(February 1, 2010) Today is the application deadline for Ontario colleges and Dalton McGuinty’s lack of a credible economic plan or plan to deal with a possible strike by college instructors risks leaving thousands of Ontario students stranded without solid job or education opportunities.

Despite clear signs that the Second Career retraining program would have a ripple effect on college enrolments throughout Ontario, the McGuinty Government failed to plan for the surge in college applications that would result.  Due to a spike in the number of laid-off workers seeking retraining through this program, some Ontario colleges are now seeing the number of applications increase by as much as 50%. 

As a result of this surge of new applications, Ontario high school students looking to pursue post-secondary education are at risk of being frozen out of their local college altogether.  This situation could have been easily predicted and prevented.  

At the same time Dalton McGuinty’s unaffordable concessions to public sector union leaders has finally caught up with him. The union representing Ontario college instructors has voted in favour of a strike. Unfortunately, it will be Ontario college students who pay the highest price.

QUOTES:

“Dalton McGuinty’s failure to plan has created a situation where too many Ontario high school students can neither find a job nor get an education.”
-- Jim Wilson, MPP and PC Critic for Colleges and Universities

“The McGuinty Liberals should have seen this coming.  Instead laid-off workers and Ontario students are left fighting each other over opportunities to improve their education, training and job prospects.  Second careers are important, but first careers matter too.”
-- Jim Wilson, MPP and PC Critic for Colleges and Universities

QUICK FACTS

•    The Equal Consideration Date application deadline for fall 2010 Ontario College programs is today, February 1, 2010.

•    College applications are up 14.5% overall since January 2009, 22.8% for non-secondary school applicants.  Some colleges, such as Northern College in Northwestern Ontario where mining and forestry sectors have collapsed, are experiencing an increase of 47%. 

•    Over the past year Dalton McGuinty has promised to create 1,064,000 new jobs in his Budget, Green Energy Act and HST tax grab.  In reality he has presided over the net loss of 141,600 jobs during that same time period.

•    Statistics Canada’s December jobs report confirms that Ontario’s unemployment rate is 9.3%, well above Canada’s national average of 8.5%. 

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