Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction and analytical approach
Introduction
The changing postsecondary education landscape
Situating Ontario
Analytical approach
Focus on labour market-related credentials
Organization of this report
Chapter 1 – A closer look at student outcomes
Introduction
Outcomes indicators
The role of field of study in graduate outcomes
Programs and credentials included in the analysis
Outline of this chapter
Section I – Alignment with student needs: Evidence from the college sector
Introduction
Field of study and credential outcomes
The percentage of graduates in each division by credential over time
Indicator 1: Graduation rates
Indicator 2: Earnings
Indicator 3: Unemployment
Indicator 4: Labour force participation
Indicator 5: Returned to school
Indicator 6: Relatedness to employment
Indicator 7: Satisfaction with work preparation
Indicator 8: Achieved post-graduation goals
Indicator 9: Would recommend the program
Summary of outcomes
Section II – Alignment with student needs: Evidence from the university sector
Introduction
Our approach to assessing student needs
Indicator 1: Graduation
Indicator 2: Earnings
Indicator 3: Unemployment
Indicator 4: Labour force participation
Indicator 5: Returned to school
Indicator 6: Relatedness to employment
Summary of outcomes
Section III – Alignment with student needs: Analysis of the college and university sector
Introduction
Approach to analysis
Case 1: Business programs
Indicator 1: Earnings
Indicator 2: Unemployment
Indicator 3: Labour force participation
Indicator 4: Returned to school
Case 2: Engineering programs
Indicator 1: Earnings
Indicator 2: Unemployment
Indicator 3: Labour force participation
Indicator 4: Returned to school
Summary of outcomes for college and university business and engineering programs
Summary of outcomes for Ontario postsecondary graduates
Chapter 2 – Evaluating employer needs
Introduction
Employer demand
A note about the supply of graduates
Indicator 1: Unemployment
Indicator 2: Graduate earnings
Indicator 3: Employment relatedness to education
Indicator 4: Employer satisfaction
Employer satisfaction in recent literature
What we heard from employers
Summary
Chapter 3 – What we heard from students and system stakeholders
Section I – What we heard
What we heard from institutions, quality assurance agencies, students, and faculty
Does Ontario have the appropriate mix of labour market focused credentials?
Specific gaps identified by stakeholders
The Ontario Qualifications Framework
Proposal for three-year labour market focused degrees delivered by colleges
Collaborative programs and credential laddering
Quality assurance
The role of workforce-oriented skills in postsecondary education
Work-integrated learning
Section II – New Ontario labour market related credential proposals
Chapter 4 – Findings from other jurisdictions
Section I – Situating Ontario within the context of global trends
Trend 1: Evolution of systems, institutional mandates and differentiation
Trend 2: A focus on innovation to facilitate student labour market transitions
Trend 3: An increased emphasis on quality alignment, outcomes, and transparency
Section II – A closer look at credential mix in selected jurisdictions
Introduction
System design and differentiation
Credential mix
Quality and learning outcomes
Summary
Chapter 5 – Detailed recommendations
IntroductionOverview of findings
Charting a path for Ontario
Recommendation 1: Strengthen conditions for system quality
Recommendation 2: Accelerate progress on learning outcomes
Recommendation 3: Enable more deliberate experimentation with innovation in credential design and delivery approaches
Recommendation 4: Improve accessibility, comprehensiveness and comparability of data
Recommendation 5: Enhance transparency to support collaboration and strengthen public confidence
References