October 17, 2023

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has received a $5.5M donation from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, in conjunction with Seaspan ULC and Southern Railway of British Columbia. This gift will be used to create the Trades Foundation for Youth Program, through which BCIT will provide technical training at four high schools for in-demand trades: Piping, Electrical, Metal Fabrication, and Marine Fitter. The funding will focus on reducing barriers for students who want to pursue a trades career and will contribute to the costs of renovating the training spaces at the four high schools, equipment, BCIT instruction and materials, safety gear, tools, textbooks, and transportation costs.

The University of New Brunswick Saint John, McKenna Institute, and New Brunswick Community College have established a new digital pathways program, thanks to a $1M gift from JD Irving, Limited. This initiative will contribute toward the provision of student scholarships and bursaries at both NBCC and UNB for programs related to digital technology. The funding will also be used to improve digital technology curriculums at the institutions and to explore opportunities for shared applied research. “We are deeply grateful for this generous contribution from our partners at JDI, which will help us continue to empower our students and the community at large with the skills and opportunities needed to excel in the digital economy,” said NBCC President Mary Butler.

The Government of Québec’s recent announcement that it will almost double tuition fees for out-of-province students attending QC’s anglophone universities starting next Fall has drawn criticism amongst postsecondary leadership. Concordia University President Graham Carr said that the decision demonstrates “a lack of respect for anglophone institutions.” McGill University Principal Deep Saini said that he was “very disappointed” in the decision, expressing that it will have “a major, long-term effect on Québec’s economy.” According to the Montreal Gazette, QC Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry acknowledged that the plan may cause a drop in enrolment at Bishop’s University, Concordia, and McGill, but that the decision was a necessity to boost funding for French universities and protect the French language.

Medicine Hat College will be receiving a $1.2M investment from the Government of Alberta for renovations on the Medicine Hat campus. The funding will support planning, design, and construction that will upgrade the T-Wing and connect it with a new corridor. The project will include reconfiguration of classrooms, modernization of spaces, and making spaces accessible for students. “We are grateful for the province’s support as we create pathways to high-demand careers and support access to programs and spaces on our campuses,” said MHC President Kevin Shufflebotham.

In a recent editorial for the , Jennifer S Furlong and Stacy M Hartman discuss the ways that doctoral advisers can better support their graduate students in preparing for their careers. The authors encourage doctoral advisers to ask open-ended, nonjudgmental questions to get a sense of what their students are interested in, talk to students about career paths early in the program and often, integrate career conversations into any introduction to graduate studies courses, and know what campus resources they can refer students to. Furlong and Hartman also recommend that doctoral advisors learn more about nonacademic career paths and how to refine job application documents, remember that students have lives beyond their studies, and consider how doctoral training can be reformed.

During a recent visit to Vietnam, a delegation from King’s University College established two significant partnerships to strengthen the institution’s global engagement opportunities. King’s signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with International University, which is part of the Vietnam National University — Ho Chi Minh City. This MOU will promote academic exchange and intercultural activities and projects between the two universities. King’s also signed an MOU with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vietnam (CanCham) to foster inter-organizational activities pertaining to academics and careers. The partnership will explore internship and job opportunities for King’s students and alumni in Vietnam, promote knowledge sharing and collaboration between King’s and CanCham, and more.

Northwestern Polytechnic’s Department of Continuing Education has launched a new suite of offerings for healthcare professionals. NWP’s Practice Preparation for Domestic and Internationally Educated Nurses program will offer healthcare professionals a variety of course options that will expand their baseline knowledge, the first of which will prepare nurses to write the NCLEX RN exam. The program will offer a total of seven courses by the end of the year. “This is a collaborative initiative that will help build and strengthen our healthcare workforce,” said NWP Continuing Education Associate Dean, Michelle Wallace. “NWP is excited to launch education that will enhance healthcare workers’ knowledge, assisting them to excel in their profession.”

The University of Niagara Falls Canada has partnered with Windmill Microlending to make postsecondary education more accessible for newcomers to Canada. Windmill Microlending provides skilled immigrants and refugees with affordable loans so that they can pursue education and establish themselves within Canada. Through the partnership, immigrants and refugees who are studying at UNFC will be able to access microloans of up to $15K; a pathway that covers accreditation, training, and career development; financial support for living allowances, exclusive job postings, mentorships, and more.

Concordia University has launched a new research program that seeks to use novel technologies to deliver affordable green energy across Canada. Named “Volt-age,” the overarching goal of the program is to help Canada achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with an aim of doing so by redefining electrification, smart buildings, and net-zero communities. “Volt-age” is supported by a and is coordinated alongside partner institutions Dalhousie University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and the University of Calgary. At the program’s launch event, Concordia Professor Karim Zaghib said that the name “Volt-age” “describes the fact that a new era of electrification is crucial if we are to create green and resilient communities that will thrive for years to come.”

College of the Rockies will be creating new work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences through Riipen’s REACH UP program. 400 WIL experiences will be created over the next two years, which will give students the opportunity to gain experience within the workforce to prepare them for their careers. The program will give the college access to the Riipen platform, which will facilitate connection, collaboration, and the creation of objectives to meet educational and industry outcomes. “Participating in WIL is so important for a balanced and complete educational experience,” said Stephanie Wells, Dean of Business and University Arts and Science. “Through the RBC REACH UP opportunity faculty can provide added value to their assignments for students wishing to work with a real industry client.