Thriving in the New Economy: A synergistic approach to community and industry partnerships for applied research and capacity building

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NorQuest will embed applied research services and training across college operations by expanding two priority research areas and develop one new area of applied research excellence. We will provide applied research services to our partners and specialized hands-on learning opportunities for learners. The Centre for Collaborative Community Growth (CCCG) will centralize, formalize, and expand our in-demand applied research and capacity building services for community and non-profit organizations. Over the past 5 years, we fielded an increasing number of requests to support organization-led projects and build capacity for applied research, innovation, and evaluation, particularly from organizations serving equity-seeking groups. This is due to our highly collaborative approach, rigorous ethics and methods, and commitment to achieving relevant, usable results. The Centre for Workplace Inclusion & Accessibility (CWIA) will focus on shifting workplace practices and culture to create more inclusive, accessible employment for newcomers and persons with disabilities. Our CanTech! initiative sparked demand for such research and assessment. The initiative combines supportive student programming, assistive technology, and employer accessibility training and interventions. Our Faculty of Skills and Foundational Learning receives many similar requests for research on effective employment practices for newcomers to Canada, support evaluating foreign credentials, research on successful employment transition factors, and more. The CWIA will centralize and extend this work, providing partners, as well as newcomers and the disability community, with a committed resource. The Emerging Technology & Sustainability Applied Research Centre (ETSARC) will be closely connected to our new programs in Environmental Protection and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. ETSARC will provide SMEs and non-profit organizations with equitable access to emerging technologies and targeted technical training for equity-seeking groups. ETSARC will be comprised of two separate but interrelated systems. 1) The Air and Climate Monitoring System will conduct research related to GHG emissions, air quality, air health indices, and climate change. 2) The Emerging Technology System will deploy machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict and model trends and identify new approaches to climate, community, and business challenges.