Canada to train workers in India

Canada’s colleges plan to set up workforce development centres in India to train people in aviation, artificial intelligence, and other key sectors. The goal is to train workers to Canadian standards, but it is unclear whether these newly skilled workers will be employed in Canada or India.

The project is part of the Canada-India Talent and Innovation Strategy, a bilateral initiative aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. This strategy has four main goals: bringing Canadian skills and expertise to priority industries in India, balancing the movement of skilled professionals, generating economic benefits, and achieving these goals quickly.

Background on Canada-India Relations

Canada’s exports of services to India reached $15.6 billion in 2024, a significant increase from a decade earlier. However, the number of Indian students enrolling in Canadian post-secondary institutions has dropped sharply since Ottawa restricted study permits.

The decline in international students has been a concern for both Ottawa and New Delhi, with both countries seeking to grow their people-to-people ties without repeating past problems. Dinesh K. Patnaik, India’s high commissioner to Canada, emphasized the need for a proper talent and innovation strategy to allow for the movement of skilled workers without hampering Canada’s immigration system.

Pari Johnston, president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada, noted that India views the strategy as part of its goal to become a developed country by 2047, with a focus on industry-aligned technical vocational training. Colleges and Institutes Canada is working with India’s skills development ministry to set up centres of excellence in key sectors, including AI, aerospace, and clean energy.

Training Centres in India

The plan is to have Indian partners provide the physical location for the training centres, while Canadian colleges and polytechnics help develop and deliver the curriculum and training. Johnston believes this approach will support Canada’s goal of doubling bilateral trade with India by 2030 and meet the needs of both countries’ industries.

India’s ambitious airport construction plan, which includes building 50 new airports in the next five years, points to opportunities for skilled workers in the aviation sector. Johnston sees potential for partnerships between Canadian and Indian institutions to train workers in areas like aviation and aerospace, which could drive commercial outcomes and create jobs in both countries.

According to Johnston, the goal of aligning India’s vocational training programs with industry demand is to ensure employers can find skilled employees domestically, and people can find jobs without needing to leave India. However, she also sees potential for these partnerships to evolve and include Canada’s immigration system, as employers in Canada look to India for skilled labour.

India’s envoy to Ottawa, Dinesh K. Patnaik, described the Canadian training centres in India as a solution to the issue of immigrants not having their credentials recognized in Canada. By training workers to Canadian standards, it would be easier for them to be absorbed into the Canadian workforce.

Mikal Skuterud, an economist at the University of Waterloo, noted that immigration plays a huge role in attracting Indian students to Canadian education, and that offering permanent residency can fundamentally change the proposition for these students. Since the federal government cut back on international student permits, Canadian colleges and universities have struggled to attract international students, including from India.

Gabriel Miller, president and CEO of Universities Canada, emphasized the need for the federal government to change its visa system to improve the pace, transparency, and predictability of approvals. He believes this is essential for achieving the prime minister’s ambitious agenda and winning the competition for 21st-century talent.

Centres of Excellence

The details are still being hammered out, but the general idea is to have the Indian partner provide the brick-and-mortar location while the Canadian college or polytechnic helps develop and deliver the curriculum and training.