Leadership

Securing Alberta’s Future: How Alberta Can Lead in Post-Secondary Education

There is an opportunity to make real progress in our post-secondary education system. Alberta’s economy has weathered the recent economic downturn well, allowing us the available resources to meet the pressing challenges head-on. We are starting with a population base and a K-12 elementary system that allows us to prioritize post-secondary participation and completion rates to avoid a skilled labour shortage that will stifle innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth over the next decade.

Our students, along with graduate students and faculty, are creating new knowledge in a post-secondary education system that is considered world-class. However, far too many Albertans are being denied an opportunity to meet their potential. With only seven out of every ten high school students finishing their diploma before they turn 19, and even fewer making the transition to post-secondary education, it is clear that we have made it nearly impossible for many to participate in the new economy.

Today Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada – fewer Albertans go on to formal education than in any other province. CAUS sees this dismal statistic as an opportunity for Alberta. We are issuing a challenge to our province and its education system: to improve our post-secondary participation rate.

There is no good reason for Alberta to be so far behind the rest of Canada. The good news is that our province has the people and resources necessary to change this outcome – all that is lacking is the political will. CAUS believes that right now is the best time politically to set a broad goal for our post-secondary education system and Alberta’s economy: that within a decade Alberta will have the best post-secondary participation rate in Canada.

Alberta should set the goal of having the best post-secondary participation rate in Canada.

Looking ahead we have identified four areas where our next Premier and their government can make progress on improving the participation rate for post-secondary education. At the heart of the plan are the following key principles:

• Make post-secondary education more affordable through a needs-based grant program;
• Lower the costs of getting a post-secondary education in Alberta;
• Encourage students to complete their program; and
• Improve the quality of post-secondary education.

Learn more about the need for Alberta to increase the number of students who enter and finish in our post-secondary education system and the steps needed to get there by downloading our plan below.

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