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India and Canada look to collaborate to advance skills training partnerships
After Mark Carney took over as prime minister, Canada has been expressing its willingness to draw the best brains or talent from India for its advanced research institutions.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Mon, 16, Mar 2026
- 06:35 EDT
- 13
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney / Courtesy: X/Narendra Modi
In less than three weeks of the first official visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to India, a six-member Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) mission has arrived in Mumbai on a five-day mission for the launch of the new Canada-India Joint Talent and Innovation Strategy.
The mission will visit New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai to meet with Indian government officials, private sector leaders, India’s apex bodies for technical education and skills implementation, and Indian postsecondary institutions to explore mutually beneficial bilateral skills training partnerships.
ALSO READ: Very focused on delivery: Carney praises PM Modi’s leadership, seeks stronger India ties
Last month, a delegation of Canadian universities also undertook a visit to India.
After Mark Carney took over as prime minister, Canada has been expressing its willingness to draw the best brains or talent from India for its advanced research institutions.
The mission comprises Ajay Patel, President & CEO, Vancouver Community College (CICan Board member); Ann Marie Vaughan, President & CEO, Humber Polytechnic (CICan Board member); Craig Stephenson, President & CEO, Centennial College; Laura Jo Gunter, President and CEO, NAIT; Sean Kennedy, President and CEO, Niagara College (CBIE Board Chair); Pari Johnston, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada; and Milica Njegovan, Senior Program Officer, Partnerships and Programs, Colleges and Institutes Canada.
The Mission will showcase the expertise of Canada’s college and polytechnic training model to meet India’s national skills imperatives in key sectors of shared importance.
CICan’s engagement with India is anchored in a complementary workforce development reset that will strengthen India’s national skills architecture while advancing Canada’s economic, labour market, and investment interests. It is envisioned as a long-term systems partnership focused on aligning skills, standards, and workforce readiness between two major economies.
Commenting on the visit, High Commissioner of Canada in India Chris Cooter said:
“India is home to a very large and talented young population who will be entering the workforce in the years to come. Canada and India will both benefit greatly from top-notch skills training to capitalise on the jobs of tomorrow. Canadian colleges and educational institutes have proven programs that can provide the skills training needed in a global economy. This important CICAN visit will open new avenues for further collaboration towards developing a world-class Canada-India skills partnership for the future.”
Speaking ahead of the visit to India, Pari Johnston said,
"Education, research, and skills cooperation are critical enablers of economic growth and trade diversification. In Canada’s global engagement ambitions, its public college and polytechnic sector is a strategic national asset and a committed global partner. We are excited to explore opportunities with Indian technical institutions and industry associations through our collaboration with India’s Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship and other key public and private sector partners. This college leaders’ mission to India will lay the groundwork upon which both countries can build training and innovation partnerships to create a skilled workforce for tomorrow."
The Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) represents a pan-Canadian network of 127 institutions that educate and train the people Canadians depend on every day: the builders, makers, caregivers, first responders, innovators, and job creators who sustain communities and power the economy.
CICan has 50 years of experience delivering member-driven pan-Canadian workforce training programs for government, foundation, and industry partners in Canada and abroad. Combined with deep global partnerships, this experience positions CICan as a trusted connector between education, industry, government, and communities in Canada and around the world.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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