The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) welcomed today’s news that the Government has launched the SuperBuild investment program for the postsecondary sector.
“This will make a powerful difference to the futures of the young people of Ontario who will be seeking opportunities to attend our colleges and universities,” said Paul Davenport, Chair of COU. “In the coming years, we will face a major increase in the number of students who will want to attend Ontario’s universities, and this is the kind of bold initiative that will help to ensure that there will be a place for each of them. Government has taken an important step in demonstrating its commitment that there will be room for every qualified and motivated student on our campuses. We applaud the launch of SuperBuild and are grateful to the Government for undertaking this historic building program.”
Over the next decade, a surge in demand for university education will result in enrolment increases of up to 90,000, with the first significant climb just around the corner. Secondary school reforms will result in what is known as the “double cohort,” which could mean that some 33,500 additional students will be seeking admission to Ontario’s universities. Last year, Ontario universities experienced the first wave of increases as first-year enrolment jumped by 6.6% – the highest year-over-year increase in a decade. The pace continues. This year the number of secondary school applicants has increased by 2.5% over last year.
“The SuperBuild launch is the most recent in a series of significant steps that the Government has taken to invest in the future of Ontario’s students,” said Davenport. “There is no doubt that Ontario universities will require significant increases in public funding for operating costs, capital expenditures and student assistance. This announcement is a further indication that our Government and the people of Ontario are committed to addressing this priority.”
Ontario universities have been working closely with Government over the past year to plan for the increase in demand. Ian Clark, President of COU, is confident that the collaborative process that has been underway will lead to a multi-year plan providing a solid foundation for the expansion of university education in Ontario.
The new knowledge-based economy will be built on the advanced learning, high-level skills, and innovative thinking of its populace, and the facts indicate that there is a measurable link between university education across all fields of study and the province’s economic, social, and cultural vitality. A recent survey, conducted jointly by The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and COU, illustrates that Ontario university graduates are doing extraordinarily well across all disciplines, with employment rates ranging from 94-100% two years after graduation. Statistics Canada studies consistently find that university grads also have the lowest unemployment rates across all sectors of postsecondary education, and that incomes increase with the level of education attained.
“We must ensure that the university graduates of tomorrow will have the same opportunity to excel, and that will require a substantial commitment to maintaining quality,” said Davenport. “We have an opportunity to equip Ontario students with the knowledge and skills for the knowledge-based economy, to place our universities in a position to compete with those in other jurisdictions, and to contribute toward our Government’s vision to make this province one of the world’s leading jurisdictions to live, work, and raise a family. We must move forward quickly, secure in the knowledge that an investment in our students is an investment in the future of this province. Given the importance of investment in all Ontario universities the COU is heartened by the indications from the Finance Minister that universities and colleges will have access to further SuperBuild investments in the future.
For further information:
Arnice Cadieux
Executive Director, Public Affairs
(416) 979-2165 ext. 224
