University enrolment continues to climb - In 15 years, university<br>participation has increased by 57 percent.

OTTAWA, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - The latest university enrolment figures show overall enrolment is up almost four percent - 32,000 more, full-time students registered this fall than in 2009. At every level and in every region of the country, more young people are heading to university. Canada now has 898,000 full-time university students.

Today, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada released these numbers in its publication The Value of a Degree in Canada's Labour Market.

AUCC President Paul Davidson says, "This is good news for the economy. University graduates are part of the solution to increasing Canada's productivity and innovation. They possess the necessary critical thinking, research and analytical skills in demand by employers. They also contribute more than 40 percent of Canada's tax base."

The demand for university graduates in the last 20 years has been high: of the 1.5 million new professional and management positions created, 1.3 million were filled by university graduates. The increased demand is a direct response to the shift in Canada's labour market from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy.

However, the economy is in for a dramatic demographic shift over the next two decades. By 2030, the number of people over the age of 65 will double, while the 25-64 year-old population will grow by a mere eight percent. There will be a huge demand for professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants and entrepreneurs. The AUCC president stresses that "governments will need to continue to invest in Canada's universities if they are to provide innovative research, meet Canada's labour shortages, attract international talent and open the doors to more Aboriginal students - the fastest-growing segment of the Canadian population."

The Value of a Degree in Canada's Labour Market is the third brochure of a four-part series on trends in university education. To read more, go to www.aucc.ca/value.

AUCC is the voice for Canada's universities. It represents 95 Canadian public and not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

For further information:

For interviews and information contact:
Mélanie Béchard
Communications Officer
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Tel: [phone] ext. 306
[email protected]