Path to Open Learning - A Policy Framework for Enabling Incumbents and Empowering New Entrants

In the final report of Series 1, we argue that postsecondary education in Canada functions as a natural monopoly that is structurally resistant to innovation and misaligned with the dynamic needs of the labour market. Credentialism, regulatory protections, and institutional advantages limit equity and adaptability, despite rising global demand for continuous learning.

Drawing lessons from infrastructure deregulation, the authors propose an open learning policy toolkit: AI navigators, labour market passports, open recognition, personal learning accounts, mentoring networks, unbundled infrastructure, market regulation, and a coordinating body. Three scenarios are outlined—federation, ecosystem, and hybrid—each enabling more flexible, learner-centric, competency-based systems that align education with economic and social prosperity.