Universities must:

• Expand their curriculum to include more programs in manufacturing and process engineering, logistics, supply chain and manufacturing management, innovation and product management, and global business management;
• Develop more multi-disciplinary programs combining a mix of academic studies, technical skills, and practical experience;
• Develop more integrated programs with colleges and cooperative programs with business;
• Make education, skills development, and the preparation of qualified personnel an objective in research programs; and,
• Continually upgrade the expertise of educators and the technologies used in instruction.

Centres of Excellence and Research Granting Councils must:

• Tie a greater amount of public funding for research to empirical studies linked to real issues related to manufacturing and business growth, to the support of collaborative research projects with industry, and to initiatives that combine research with teaching and skills development.

Communities and local economic development agencies must:

• Facilitate greater collaboration among local industry, labour groups, schools, colleges, universities, training programs, and sector councils to identify and meet current and future skills requirements; and,
• Promote the image of their communities, the importance of manufacturing and other key business sectors, and work with business as well as local, provincial, and federal governments to ensure high quality physical and social infrastructure is in place, in order to attract and retain skilled personnel.

Provincial governments must:

• Ensure that the funding system for primary and secondary education, colleges, and universities enables those institutions to meet the current and future demands of manufacturers;
• Provide enhanced support for extending post-secondary education and training programs to communities outside major urban centres;
• Update regulations governing apprenticeship programs to ensure they meet the needs of manufacturers;
• Take a more active role in attracting skilled immigrants into industry;
• Provide enhanced incentives for employees to upgrade their skill sets and complete apprenticeship programs;
• Facilitate a greater degree of collaboration and networking among manufacturers, schools, colleges, universities, training programs at the local level;