‘The sector needs a new deal’: How restructuring Canada’s post-secondary ecosystem will help meet its economic ambitions

John Stackhouse, senior vice-president at the office of the CEO at RBC, and Jackie Pichette, director of skills policy for RBC Thought Leadership, discuss Canada’s post-secondary education crisis and its implications for economic competitiveness. They argue that while Canada faces historic nation-building investments in sectors like defence, AI, and energy, universities and colleges are scaling down due to funding constraints and policy neglect, creating a dangerous disconnect between national ambitions and institutional capacity. The discussion explores how post-secondary institutions must shift toward competency-based education, stronger industry partnerships, and greater focus on practical skills training to support Canada’s productivity challenges and strategic economic priorities.