As our Canadian counterparts consider the offer/threat of becoming the 51st state of the USA, a recent paper on trends in the Canadian VET system provides some interesting insights for Australia.
Like Australia’s states and territories, the Canadian provinces have responsibility for VET. Canada also has a competency-based VET system and a mix of vocational and technical education colleges established by governments (known as public or community colleges) and private providers typically known as ‘private career colleges’.
Canada had approximately 200 public colleges in 2024 – with a higher share of students enrolled in them than in most OECD countries. Data is not collected on all private VET provision in Canada but recent estimates suggest it is about 20% the size of the public sector.
Unlike Australia there is much greater diversity in the VET systems operating in each of the Canadian provinces. But despite the “somewhat unique” systems in each Canadian province – trends in VET provision across Canada are still apparent. And these include:
- A blurring of the lines between VET and higher education:
- “The Majority of Canadian provinces have now assigned some form of degree-granting authority to colleges and institutes.”
- “There has also been growth in formal articulation arrangements between colleges and universities.”
- Graduate diplomas, associate degrees and even “applied master’s degree programs” have emerged in different provinces as their colleges look to meet emerging skills needs.
- “Highly specialised technical and vocational” micro-credentials are being supported with funding in a number of provinces although their utility is being questioned, including by Australia’s Prof. Leesa Wheelahan and Prof. Gavin Moodie.
- The development of self-governing Indigenous colleges:
- “Canada has a horrific history of settler colonialism and the treatment of Indigenous people, including in terms of access to postsecondary education.”
- Indigenous people “have much lower postsecondary participation rates than the broader population (but) a larger share of Indigenous students can be found in the college sector than in the university sector.”
- “The idea of independent self-governing Indigenous colleges is far from new”, with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians creating the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College more than 50 years ago.
- “Indigenous institutes can be seen as a separate sector” (of VET) “operating in parallel with, and frequently in relationships with, public colleges and universities.”
- International student recruitment
- International education emerged slowly in the Canadian public college sector.
- Canada’s first national strategy for international education was launched in 2014 focussed on increasing international student numbers as an “economic benefit” and recruiting students as future “ideal immigrants”.
- After provincial governments allowed some private career colleges to recruit international students, numbers skyrocketed and international student fees soon became a key source of revenue for public and private colleges.
- Caps on international student numbers were introduced in 2024 and in Ontario all private colleges were prohibited from enrolling international students.
- Applied research:
- Many of Canada’s public colleges have had their missions “expanded to include applied research”.
- This research is typically focussed on “the application of applied expertise to problems or challenges identified in (colleges’) relationships with industry, especially SMEs”.
- This research activity has evolved and receives funding from provincial and federal governments.
- The College and Community Innovation program introduced in 2008 is “designed to support college and institute applied research activities linked directly to SMEs”.
- Colleges were involved in 8,154 applied research projects in 2021-22 – with a heavy emphasis on manufacturing, natural resources and agriculture.
