Career Colleges save taxpayers in Ontario $1 Billion

BRANTFORD, Oct. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ontario Association of Career Colleges (OACC) released a paper today highlighting the significant contribution of the province's career colleges to the postsecondary education sector.

The paper is in response to Minister Glen Murray's highly debated discussion paper, "Strengthening Ontario's Centres of Creativity, Innovation, and Knowledge," which proposes changes to the province's postsecondary systems.

Key recommendations for the Ontario government in the OACC response paper include:

• Assume a leadership role in fostering collaboration, respect and recognition among the four pillars of postsecondary education by implementing policies that reflect a fluid continuum of postsecondary education, rather than silos, through sector-wide quality program standards, transfer credits that encourage student mobility; and consultation with all stakeholder communities;
• More fully utilize the resources of Ontario's 144 year old career college sector to increase student choice, meet employer needs, and expand on the economic benefit through tax savings and new tax revenue that the sector already contributes;
• Improve pathways to apprenticeship by committing to include the career college sector in the apprenticeship model, and formally within the structure of the College of Trades.

The OACC paper contains data on the province's career colleges from an economic impact study commissioned by the association. According to the study and other data recently released by the ministry, over 67,000 students choose to enroll in one of the province's 600 career colleges every year. Career colleges employ over 12,000 staff, and save the taxpayers of Ontario more than $1 billion annually, while generating over $94 million in business and payroll taxes.

The OACC response paper and economic impact study can be found here: http://www.oacc.ca/web/oacc/documents/OACC_Response.pdf

SOURCE: Ontario Association of Career Colleges

Media Contacts

Paul Kitchin
OACC Executive Director 
519-752-2124 ext. 103
[email protected] 

Alix Matthews-Mahé
OACC Media Communications Coordinator
519-752-2124 ext. 115
[email protected]