Provincial election candidates are being urged to support a post-secondary action plan on climate change and other measures to produce the strong workforce that will be pivotal to recharging Ontario's economy.
"We need a workforce with the expertise and creativity to drive growth and prosperity," said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. "We must ensure more students acquire the professional expertise that leads to rewarding careers and long-term success."
The province's 24 colleges have released a new platform for the election, called Recharging Ontario. It features several post-secondary priorities the next government should adopt.
The colleges recommend the next government should:
- Invest in new technology and new equipment at Ontario's colleges.
- Establish new college training programs for the green workforce.
- Promote applied research at colleges to develop new products and help businesses become more efficient.
- Fund more campus-based services to promote student wellness such as front-line counselling and early-intervention supports.
- Create a distinct tuition policy for colleges that provides the necessary resources while ensuring college programs remain affordable and accessible.
These measures and others would build on the colleges' successes and on the recent announcement that colleges can expand their range of career-focused degree programs. This includes developing new three-year degree programs and expanding the range of four-year degree programs.
"As accelerating automation revolutionizes the workplace, the demand for highly qualified people is rapidly growing," Franklin said. "It's more essential than ever to put a strong emphasis on college education as the centrepiece of Ontario's economic strategy."
