Empowering Aboriginal Canadians through education

OTTAWA, Oct 4 /CNW/ - Today, Canada's universities released new data that underscores the transformative power of education for Aboriginal Canadians and the urgent demographic need to improve access to university for Aboriginal Canadians.

A university degree can ensure Aboriginal Canadians earn higher incomes - approximately 50 percent more over a lifetime than Aboriginal high-school graduates. Aboriginal Canadians with a university degree also experience fewer and shorter periods of unemployment, and have significantly better health outcomes. These and other points can be found in a new, fact-filled brochure created by AUCC using Statistics Canada data. It is the second in a series being released this fall to demonstrate the contributions of university graduates to the economy.

"Improving access to education for Aboriginal Canadians has tremendous potential for improving their lives, their families, their communities, and for helping to address Canada's looming demographic shift," says Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada President Paul Davidson.

Canada's Aboriginal youth population is growing at three times the national average, yet they are the least likely to graduate from high school, and are even less likely to attend university.

Canadian universities are addressing the unique needs of Aboriginal students on campus, through targeted recruitment campaigns in high schools, bridging year programming to help students upgrade Grade 12 courses while taking first-year university credit courses, scholarships and bursaries exclusively for Aboriginal students, Native student centres on campus, and more. Despite these important steps, more must be done.

"There are more First Nations people than ever before wanting to attend postsecondary education," said Mr. Davidson "We are calling on the federal government to increase student financial aid to First Nations peoples and to better support the university programs that help these students succeed."

"Canada's future depends on the success of its young Aboriginal peoples, whether they are First Nation, Métis or Inuit. When they succeed, all Canadians benefit," added Mr. Davidson.

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is the voice of Canada's universities. AUCC represents 95 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

For a copy of the brochure, visit:
www.aucc.ca/publications/auccpubs/value-of-a-degree/for-aboriginal-canadians_e.html

For further information:

Mélanie Béchard
Communications Officer
AUCC
613-563-3961 ext. 306
[email protected]