of 12 Indigenous women, who highlighted the difficulties they faced while pushing for change. “They talked about feeling caught working in this westernized, academic administrative system that has very cemented ways about it and policies and procedures,” said Brunette-Debassige. She highlights how Indigenous policy should not be placed on one leader, and recommended broader representation for Indigenous communities, deeper local engagement with First Nations, governance structure reviews, and adequate funding and structures for initiatives.

Capilano University has signed a five-year service contract to advance language support and settlement services to newcomers in the Sea-to-Sky corridor. Under this contract, CapilanoU’s Community Development and Outreach (CDO) department will offer the BC Newcomer Services program, providing one-to-one settlement services, group orientations and information sessions, and language training support to those living and working in the region. Through separate funding from the Government of Canada, CDO will also support permanent residents as they settle into the Sea-to-Sky and Sunshine Coast communities. “CapU is proud to be a BC Newcomer Services provider for the Squamish community and beyond,” said CapilanoU Faculty of Education, Health and Human Development Dean Brad Martin.

In an opinion piece for Maclean’s, international student Harshit Maann (Lakehead University) discusses how the recent changes to Canada’s international student system have cast doubt upon his future prospects in the country. Maann explains how, since arriving to Thunder Bay in 2022, he has embraced Canadian life by studying hard, befriending other students, working a part-time job, and engaging with the surrounding community. However, the uncertain immigration landscape has left him worried and even fearful that the sacrifices he and his family made for him to study in Canada “will go down the drain.” While initially optimistic about studying in Canada, Maann states that these changing circumstances have him seriously considering leaving Canada upon graduation.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology, St Francis Xavier University, and the University of Regina recently launched new micro-credentials or short courses. BCIT is collaborating with the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association and Home Performance Stakeholder Council to offer a Residential Air to Air Heat Pump Specialist micro-credential program. The program aims to upskill existing tradespeople so they can install heat pumps in residential homes. St Francis Xavier University is partnering with Digital Nova Scotia to provide a Practical AI Utilization Micro-credential program, which will enhance digital skills across the provincial workforce and alleviate fears associated with AI and its adoption. The University of Regina is introducing the Imagineur Program, a free, online course covers key concepts in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Several faculty members and legal scholars have recently spoken out against the recent use of police action at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary. Roberta Lexier (Mount Royal University) penned an article for the Calgary Herald calling on the universities to “abandon any disciplinary action[…]; pressure civil authorities to dismiss criminal charges; and, ultimately, respect the right to protest.” Speaking to the Herald, Bruce Ryder (York University), Richard Moon (University of Windsor), and Irina Ceric (UWindsor) discussed the legality and legitimacy of the decision to call on police. The Globe and Mail reports that a group of 500 academics is calling for an “immediate academic boycott” of the universities until administrators rescind “legal and administrative measures” against protesters. The Edmonton Journal reports that protesters attended a City Hall meeting to voice their frustration about with the police response.

The University of Toronto Scarborough’s Harmony Commons Student Residence recently received Passive House Classic certification. This designation certifies that the residence was designed to use less energy for heating and cooling compared to conventional housing. Harmony Commons– which was developed in partnership with Fengate Asset Management–meets this standard with highly efficient insulation, airtight construction, and carefully designed windows and ventilation systems. “Sustainability is a key focus for the University of Toronto Scarborough,” said UTSC Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Arifuzzaman. “Through Harmony Commons we’ve proven that passive house is an attainable standard for future large-scale developments.”