Innovation, Teaching and Learning

It is suitable that, as we embark on the beginning of a new school year, we turn to thinking about the relationship between innovation, productivity, and teaching and learning, our core mission as an educational institution. "Canadian innovation starts in the classroom," an article today by Warren Jestin and Stan Shapton, asks us to consider the need for "Fresh thinking about our 'innovation ecosystem'" and "to more fully integrate the education process into our economic and social fabric." To do this, Jestin and Shapton say we need to promote more industry-academic collaboration, something the Colleges excel at.

The one fault to the article is that the authors fail to recognize the College system in their call for greater educational and R&D collaborations as we map out a road to economic recovery and increased productivity. Colleges train 70% of the workforce, and play an important role in addressing both the skills shortage and the skills gap in Ontario and Canada. Our role in promoting innovation literacy makes us ideal partners in a complementary "ecology of innovation" that promotes partnership, entrepreneurship, and educational pathways for students, industry and community partners alike.