In 2024–25, Canada’s public colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, and polytechnics operated in an increasingly complex environment shaped by both internal pressures and broader national shifts. From damaging IRCC policy reforms undermining institutional and community viability, to evolving Canada-U.S. relations refocusing economic and security priorities, the sector found itself at a critical crossroads.
At a time when Canada faced a deepening housing crisis, aging demographics and critical labour shortages, lagging productivity, rising security demands, and an urgent need to diversify our energy markets and supply, these national pressures underlined the vital importance of our sector. These are exactly the challenges our institutions are designed to solve – and where CICan drives meaningful action and impact.
Recognizing what was at stake, CICan worked strategically – and in tight alignment with our provincial and regional college association network and with industry – to position our members as the front-line solution providers and key partners in Canada’s response. We championed their role as builders, makers, growers, caregivers, first responders, and innovators ready to meet the moment and deliver on the things that matter most to Canadians.
Training the next generation and upskilling workers in skilled trades and sustainable construction.
Expanding programs in nursing, paramedicine and other allied health professions, elder care, and mental health.
Preparing the workforce in resource-intensive industries in transition and for green jobs in renewable energy and innovation.
Addressing evolving training needs or high-demand occupations within the Canadian Armed Forces and supporting veterans, reservists and their families transitioning to civilian careers.
Supporting Canada’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to innovate and adopt new technologies through industry-led applied research and work-integrated learning partnerships.
This work was supported by our national skill-building programs, participation in national workforce tables and Parliamentary hearings, and national thought leadership shaping Canada’s economic policy dialogue, such as:
In 2024, immigration, temporary foreign workers, and international students took centre stage in Canada’s public policy debates. In just 18 months, the federal government introduced 13 major changes to the International Student Program alongside broader immigration reforms. From imposing caps on student permits to tightening Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility, the reforms came rapidly and without regional nuance. The impact on students, institutions, employers and communities (especially those in rural and Northern regions) has been swift and severe.
The latest: Study permit applications for students entering CICan member institutions dropped by 52% between 2023 and 2024, and Canada’s reputation as a top destination for international education has taken a hit. Recent reforms have also made it significantly harder for prospective students to secure study permits, with approval rates for CICan member institutions falling from 51% in 2024 to just 26.5% in the first quarter of 2025.
The sudden shortfall triggered immediate operational and financial strain across the network. Institutions across the country were forced to make tough decisions, including hiring freezes, staff reductions, scaled-back research and student services, program cuts in key sectors and, in some cases, campus closures. In total, Alex Usher, President of Higher Education Strategy Associates, estimates the public college and institute sector is taking a hit equivalent to approximately $4 billion, 75% of which is concentrated in Ontario. Institutions are projected to cut around 1,000 programs – mostly in arts, media, journalism, hospitality, business & finance, and engineering technology.
CICan responded quickly, mobilizing members, industry and municipal allies, and provincial and regional college associations to advocate for a well-managed international student program and immigration system that meets our country’s long-term needs. Our members worked directly with local businesses, unions and community organizations adversely impacted by the reforms, while we worked to amplify their voices, making the case publicly through media, op-eds, and social channels.
In Ottawa, we focused on bringing evidence-based solutions directly to decision-makers, delivering independent institutional case studies, and hard data to help federal leaders grasp the scale and scope of the damage in three key areas: the labour supply in key in-demand sectors, rural community and linguistic minority demographics and the impact on programming the reforms would have on domestic students. We worked with Parliamentarians across parties and departments to course-correct, and progress followed.
Key wins included restoring PGWP eligibility for early childhood education and removing the field-of-study requirement for graduates of college bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. This ensured fairer and more consistent access to the PGWP for college degree holders, aligned with that of their university peers.
Looking ahead, we are working with partners to bring stability and predictability back to the International Student Program and look forward to continued collaboration with governments and business leaders to build a sustainable and integrated immigration system that meets Canada’s workforce and population imperative, given diverse regional demographic realities and labour force needs.
Since January, evolving U.S.-Canada trade and security dynamics introduced challenges, including tariffs affecting advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and automotive sectors. This uncertainty has underscored the need for a strong, self-reliant Canada with an agile workforce.
In response, CICan positioned its members as essential contributors to Team Canada – the engines that power Canada’s prosperity. With nearly 700 locations across the country, our institutions drive productivity and innovation – building and making at home in Canada, powering critical industrial sectors in transition, and ensuring economic security. We create pathways to skilled trades careers, support interprovincial credential and labour mobility, support SMEs to pivot through AI and other critical technology adoption and industry-led applied research solutions, and bolster national security through specialized workforce training for the military, veterans, reservists and their families.
Read: A Stronger Canada Starts Within: How Colleges and Institutes Build National Resilience
In March 2025, our President and CEO, Pari Johnston, championed this message, joining the Canadian Chamber of Commerce mission to Washington, D.C., where she engaged with key Canadian and American industry, government and postsecondary stakeholders on U.S. tariffs, supply chain stability, and innovation in advanced manufacturing. She underscored how Canada’s colleges and institutes are central to developing the skilled workforce necessary to strengthen trade relations, boost innovation, and secure the long-term resilience of our supply chains. Meetings with leaders at the American Council on Education and the American Association of Community Colleges solidified bilateral policy dialogue and exchange on shared issues of concern and opportunity.
