Canadore College is happy with new investments in the 2020 provincial budget.
On Friday, President at the College George Burton spoke on Ontario’s investment for the first time in micro-credential retraining programs as well as the province’s ongoing commitment to technology and infrastructure announcements.
“Canadore is pleased with the government’s ongoing support and investments to ensure we have a workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” he said. “It is only through ongoing investments in workforce training and applied learning that we will ensure a strong Ontario.”
The budget, tabled on Thursday announced $59.5 million over three years to support Ontario’s new micro-credentials strategy, which will help people retrain and upgrade their skills for new employment.
The funding will be used to create an online portal of micro-credential training opportunities, develop new micro-credential programs, and to establish a virtual passport that creates opportunities for people in the programs to pursue further learning.
The government also announced that students enrolled in qualified programs will be eligible to receive student assistance.
“Many of our students come from rural and remote areas and the much-needed investment in broadband access will help create greater opportunities for our students and their communities by reducing the digital divide,” Burton added. “Continuing investments in technology and modern learning environments is essential to help students attain the skills required to be successful in the evolving job market.”
Expanding micro-credential programs was one of the recommendations in a recent white paper, The Future of Ontario’s Workers, by the StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy.
It was submitted to Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano as part of the minister’s consultations on modernizing higher education.
The paper has also recommended other important steps Ontario must take to produce a strong workforce that will drive economic growth.
One of the most important is the recommendation for colleges to get approval to offer career-specific three-year degree programs.
“These recommendations align with Canadore’s priorities for future growth,” Burton said. “Colleges continue to be pivotal to the efforts to restore Ontario as an economic powerhouse, and we are keen to work with the province to become world leaders in post-secondary education.”