Accessible Adult Post Secondary Education Paper Adopted at OCC AGM

29 May 2012

The following is a summary of a paper that was submitted by the London Chamber of Commerce and adopted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce at the Ontario Chamber AGM in May 2012.

Accessible Adult Post-Secondary Education- An important step to restoring sustainable economic prosperity in Ontario - summary

Bottom Line:

Vast majority of future jobs will require post-secondary education, so the current rate of participation among both young and working Ontarians must increase significantly.

Summary Points:

• Seventy per cent of future jobs will require post-secondary education. Current Ontario participation rates are estimated at 40-50%, and projected to reach just 60% over the next 20 years, even with immigration of educated new Canadians.
• Ontario has focused on increasing participation among 18-24 year olds, which is important, and also needs to place more emphasis on the working adult segment of the population.
• Innovative programs that allow people to pursue post-secondary education while working are essential to succeed with accessibility. Such programs must consider the needs of business, workers, and educational institutions -- flexible class scheduling and course loads, business continuity, increased awareness of programs and incentives, etc.
• Key future skills include technology and its application, intercultural awareness, team building, emotional intelligence, customer service, time management, diversity, and information sourcing and management.

Recommendations:

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce urges the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Training:

1.To develop and implement a strategy over the course of the next three years specifically aimed at enhancing the rate of participation by the adult working population in post-secondary education/training opportunities.

2.To continue consultation with providers and business over the next three years (in particular small and medium sized enterprises) with the aim of developing programs accessible to working adults and aimed at developing future skills.

3.In collaboration with the federal government, immediately consolidate information regarding available programs and incentives in one central electronic repository.

For You:

1..Click here to view the policy paper issued by the London Chamber of Commerce.

2.The London Chamber of Commerce is recommending programs need to be in place for the 2013 budget.

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