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Dec. 11, 2007 Ottawa—The Canadian Council on Learning, with support from organizations across the country, says that without the development of a national post-secondary education strategy—such as those adopted by many other nations around the world—Canada’s prosperity will be at risk and its competitive edge compromised.
This warning was made in CCL’s second annual report on the state of post-secondary education, Post-secondary Education in Canada: Strategies for Success, which undertakes a comprehensive review of Canada’s PSE sector, including universities, colleges and apprenticeship programs.
CCL concludes that Canada does not have the structures, practices and mechanisms to maximize the PSE sector’s social and economic contributions.
To avoid running the risk of falling behind, CCL calls for the development of a road map that will provide strategic direction for post-secondary education—by setting goals and measuring progress—and makes specific recommendations on how Canada could achieve this in order to remain a “force to be reckoned with” on the international stage.
“By 2015, it is expected that 70% of all new jobs created in Canada will require some post-secondary education or training,” said Paul Cappon, President and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning. “For this reason, and many others, we strongly believe that national action on a PSE strategy is crucial to Canada’s ongoing competitiveness in the global marketplace, and to our continued high quality of life.”
A PSE strategy would offer a pragmatic approach that would promote mobility, efficiency, effectiveness and equity across the country, while providing benefits to all levels of our society. Most notably:
More than twenty organizations including universities, colleges, student associations, business, and labour unions already agree on the urgent need to initiate talks regarding a national framework for post-secondary education in Canada.
“It is both lamentable and irresponsible that Canada, among all OECD countries, has the weakest data on education and has developed neither a pan-Canadian skills agenda, nor goals and measures for post-secondary education,” Jim Knight, President of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, said on behalf of Canadian colleges across the country.
“CCL’s report provides an excellent basis for Canadian action. We urge policy makers at all levels to commit to a pan-Canadian skills agenda and to place a priority on filling data gaps.”
Dr. Paul Genest, the president of the Council of Ontario Universities, also added his voice to CCL’s proposed strategies, saying “Ontario universities welcome the call from the Canadian Council on Learning for a national strategy on post-secondary education and research.”
“Higher learning and research are fundamental to enhancing productivity and making us economically competitive, as well as playing a critical role in fostering cultural development, contributing to government policy development and encouraging civic engagement. A robust set of performance indicators and quality measures will help enormously in fostering excellence in teaching and research in our PSE system.”
CCL recognizes that any national approach to PSE should complement the existing provincially-delivered model and respect institutional autonomy.
In fact, Strategies for Success recommends building upon work already being done by provincial governments.
Geoff Plant, author of Campus 2020, a report commissioned by the Government of British Columbia on the future of post-secondary education in that province, stated, "The report challenges us to find ways to look beyond provincial borders and engage in a truly pan-Canadian discussion about our common vision, goals and objectives for post-secondary education and the pressing need for collaboration and coordination across jurisdictions. “
“This strong show of support demonstrates that CCL is not alone in raising these concerns,” said Cappon. “The time has come for all partners in PSE to work collectively toward building coherent strategies, goals and information structures that will ensure Canada's PSE sector will be capable of responding to the social and economic demands of the 21st century. It is easier to lead if you can clearly see the landscape, know where you stand and know where you are headed.”
Post-Secondary Education in Canada: Strategies for Success is the second annual report on PSE published by the Canadian Council on Learning. Subsequent reports will update key data and analysis on participation, attainment, access, quality, results and benefits to build a baseline of information and track changes over time. CCL’s third report, to be released in autumn 2008, will explore in greater detail key PSE priorities to enrich further the national dialogue on strategies for success.
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The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Its mandate is to promote and support evidence-based decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.
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Ottawa, December 11, 2007—The Canadian Council on Learning, with support from organizations across the country, says that without the development of a national post-secondary education strategy—such as those adopted by many other nations around the world—Canada’s prosperity will be at risk and its competitive edge compromised.
Ottawa, le 11 décembre 2007 – Le Conseil canadien sur l’apprentissage déclare, avec le soutien de diverses organisations partout au pays, que si le Canada n’adopte pas, à l’instar de nombreux pays, une stratégie pancanadienne sur l’enseignement postsecondaire (EP), il risque de mettre en péril sa prospérité et son avantage concurrentiel.