Does my dependent (who has no income) need to file a return for me to claim his tuition?

Yes. They need to declare they have no income, and they need to designate you to receive the transfer on their paper T2202A or TL11. 

You can find more information about transferring tuition amounts here: https://turbotax.community.intuit.ca/questions/1190116-frequently-asked-questions-about-transferring...