TORONTO, August 29, 2024 – For a third consecutive year, the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) and the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) partnered to host a Lecture Series at AMO’s annual conference. At the event, COU President and CEO Steve Orsini and expert economist Brian Lewis spoke about the future job needs of Ontario and how local communities and universities can work together to address current challenges, driving workforce growth and regional economic development.
In his opening remarks, Steve Orsini highlighted how Ontario universities are addressing the province’s growing talent needs by collaborating with municipalities and regions to prepare students for critical roles. “Ontario universities are graduating job-ready students, contributing over $50 billion to Ontario’s GDP through workforce success and income premiums. Together, we can address the skilled labour shortage and drive economic growth,” he said.
When discussing the role Ontario universities play in addressing labour market shortages, Orsini shared the following key facts:
- Approximately 590,000 students are currently enrolled at Ontario universities, fueling a highly skilled pipeline of graduates for key industries including manufacturing, life sciences, AI and critical minerals.
- The number of domestic students applying to an Ontario university undergraduate program has increased by 9,647 (12.2%) from 2020 to 2024, with demand expected to continue to increase by up to 18% by 2030, based on demographic projections developed by the Ontario Ministry of Finance.
- Since 2010, universities have increased enrolment in STEM programs by 74 per cent and in health programs by 40 per cent.
- The economic benefits of university activity and talent development in communities throughout the province totals more than $96 billion annually to Ontario’s GDP.
While Ontario has a high percentage of postgraduate credentials compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), our province ranks much lower when looking at advanced degrees compared to the same countries. Orsini emphasized the critical need for top talent in the province to compete globally for jobs of the future and to continue to bring economic benefits to the regions throughout the province.
Following Orsini’s opening remarks, the keynote speaker Brian Lewis was introduced. Lewis is a Canadian public policy economist, and a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, as well as a contributor to Ontario360 and the CD Howe Institute. He was also the former Chief Economist for the province of Ontario.
Lewis’ presentation, entitled: “The Future of Work and Ontario’s Municipalities,” focused on where the economy is headed, what that means for the future of work across the province and how municipalities can best prepare for these changes. He also spoke about how the future of work will be impacted by technology, advancements in AI, population changes, immigration and climate change and how we can prepare for these changes with proper workforce planning.
He noted that Ontario boasts a highly skilled workforce and how access to this critical talent will enable our province to leverage significant economic opportunities in sectors, such as electric vehicles, critical minerals, life sciences, agri-food, education and AI, which can drive substantial benefits for the province.
Lewis concluded with a call to prioritize preparing for future workforce challenges over current short-term concerns adding, “What matters most is getting our economy and our people ready for the jobs of the future. That is the best thing we can do to help our province, cities, families and people.”
This approach aligns with the efforts of Ontario’s universities as the talent from universities, marked by high graduation and employment rates, is vital for the province’s social and economic prosperity. By partnering with local industries and fostering entrepreneurship, universities are leading talent development in rapidly growing fields like clean technology, life sciences, engineering and advanced manufacturing.
As dedicated partners with municipalities throughout the province, Ontario’s universities look forward to a continued partnership with AMO on the annual AMO-COU Lecture Series and will continue to support Ontario’s municipal and provincial leaders to help address local talent development across the province’s communities.
To learn more about how Ontario’s universities, through collaboration with municipalities, businesses and industries, are supporting local workforce development and providing solutions tailored to the needs of Ontario’s communities, read our booklet: Partnering with Municipalities to Drive Regional Talent Development (ontariosuniversities.ca).