HEQCO Conference Explores Critical Link Between Higher Education and the Job Market

TORONTO, Oct. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - A challenging economy has made high quality education an essential part of both finding a job and helping the Ontario and Canadian economies compete on a global scale. But is finding a job the primary purpose of postsecondary education (PSE)? And what should the relationship be between educators and employers? These difficult issues will be explored at Learning to Earning: Higher Education and the Changing Job Market, a conference presented by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO).

Taking place in Toronto on November 1 and 2, Learning to Earning: Higher Education and the Changing Job Market will be the centre of a debate on the accountability of PSE institutions for success in the job market, the expectations of students and employers and the current challenges facing the sector.

A recent HEQCO study of high school students found that "getting a good job" was the primary reason they pursued higher education. But do colleges and universities differ in their accountability for graduates' performance in the job market, or should they be accountable at all?

"The relationship between PSE graduates and the job market is central to many discussions about Ontario's higher education system," says Harvey Weingarten, HEQCO president and CEO. "This conference will offer a critical exploration of how well our institutions are preparing today's students for the next generation of jobs."

Speakers include a number of international leaders from the worlds of education, business and government including Hon. Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities; Mark D. Milliron, chancellor of Western Governor's University; Kevin Lynch, vice-chairman of BMO Financial Group; Janet Ecker, president of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance; Ian Shugart, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada; Rob MacIsaac, president of Mohawk College; and Watson Scott Swail, president and CEO of the Educational Policy Institute (EPI).

Learning to Earning: Higher Education and the Changing Job Market is presented by HEQCO in partnership with EPI (lead partner), the Council of Ontario Universities and Colleges Ontario. For more information, including a schedule of events and speaker information, please visit the conference page.

Learning to Earning: Higher Education and the Changing Job Market
November 1 and 2, 2012
Sheraton Centre, Toronto, ON

SOURCE: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

Matt Ross
Research Communications Officer
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
[phone] / [email protected]

Or

Susan Bloch-Nevitte
Executive Director, Communications
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
[phone] / [email protected]