Good evening. I'm speaking from the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe nation. I am pleased to be here again on behalf of our 142 publicly supported colleges, CEGEPs, institutes and polytechnics.
Colleges and institutes are driven by demand. They anticipate the needs of our economy, and then train, upskill or re-skill thinkers and doers. They are vital to making Canada future-proof.
Colleges and institutes ensure that Canadians are ready for any and all challenges that could arise in six months, a year, two weeks, 10 years or 20 years. Right now, that includes programs in, for example, biotechnology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, to name a few. We offer them in nearly 700 locations across the country.
Our members are agile and can adapt to fill gaps, meet changing labour market needs such as the worker shortage in the health care sector, and provide training for sustainable jobs in a carbon-neutral economy. This unique approach by the colleges in terms of applied research enables employers, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, to get in touch with researchers and students to improve or develop new products, processes and services. This provides a source of highly skilled workers and helps to keep talent in the communities.
Guess what. College-based, business-led applied research and the talent pipeline it provides is growing. In two years, we saw a 42% increase from private sector investment in applied research, and now, for each federal dollar, there is a dollar from the private sector and a 45% increase in students participating in applied research.
This is some of the latest data from our applied research survey that we will be submitting to the committee, and it points to growth in all directions: more projects, more partnerships, more solutions, more students and more dollars.
The success paints a picture of what applied research already offers Canada's innovation ecosystem and what we can still achieve if we think more strategically about investment. This is why we are making the following recommendations.
One is to make permanent the temporary funding the college sector received for two years to support applied research.
Two is to expand SME participation in the R and D ecosystem by investing $40 million per year in business innovation engagement services located in colleges, institutes and polytechnics.
Three is to boost Canada's talent pool through the development and implementation of permanent residency streams for international students graduating from colleges and develop a national employment pipeline for skilled newcomers.
Four is that this committee dedicate a study specifically to applied research and how we can scale this approach to maximize its potential for our economy. Why? Because of the immense potential that applied research presents for talent development and innovation in Canada.
Through applied research, our system provides a pipeline of talent to local communities across the country. It's a tried and true Canadian solution for untapped potential.
Our sector is ready to build on this success. We want to do more, but we need more support to do so.
Thank you.
Meegwetch.