The provincial government is allowing for further expansion of certain in-demand college and university programs.
Funding will be made available to open 40,000 new seats in programs related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), health care, education and trades.
A similar announcement in the spring allowed for another 30,000 post-secondary spaces.
Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn says it allows more students to further their education.
“With each dollar we invest and each seat that opens, we are not only giving young people the opportunity to better themselves and land rewarding, good-paying jobs and careers, but we’re also giving communities the opportunity to continue growing and thriving with the highly skilled, locally trained workers they need,” says Quinn.
The province is committing $1.7 billion for the expanded programs.
Of the seats, 40,200 will be earmarked for STEM programs, 16,100 for health care programs, 7,900 for education programs, 3,800 for trades programs and 3,000 for programs that reflect local needs.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Colleges Ontario Maureen Adamson sees colleges greatly benefiting.
“Colleges and polytechnics in Ontario deliver more than 75,000 domestic graduates that are the critical supply chain to our industries and businesses every year,” says Adamson.
“This is more important now than ever in key industries such as trades, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, defence, STEM and educational services.”
Steve Orsini, President and CEO of the Council of Universities for Ontario, says the support comes at a critical time.
“The number of Ontario high school students applying to an Ontario university is up by more than 19% since 2020, a clear sign that more Ontario students are seeking a university education,” says Orsini.
“University partnerships with industry are also growing. Last year alone, Ontario universities supported more than 3,000 industry research partnerships and more than 2,800 startups and spin-offs creating the jobs and economic growth Ontario needs.”
There is no word yet on how many of the new seats will be earmarked for Lakehead University or Confederation College.
Randy Thoms is a veteran news broadcaster with over 40 years’ experience. He is based in Fort Frances and covers stories across northwestern Ontario. Contact Randy at thoms. randy@radioabl. ca.
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