Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee members, for inviting me today.
The committee's focus to create and identify levers for growth in a turbulent economic landscape is well-chosen. The Canadian economy is undergoing significant change and government must be proactive, particularly given how these forces stand to affect both industry and individuals.
Change factors topmost on our minds at Polytechnics Canada are technology, including artificial intelligence and automation; the reality of an aging workforce and new skill requirements; and the impact of trade on global supply chains. All require Canadians to have the skills and knowledge to compete in a complex and evolving landscape. All call for continued investment in human capital and Canadian business.
Investing in human capital will ensure that Canadians have the right skills to succeed in a digital economy. As jobs are created and transformed, our primary goal should be to ensure that Canadians are well-prepared. Similarly, investing in Canadian businesses ensures that they have access to the latest technologies, top talent and international markets, enhancing their ability to innovate, commercialize, grow and be globally competitive.
Canada's polytechnics play a differentiated role in our post-secondary education landscape. They're industry responsive and flexible, delivering demand-driven applied education that transforms to suit the needs of their industry partners. As innovation intermediaries they supply the technology and the talent to help firms get their ideas up and running and their products to market.
Polytechnics develop next-generation talent in collaboration with business, placing them at the nexus of Canada's changing economy. Learners attending our institutions gain practical credentials that are valued by industry, but they also build real-world connections with the people who will hire them. Equally important, given the speed of change, polytechnics are delivering training to individuals who find themselves in transition by offering opportunity for upskilling and reskilling, again, focused on the practical, recognizing existing skills and filling in gaps.
Canada has committed to inclusive growth, but we realize that this requires an equally inclusive vision for talent. The new economy will require technicians, technologists and skilled tradespeople to the same degree as Ph.D.s and engineers. With this in mind, let me outline a few of the specific actions that we're proposing as a part of this pre-budget consultation.
In budget 2018, the government made a multi-year investment in the college and community innovation program, the only federal program that supports applied research ecologists. Applied research capacity allows local businesses to partner with expert instructors, project managers and students who can help address their R and D needs.
We recommend a new $40-million envelope dedicated to the colleges to deliver industry-driven applied research. Predictable and sustainable overhead funding will allow the polytechnics to hire and train permanent staff to undertake business development, knowledge mobilization and implementation support. This funding will do more than keep the lights on. The very firms in Canada's race for global competitiveness are the ones that are seeking innovation solutions from colleges and polytechnics. Predictable support will minimize the delay on new projects, increase collaboration and ensure access to critical databases and cutting-edge facilities. In short, it supports the capacity to deliver on the research investments that were made in budget 2018.
We have also proposed a number of workforce development solutions, including the need to build out better skills data. The transformation of jobs makes it critical to understand the skills needed today and develop a forward-focused vision for tomorrow. By surveying employers using common terminology and definitions, we can help young people and their parents navigate through the post-secondary programs where there will be labour market demand. This also helps institutions to craft industry-responsive curricula and employers to make connections between their specific needs and the graduates who will fill them.
Further, Polytechnics Canada recognizes the importance of work-integrated learning to successful school-to-work transitions and would suggest that colleges and polytechnics excel at providing these hands-on opportunities for students. Work-integrated learning is taking place in the form of co-ops, internships, capstone projects, applied research and apprenticeship training, just to name a few. As a result, we're pleased to support stronger and smarter federal investments in this area.
Again, thank you for having me here today. Focusing our efforts on creating growth in an evolving economy is a critical challenge, and I'm confident that Canada's polytechnics are a key player in addressing it.