Polytechnics Canada makes pre-budget recommendations

In a recent statement to the House of Commons Finance Committee’s pre-Budget consultations, Polytechnics Canada’s CEO Nobina Robinson called on all levels of government for better Labour Market Information (LMI) to inform government action regarding Canada’s skills challenges. Specifically, Polytechnics Canada is requesting that the Workplace and Employee Survey and the Youth in Transition Survey be modernized and improved. In addition, Polytechnics Canada is repeating earlier calls for action in several key areas: adjusting the Canada Student Loans Program to allow for older apprentices with demonstrated financial need; establishing a list of specific skilled trades most in demand and providing target supports for students in these trades; provision of a tax credit for employers who sponsor the final stages of training for Red Seal apprentices; and the creation of a National Registered Apprentice Number (NRAN) -- a single unique federal identifier for all registered apprentices in Canada to provide up-to-date information on the supply of active apprentices and their current employment/training status. Polytechnics Canada News Release