Opinion: Now is the time to invest in post-secondary education

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If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that the world — and the global economy — can go through seismic shifts in a relatively short amount of time. Since I began my term as president of the University of Alberta in 2020, we have witnessed a pandemic and a corresponding global recession, followed by an economic rebound. We have turned the corner, perhaps more quickly than any of us could have imagined. Alberta’s economic outlook is now positive, with ATB Financial predicting 2.8-per-cent real GDP growth in 2023.

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To ensure a prosperous future, we must maintain an Alberta that attracts and retains talented people and investments. With a strong post-secondary learning system, Albertans can get the high-quality training and skills they need — right here at home — to meet the labour market needs of tomorrow’s economy.

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The province is facing a continuously tight labour market. The Government of Canada’s October Labour Market Bulletin for Alberta warned: “While the province has been experiencing an economic windfall recently, labour shortages in key sectors, especially the health-care sector, continue to threaten growth.” By 2030, experts predict an acute need for more engineering, health care, science and business professionals.

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We are fortunate that our province is home to a young and growing population. The number of Alberta high school graduates is projected to grow by 20 per cent in the next five years. To accommodate this demographic boon, we urgently need to grow Alberta’s post-secondary sector so that these high school graduates will have the opportunities they need to thrive in Alberta’s growing economy.

We are tackling this challenge head-on at the University of Alberta, where we are home to 25 per cent of Alberta’s post-secondary students. In partnership with the province, we’ve been actively investing in enrolment growth to support these areas of greatest demand. We now have record-high enrolment, with over 44,000 students, including over 1,600 Indigenous students.

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Last year, the U of A received $48.3 million from the provincial government’s Alberta at Work program to support enrolment growth. This investment is paying dividends, enabling us to grow by another 2,600 students, increasing the number of young Albertans who can study at home at one of the world’s top 100 universities. But we’re not going to stop there. We’re aiming to increase our enrolment to over 50,000 students by 2026.

With Alberta’s upcoming 2023-23 budget on the horizon, we have proposed to the Government of Alberta an ambitious plan to grow by another 3,500 students, targeted to the areas of greatest employer and student demand. With this expansion, we can reach our goal of over 50,000 students by 2026. We are keen to play our part in continuing to meet the needs of tomorrow’s labour market, ensuring a bright future for the province.

University of Alberta graduates are critical drivers of economic growth and prosperity. Over the last decade, 84 per cent of our graduates have stayed in Alberta, helping to grow and diversify the economy. Ninety-four per cent of our graduates are employed two years after graduation, with 97 per cent of graduates working in a job related to their field of study.

When the U of A grows, everyone in Alberta benefits.

Bill Flanagan is president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta.