Political leaders to address Higher Education Summit

TORONTO, Nov. 18 /CNW/ -   The political parties' plans for higher education in Ontario will be among the featured themes at Colleges Ontario's annual conference, the Higher Education Summit, this Sunday and Monday at the Sheraton Centre hotel in Toronto.

Training, Colleges and Universities Minister John Milloy, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will each be delivering speeches at the conference.

As well, conference delegates will be attending a forum with Ontario cabinet ministers, with Minister Milloy, Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky, Attorney General Chris Bentley, Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, and Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli.

The theme of the conference this year is Colleges Driving Innovation in Ontario. In addition to the political leaders, the event will include a keynote speech by Peter Mansbridge, anchor of CBC-TV's The National, and a speech by social media expert Tod Maffin.

There will also be an expert panel on the economy, featuring Warren Jestin, the senior vice-president and chief economist at Scotiabank; Catherine Swift, the president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business; and Jim Stanford, the economist with the Canadian Auto Workers.

And Glen Hodgson, the senior vice-president and chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada, will present a report on the role colleges can play in driving innovation in Ontario.

Media are encouraged to attend the conference. Scheduled highlights include:

Sunday, Nov. 21

1 p.m. - Tod Maffin, strategist and author, speaks on social media - how are different generations using it? What are the trends?

2 p.m. - Glen Hodgson, senior vice-president and chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada, addresses the question, Why is Canada falling down on innovation?

3:15 p.m. - A panel on the future of education in Ontario, featuring George Brown College president Anne Sado, University of Guelph president Alastair Summerlee, and Peel District School Board director of education Tony Pontes.

Monday, Nov. 22

8 a.m. - Len Crispino, the president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, speaks on the theme, Ontario: A magnet for the world.

8:30 a.m. - Panel on the economy, featuring Warren Jestin, senior vice-president and chief economist at Scotiabank, Catherine Swift, the president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and Jim Stanford, the economist with the Canadian Auto Workers.

Noon - Presentation of the annual Colleges Ontario Awards, recognizing major achievements in the colleges.

1 p.m. - Keynote address by Peter Mansbridge, on the theme, Canada and Canadians in a changing world.

2 p.m. - Speech by Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

3:40 p.m. - Speech by Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak.

4 p.m. - Forum with Ontario cabinet ministers.

4:30 p.m. - Speech by Training, Colleges and Universities Minister John Milloy.

7:30 p.m. - The annual Premier's Awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding Ontario college graduates.

Full conference details are available at www.highereducationsummit.ca. Media wishing to attend any sessions are asked to sign in at the registration desk on the lower level of the Sheraton Centre hotel, at the entrance to the Grand Ballroom foyer. The Sheraton Centre hotel is at 123 Queen St. W.

Location:				Sheraton Centre downtown hotel 123 Queen St. W. Toronto
Dates:				Nov. 21 and 22, 2010

For further information:

Sally Ritchie
Manager, Media Relations and Communications
Colleges Ontario
647-258-7686
647-217-4109 (Cell)
[email protected]