93.4 per cent of Conestoga College graduates who entered the labour force found employment within six months, according to the provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results released today.
Furthermore, employers give Conestoga graduates outstanding marks, with 92.3 per cent of surveyed employers expressing satisfaction with graduates hired within the past year.
"Ontario's colleges and polytechnic institutes continue to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today's rapidly changing, advanced technology workplace," says Conestoga President John Tibbits. "The KPI results show, with a province-wide average of 90.5 per cent, that college graduates play a vital role in Ontario's prosperity and will be even more essential as the province faces a serious shortage of skilled workers over the next 20 years."
The KPI data are released annually. The surveys measure the success rates and satisfaction levels for students and graduates, and are collected by two independent research firms for the colleges and for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
In recent years, the KPIs have found high approval ratings among students, graduates and employers, and that trend continued in this data, which were collected from March 2007 to February 2008. The most recent findings for Conestoga were:
- 92.3 per cent of employers were satisfied with the quality of the educational preparation of college graduates.
- 93.4 per cent of college graduates found employment within six months of graduation.
- 85.3 per cent of graduates were satisfied with the usefulness of their college education in achieving their goals after graduation.
- 79.1 per cent of students were satisfied with the overall quality of services, programming and resources available to them.
President Tibbits indicates that because of their skills and educational experience college graduates are at an advantage in the job market, noting that a third of Ontario’s workforce - 2.1 million people - has a college qualification, the largest group in the workforce.
He also states that Conestoga is working with the Ontario government and other partners to attract greater numbers of students to help the province meet the challenge of a growing skills shortage. The Conference Board of Canada estimates Ontario could be short more than 360,000 skilled workers by 2025.
"The KPI data underscore the important contribution colleges and their graduates are making to Ontario," President Tibbits adds. "We are building on this success to ensure Ontario has the skilled workforce it needs for future growth and prosperity."
CONTACT: Public Affairs Office, 519-748-5220, ext. 3336