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Investing in universities is an investment in Canada’s future

In its pre-budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA), Universities Canada highlighted the importance of investing in universities.
August 6, 2024 Media release

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Lisa Wallace
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University facts

  • $45.1B
    added to the Canadian economy

    As a $45.1 billion enterprise in direct expenditures, universities are significant drivers of economic prosperity. They provide employment for close to 410,000 people.

    Source: Expenditures of universities by type of expenditures and funds (Table 37-10-0027-01), Statistics Canada, 2024.
  • 1.5M
    students at Canadian universities

    Universities welcomed approximately 1.16 million full-time and 421 thousand part-time students to campus in fall 2023.

    Source: Fall enrolment survey, Universities Canada, 2023.
  • 115%
    increase in jobs requiring a bachelor's degree

    Since 2015, jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree increased by 115%. Jobs requiring higher qualifications increased by 170%.

    Source: Jobs, vacancies, proportion of job vacancies and average hourly wage (Table 14-10-0328-01), Statistics Canada, 2023.
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Presidents' perspective

Equity, diversity and inclusion: the challenge to lead

Transcript

Text on screen: [Equality, diversity and inclusion: the challenge to lead]

Annette Trimbee, president, University of Winnipeg:

Universities should be leading on a lot of these issues because we have this incredible passion and energy and expertise in our students and our faculty and our staff, and that’s really what we bring to the table. So we’re challenged every day, and I think our students, our faculty, and staff can definitely show us the way, and we just have to let them. It really is, to use a phrase from Rick Hansen, a time to “measure up”. Universities need to set stretch targets, we need to develop action plans, we need to measure progress, and we need to be held to account.

Text on screen: [Universities Canada/Universités Canada logo. The Voice of Canada’s Universities. univcan.ca]

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Universities Canada