The value of a university degree

The Council of Ontario Universities (www.cou.on.ca) recently released a report – Ensuring the Value of University Degrees in Ontario – outlining the process universities go through to ensure students acquire relevant skills. The conversation surrounding the teaching of relevant skills to university students often morphs into a dialogue about the value of a university degree and whether it is declining. I don’t believe this to be the case, and the statistics seem to tell a similar story.

The evidence is clear that a university degree puts students on a path to success. Consider the following statistics:

• More than 93% of students find employment within 6 months of graduation. Nearly 85% of those say their job is related to their field of study.
• More than 300,000 new jobs were created for university graduates during the recession, while 430,000 jobs were lost for those without postsecondary education.
• Unemployment rates are lowest for university graduates than those with any other learning credential.
• University graduate earn, on average, 53% more than those without postsecondary education.

This should definitely be exciting news for high school students who are searching for an undergraduate program, or for university graduates who are interested in a postgraduate degree. It is most certainly an exciting time for those students and they should be reassured that universities in our province are committed to providing them with a learning experience that will help them acquire the knowledge and skill to enter the workforce upon graduation.

Closer to home, interest in our programs in the Faculty of Health Sciences has never been greater. Nearly 4,000 prospective students visited FHS at the recent Ontario Universities’ Fair and this past weekend we welcomed more than 400 to Elborn College for our FHS Graduate Professional Program Preview. Later this month, when Western hosts its annual Fall Preview Day, more than 1,000 high school students will visit the Faculty as they explore their options for postsecondary education. This speaks highly of the quality of our programs and how these areas are preparing students to make a difference outside the walls of the academy.

It is the mission of our Faculty to be a leader in health and health care, rehabilitation, physical activity and sport and we have confidence that we are achieving this goal in everything we do.

Yours in Health Sciences,

Jim Weese