Ontario colleges are urging the provincial government to commit to increasing full-time college enrolment by 30,000 by 2011 in order to produce the skilled workforce needed for the knowledge economy.
"We aren't producing the numbers of highly skilled graduates needed to replace an aging workforce and strengthen Ontario's competitive advantage," said Dr. Rick Miner, chair of the colleges' committee of presidents, during the colleges' annual conference in Sudbury. "If we don't set a clear plan and targets for improvement, we run a serious risk of not providing the province with the numbers and types of workers required for our knowledge based economy."
Miner made the comments today following the release of What We Heard, a report on the colleges' Pathway to Prosperity consultations from last fall. Miner cited statistics that show at least 70 per cent of new-job openings in Canada will require postsecondary education in the next few years. Currently, only 53 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds in Ontario have a postsecondary education.
Currently, there are 150,000 full-time and 350,000 part-time students in Ontario colleges. To increase this number by 30,000, the government must increase its annual operating funding to colleges by more than $200 million.
The Pathway to Prosperity consultations focused on Canada's ability to address major workforce challenges such as globalization, rapidly changing technology, and a looming shortage of skilled workers due to an aging population. Ontario is losing jobs, 30,000 in the manufacturing sector in January 2006 alone, and needs colleges to support a revitalized economic model.
About 2,000 people participated in the Pathway to Prosperity consultations, and more than 600 companies were represented. Contributors have included business organizations and think tanks, educators, labour, students and government. The consultations received input from Ontario Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Chris Bentley and Ontario Conservative Leader John Tory - who are both appearing at the colleges' conference this year.
The first report from the consultations, What We Heard, found that there are widespread concerns about job losses in manufacturing, the auto sector and in the paper mills in the North. Participants were worried that Canada doesn't have a national skills strategy to boost productivity and competitiveness.
The 60-page report, which is available online at www.pathwaytoprosperity.ca, addresses these issues and identifies three urgent steps needed in Ontario and Canada:
Leadership: We need leaders to provide the vision, the direction and the incentive to make change happen. The Prime Minister and the First Ministers must assume a leadership role in setting the agenda for a National Skills Strategy.
Benchmarks: For a vision to be meaningful, we must be able to set specific goals so we are confident that we are getting the results we want. We must establish measurable targets and assessment standards.
Planning: There needs to be greater co-ordination and co-operation among the players in our system. Federal and provincial governments must put a comprehensive plan in place so that we can meet our future education and training needs.
"Ontario needs postsecondary graduates to succeed and most of the graduates will have to be educated and trained in the colleges," Miner said. "Our political leaders must set a course of action for the workforce challenges ahead and Ontario's 24 colleges must be central to that vision."
February 2006
Backgrounder
What We Heard
The need for more college graduates
It is estimated by the federal government and experts in human resources planning that about 70 per cent of new-job openings in the coming years will require applicants to have a postsecondary education. In Britain, the Institute for Employment Research has forecasted that 80 per cent of new jobs created from 1999 to 2010 will require postsecondary education.
Currently, 53 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds in Ontario have a postsecondary education. In order to be competitive in the knowledge economy, Ontario must increase the postsecondary attainment rate to at least 70 per cent, a 40-per-cent increase over current levels. For Ontario colleges, that would mean that over the longer term, enrolment in colleges must increase by 40 per cent.
Ontario colleges believe it is time to set targets for improvement.
During the colleges' Pathway to Prosperity consultations in the fall, there was concern that the province faces a shortage of skilled workers. For example, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has estimated Ontario will face a shortage of 100,000 skilled trades workers in the manufacturing sector in the next 15 years. Over the next 10 years, it is estimated Canada's mining industry will be short 81,000 employees.
If Ontario is to increase its enrolment of full-time students by 40 per cent over the longer term, it is important to set immediate targets for improvement. Ontario colleges propose that over the next five years, full-time enrolment must increase by 20 per cent, or an additional 30,000 students.
Currently, there are an additional 150,000 full-time students in Ontario's system of 24 colleges.
In Canada, it costs governments more than $7,000 per student for each student educated and trained in a college. Thus, it will cost the Ontario government more than $200 million in annual operating funding for the additional students.
February 2006
Backgrounder
What We Heard
The first report from the Pathway to Prosperity consultations
The first report from the Pathway to Prosperity consultations has been publicly released at the ACAATO (Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario) conference in Sudbury on Feb. 19.
The report, What We Heard, is a summary of the consultations held throughout Ontario last fall, and an assessment of the challenges ahead as Ontario and Canada try to address the workforce challenges of the 21st century.
More than 2,000 individuals came to the consultations to present their views. More than 600 organizations were represented. Information was provided through open forums, breakfast meetings, written submissions and responses provided on the Pathway to Prosperity website.
The consultations involved a wide range of participants representing employers, students, educators, labour and government. For example, input was received from Algoma Steel, the Ontario Grape Growers Association, the C.D. Howe Institute, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the Peterborough and District Labour Council, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, the United Way of Niagara Falls, and Métis Nation of Ontario.
The consultations confirmed that people throughout the province are concerned about Canada's ability to address the challenges of globalization, rapidly changing technology and an aging workforce. There are fears that Canada faces a major skills shortage and there is no co-ordinated plan to address this.
The 60-page report, What We Heard, lists five priorities that emerged from the consultations:
1. Relevant skills - we need both a higher level of skills (both hard
and soft) and a greater number of people with skills;
2. Flexible system - we need a more versatile postsecondary education
and training system that can accommodate diverse needs of learners
and employers;
3. Improved labour force participation - we need to increase the
potential of the workforce by better including traditionally
underrepresented groups;
4. Better planning - we must have long-term labour market planning
where employer needs are identified early; and
5. Investments - we need the capacity to train people for the skills
our economy demands.
The Pathway to Prosperity discussion paper asked people what should go into a National Skills Strategy. In the consultations, participants were clear that a comprehensive strategy should be set nationally but implemented locally.
While this first report is primarily a summary of the input and ideas received, it does provide direction on the next steps needed in Ontario and Canada in order to strengthen the country's competitive advantage. In our province and our country, we need:
Leadership: We need leaders to provide the vision, the direction and the incentive to make change happen. The Prime Minister and the First Ministers must assume a leadership role in setting the agenda for a National Skills Strategy.
Benchmarks: For a vision to be meaningful, we must be able to set specific goals so we are confident that we are getting the results we want. We must establish measurable targets and assessment standards.
Planning: There needs to be greater co-ordination and co-operation among the players in our system. Federal and provincial governments must put a comprehensive plan in place so that we can meet our future education and training needs.
The report will be presented to Premier Dalton McGuinty and the First Ministers at the Summit on Postsecondary Education and Skills Training on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 in Ottawa.
For further information: Rob Savage, Senior Communications and Media Officer, Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario, Cell phone: (705) 562-8856