Harper Government Invests to Help Manufacture Better Construction Equipment and Train Skilled Trade Workers for the Construction Industry

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 8, 2015) - Industry Canada

The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development, Minister for Democratic Reform and Minister responsible for the National Capital Commission, and Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orléans, announced federal funding for hundreds of students and dozens of faculty at Algonquin College and La Cité collégiale to develop new cutting-edge construction technology.

The research could allow home buyers to take a 3D tour of a house before it is built, produce infrared technology to measure where heat leaks out of homes or develop new pavement that will resist water erosion, while creating jobs for tradespeople. It will also help the colleges train new tradespeople and make the manufacturing of construction materials cheaper, quicker and of higher quality, saving Canadian construction firms time and money.

The result will be improved designs, decreased re-work or fewer costly delays while design issues are addressed during construction, improved worker safety and reduced cost overruns. A productivity enhancement of only 2 percent for the industry represents a savings of $1.8 billion per year. The construction industry accounts for an estimated 12 percent of Canada's GDP.

The National Capital Region is receiving more than $4 million: an Innovation Enhancement Grant of $2.3 million over five years to Algonquin College and a Technology Access Centres Grant of $1.75 million over five years to La Cité collégiale. The funding announced today was awarded through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program and the College Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) Program. These programs fund research projects and partnerships between Canadian colleges and private businesses.

Minister Poilievre and Mr. Galipeau made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), at Algonquin College's newly opened Construction Research Centre.

Quick Facts

• Earlier today, Minister of State Holder was at Mohawk College in Hamilton to announce a total federal investment in support of 38 projects across Canada. This investment includes support for colleges to purchase specialized research equipment.
  
  
• Since its launch in 2009, the CCI Program has supported 1,124 projects at 102 colleges across Canada.
  
  
• Canada's construction sector accounts for an estimated 12 percent of Canada's annual GDP, and it is responsible for repairing or renovating more than $150 billion of Canada's infrastructure each year.
  
  
• Canadian and foreign entrepreneurs have built the relatively young biotechnology sector in Canada into more than 68,000 jobs and $1.7 billion in research and development.
  
  

Quotes

"Canada's next generation of skilled tradespeople are learning a wide range of skill sets right here in the National Capital Region. This federal investment will help train more young Canadians in the skills and occupations that Canada's economy needs."

- The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Minister of Employment and Social Development, Minister for Democratic Reform and Minister responsible for the National Capital Commission

"The College and Community Innovation Program creates the conditions that will allow innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive in this country. The collaboration between colleges and local industrial partners generates new products and ideas, creating long-term prosperity for the benefit of their communities."

- The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology)

"NSERC is proud to support applied research and technology transfer work at Canada's community colleges. Building college research capacities to help businesses innovate, and training the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs, will create economic growth. The College and Community Innovation Program supports world-class research and innovation in communities all across the country-from building specialized equipment to developing new research centres."

- Dr. B.Mario Pinto, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Related Products

Results of the Spring 2015 CCI Competition

Construction Research Centre

Associated Links

Information about grants for colleges and the CCI Program

Algonquin College

La Cité collégiale

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NSERC is the primary funding agency supporting Canada's science and engineering research community. The agency supports almost 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding approximately 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by working with over 3,000 Canadian companies that are participating and investing in post-secondary research projects.