Career Colleges Make Pre-budget Tax Saving Presentation to Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

BRANTFORD, ON, March 25, 2013 /CNW/ - The Ontario Association of Career Colleges (OACC) tabled a submission with the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at the Ontario Legislature on March 22, 2013 in respect to the province's pre-budget consultation process.

The submission highlighted the significant contribution of the province's career colleges to the postsecondary education sector, and the provincial economy.

Paul Kitchin, Executive Director of OACC, made a verbal presentation to the Standing Committee on March 22, providing an overview of the key points of the paper including the following facts:

• 67,000 students enrol annually in more than 5,000 postsecondary programs offered at 600 campus locations across the province
• Career colleges already provide taxpayers with a saving of more than $1 billion every year
• Career colleges employ 12,000 staff and generate $94 million in business and  payroll taxes each year

In reference to his remarks, Kitchin said "Our association strongly encourages the members of the Standing committee and the government of Ontario to consider ways to more fully utilize the valuable resource of the 145 year old career college sector to help train a skilled work-force, reduce the provincial deficit and assist the well-being of the economy".

The OACC submission includes data on the province's career colleges contained in Higher Education Strategy Associates' economic impact study (see link below) that the association commissioned in 2012.

http://www.oacc.ca/web/oacc/documents/The_Impact_of_Ontario_Career_Colleges_June2012.pdf (open above link with Firefox or Google Chrome Browsers or contact Alix Mahe` at contact info below for a copy)

OACC's submission to the Standing Committee can be found at:

http://www.oacc.ca/Data/files/Pre-budget_Ontario_2013_03_22.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]