| Among the most visible impacts of the NCE program is the training
of highly qualified people who will maintain the competitiveness of
Canada’s economy. Each year, hundreds of graduate students find
high-quality jobs in industry, bringing with them the best research
training available and a clear understanding of the challenges facing
Canadian companies in the global market.
The NCEs involve many young Canadians in research well before they
graduate. The GEOIDE Network, for example, is preparing Canadian students
for careers in geomatics, which is the science and technology of managing
and using geographic information.
Training and keeping the skilled talent needed for the emerging geomatics
industry is extremely important for Canada, so the early results of
the GEOIDE students’ network are very encouraging: 75 percent
of Canadian students and 50 percent of students from abroad intend to
stay in Canada following graduation.
The chart below shows that after their NCE training, 21.6% of students
find work in an industry related to their field of studies while 44.8%
continue working in an academic milieu. Government and other sectors
are also employers of choices for NCE trained students.
As shown in the chart below, 6,779 professionals worked within the NCE
program, including 4,772 highly qualified people such as research associates
and technicians, and research trainees such as postdoctoral fellows, graduate
students and summer students.
In 2002–2003, the participating institutions expended $79.2 million
of NCE funds in direct research costs.
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