The 2017 federal budget was tabled in Ottawa yesterday, and contains several items that directly support the contributions that Humber and other colleges make to industry, employers and learners of all ages.
Among other things, the budget emphasizes access to education, innovation, lifelong learning and skills development, and employment. Highlights specific to the college sector include:
- An additional $395.5 over three years for the Youth Employment Strategy, tackling the ongoing challenge of elevated youth under- and unemployment.
- $90 million over two years to support postsecondary education access for Indigenous students, supporting 4,600 new students.
- Expanded access to Canada student grant/loan programs for part-time and adult learners
- An emphasis on skills training, upgrading and development through investments in the labour market development agreement ($1.8 billion over six years) and workforce development agreements ($900 million).
- $10 million over two years for the Community and College Social Innovation Fund, from which Humber received almost $200,000 in 2016 for an applied research partnership with the Toronto Police Service.
- The creation of Innovative Solutions Canada and Innovation Canada, both of which will provide opportunities for colleges to partner with organizations both to solve federal research and development challenges and to find innovative solutions to everyday problems.
- $950 million for the funding of sector-specific “superclusters,” offering the opportunity for partnerships between business, postsecondary institutions and research organizations in six key industries: advanced manufacturing, agri-food, clean tech, digital industries, health and bio-sciences and clean resources.