Bloated. Ineffective. And deep in denial.
You would think Canadian universities were Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, if you listened too long to the continued drumbeat against a university education. It’s not a new message, but one that has persisted for years now despite efforts by universities to chide, nudge and convince otherwise.
Admittedly, the post-financial crash hangover has been more difficult to shake than most anticipated. Coupled with a stalled generational transition in the workforces, as well as a rapidly widening wealth disparity, economic traction has been difficult for many Canadians – especially many young graduates entering the workforce.
In times like this, people need something to blame; universities have been that something for too long.
But finally, someone outside the ivory tower is questioning this troubling trope.
A recently release report by TD Bank, Jobs in Canada: Where, What and For Whom?, stated despite the fact “the notion of a severe labour market skills mismatch has topped the headlines … with data in hand, we debunk the notion that Canada is facing an imminent skills crisis.” It argued, in part:
While Canada’s overall job creation tally is medal worthy, there have been growing concerns about a mismatch between the types of skills demanded by employers and those possessed by job seekers. Some forecasters have made worrisome predictions of large and persistent labour shortages well into the future. There are also widespread views that the Canadian job market is becoming increasingly polarized and that today’s youth will be a ‘lost generation.’
The findings in this report pour some cold water on these perceptions – there is some evidence of tightness across certain occupations and regions, but the analysis failed to provide a real smoking gun.
Much of the report was spent mythbusting a political climate where “perceptions can take on a life of their own without hard underlying facts supporting them.”
It was a balanced report, seemingly removed from the heavy partisan rhetoric of similar tomes produced by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. Not that it absolved postsecondary education of its issues noting:
Educators have recognized some of the shortcomings of the current higher education system, including a lack of flexibility in altering programs to quickly meet the changing demands of the marketplace. There have been some signs that change is beginning to happen on this front. For instance, transferability of credits among universities and colleges and apprenticeship demand has been rising (although completions remain a challenge).
Chief among the report’s solutions was a case for lifelong learning, a burden it rightly saw shared by the postsecondary, government and corporate sectors, as well as workers themselves. That’s good news for what we do.
For too long, corporations – and, in turn, the organizations and politicians they finance – have pushed the ‘skills gap’ message because it allows them to ‘outsource’ training off their books and onto the public’s back. They see the university as Corporate Canada’s minor leagues or, as one sector leader told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, “the state takes care of education; employers employ.”
Now, there is a growing realization this is not the way. Or, as the TD report argued:
Despite Canada’s solid track record in creating jobs, there are inherent vulnerabilities in the labour market and skills development more specifically that are holding back the economy’s potential. Bold and complementary action across governments, employers, employees and educators is needed to ensure that living standards continue to grow.
Transformation of the economy is going to take flexibility from all sections. In addition to the much-discussed changes needed in postsecondary education, employers may need to raise wages, and embrace previously shunned ideas like flexible work arrangements and professional development; government may need to address policy around immigration and be willing to increase funding for solutions, including those in the postsecondary sector; and workers must understand “employment and income prospects by field of study” as well as continue learning throughout their careers.
Canada is in an enviable position, and, rather than being the problem, postsecondary education is a big part of our continued success.
Nice to hear someone finally say it.