Apprenticeships and the innovation economy

Today's front page Globe and Mail story "Ottawa planning budget measures to tackle shortage of skilled trades" outlines a key Budget 2013 recommendation from Polytechnics Canada: to require companies who bid on and win federal building contracts to support apprenticeships. This is among a set of straight forward, easy to implement and low cost approaches to solving a very real problem in Canada with the lack of apprenticeships. Yesterday's story on people entering the skilled trades is an important sign post in evolving our understanding of what the economy needs.

Polytechnics Canada yesterday announced that George Brown College President Anne Sado is new Chair of Polytechnics Canada. George Brown College will be hosting the Polytechnics Canada annual conference on 8 May, which promises to be a full and interesting agenda. I will be convening a panel discussion on "how members of Polytechnics Canada produce talent and innovation for the green construction sector, a key industrial strength of our membership."

And while we are on the subject of ensuring that we are training and educating people for what the economy needs, here is an interesting story on "A new, flexible student aid grant program [that] will support students enrolled in selected training programs that align with British Columbia's labour market priorities."