Christopher Manfredi is provost and vice-principal (academic) at McGill University.
The debate on the outcomes for university versus college/trade graduates has been quietly simmering for the past few years.
Angry opinion pieces suggest that "too many of our kids are going to university," and talk about the "skills gap," which leads to poor job prospects for university students.
Increasingly, the narrative is that universities offer an impractical education, unsuited to the real-world labour needs.
It makes for a good story, but it's simply not true.
In the fight for scarce postsecondary dollars, it's understandable that college proponents and university advocates will argue their cases, as I will do here. But ultimately, college-versus-university is a false dichotomy.
In the global knowledge economy, Canada's work force must possess a variety of skills, mastered in a variety of postsecondary institutions.
Let's look at some of the myths about universities:
Dropouts make the best entrepreneurs
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the level of entrepreneurship in Canada rises with the education level, peaking at those holding advanced graduate degrees. It would be interesting to see the education levels among entrepreneurs who have created "gazelles" – the new, high-growth firms that are so key to a knowledge economy.
A university degree doesn't prepare you for the work force
In 2014, Statistics Canada issued a report looking at the labour market outcomes for 2009-10 graduates. About 80 per cent of both college and university bachelor grads reported that their education was relevant to their job, three years after leaving postsecondary studies.
However, the proportion rose sharply among advanced degree holders, with 92 per cent of master's and 96 per cent of PhD recipients responding that their education matched their job.
College grads get better jobs
Only three years after graduation, bachelor's degree holders with full-time employment make a median income of $53,000, compared to $41,600 for college grads. Holders of master's and doctoral degrees make $28,400 and $33,400 more than college graduates. Although employment rates for college and university graduates are fairly comparable (90 and 92 per cent, respectively), holders of university degrees are more likely to be employed full-time.
There are more jobs for college grads
The number of new jobs in Canada requiring a university degree dramatically outpaces those requiring a college credential, according to Statscan. Between 2008 and 2015, our economy created twice the net new jobs for university graduates than for college and trades graduates.
University grads need to go to college to learn 'real' skills
Some interpret the fact that 13 per cent of current college enrollees already hold a degree as a failure of universities to prepare students adequately for the labour market. The flow goes both ways: Twelve per cent of bachelor's graduates in 2009-10 had completed a college or trade program before starting university.
We need fewer university graduates
Despite the clear benefits of a university education, Canada's performance on the international scene is worrying. While Canada sits at the top of 16 peer countries in terms of the percentage of the working-age population holding a college degree, a recent assessment by the Conference Board of Canada shows it ranks seventh for university degrees and 15th (of 16) for PhD graduates. Canada needs university grads more than ever – although that does not mean it needs fewer college grads.
Attempting to knock down universities to boost colleges – or vice versa – does a disservice to students and Canada.
To help our country succeed in a competitive global economy, we need more data on longer-term job outcomes, entrepreneurship and high-growth firms. We need to communicate those facts more widely so that students, parents, employers, educators and policy makers all know those facts and make informed choices.
Above all, our country needs investment to sustain both strong universities and strong colleges.