University Continuing Education (UCE) units have long been central to Canada’s higher education landscape. Rooted in the extension education movement, they have evolved over the past century into indispensable drivers of workforce development, community engagement, and knowledge mobilization, expanding access beyond traditional academic audiences while remaining responsive to changing learner and societal needs.
Our pan-Canadian University Continuing Education sector brief, Levelling Up: The Strategic Role of University Continuing Education in Advancing Workforce Resilience, Building a Learning Society, and Fostering Equity in Canada underscores why UCE should be understood as far more than a “delivery function.” UCE units leverage the disciplinary depth and credibility of their host universities to translate knowledge into skills and competency attainment through applied, career-focused programming designed with partners and refined through ongoing assessment and innovation.
As nimble, intrapreneurial units, they also bring business-ready strategy: building durable partnerships with employers, communities, and governments; interpreting shifting workforce needs; and acting as practical intermediaries who connect academic quality to real-world demand.
In a period of economic constraint and heightened global uncertainty, Canada’s ability to strengthen workforce resilience and advance a learning society will depend on scalable, trusted infrastructure for lifelong learning. UCE units already operate with flexible governance and cost-effective models that support innovation and co-development with external partners, while advancing access and equity for diverse learners, including Indigenous peoples and newcomers.
To this end, the aim of this document is to clearly articulate a pan-Canadian value proposition for University Continuing Education, making visible the scale, strategic contribution, and distinct capabilities of UCE units, and strengthening shared understanding among universities, employers, and governments of how UCE already supports a more coordinated lifelong learning and workforce development ecosystem in Canada.
Download the sector brief.