Ontario's colleges say budget commitments will produce a more highly skilled workforce
TORONTO, April 27, 2017 /CNW/ - Measures announced in the 2017 Ontario Budget will allow more students to acquire the professional and technical qualifications to pursue rewarding careers, Ontario's colleges said today.
"The budget reinforces the government's commitment to helping more students get the expertise and experience to pursue rewarding careers," said Chris Whitaker, Humber's president and CEO. "It reaffirms the pivotal role that colleges and polytechnics play in student success."
Measures announced in the 2017 Ontario Budget include:
- Exploring new opportunities to improve access to apprenticeship programs.
- Increasing the funding to support college sustainability by an extra $10 million this year. The increase will be $16.5 million by 2018-19.
- Developing a new website to provide better information about careers and the labour market to students, parents and employers.
- Enhancing student assistance so that recent graduates won't have to pay the provincial portion of their OSAP loans until they're earning at least $35,000 a year.
- Reaffirming the investment of $190 million over three years in the Career Kick-Start Strategy to help more students and graduates get work-related experiences as part of their education.
- Recalibrating the Second Career retraining program for laid-off workers.
The budget also included initiatives to reduce financial barriers to postsecondary education for indigenous students, working with indigenous partners to identify additional targeted OSAP supports.
"Producing a more highly skilled workforce is essential as new technology and innovations transform our economy," Whitaker said. "This budget will help produce economic growth and strengthen our community."
About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Established in 1967, Humber is one of Canada's leading postsecondary institutions. Committed to student success through excellence in teaching and learning, Humber serves 29,200 full-time students and 23,000 part time and continuing education students. With an internationally recognized reputation for quality learning, Humber offers a wide-range of career-focused opportunities for students to personalize their educational path, including 160 full-time programs across more than 40 fields of study, 200 part-time and 400 online programs or courses. More than four out of five of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies. Visit humber.ca
SOURCE Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
For further information: Andrew Leopold, Director of Communications, 416.675.6622 ext. 4296, [email protected]
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