It seems the conventional wisdom in Canada is that if you want your children to succeed in life they must go to university. Not college. Not a trade school. University. If it’s the high-paying job, the new car and the house in the suburbs you’re looking for, it’s off to U of T, McGill or Dalhousie you go.
But placing such emphasis on our universities naturally leaves the country’s colleges and trade schools looking like the lesser of the two options. This stigma is present everywhere – even among college students themselves. People choose university because it is the thing to do; it is expected. It may not be what they want to do, but if they don’t go, they will be seen as second-class citizens.
Nothing could actually be further from the truth – university is not for everyone, nor should it be.
Currently, our universities are flooded with young people – more than at any other point in our history. According to a recent Ipsos poll, an overwhelming majority of these students cite “getting a job” as the number one reason they are going to school.
But here is the problem. Ensuring students get a job should not be the primary concern of universities.
The main purpose of universities is to conduct research. Indeed, universities have traditionally been considered institutions of higher learning, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, learning to express oneself in a clear and compelling manner, and to broaden ones horizons.
These skills will undoubtedly prove helpful over the course of their lives, but they are not skills that will prepare that individual for a specific occupation.
The result of our “university-first” approach is plain to see. Canada has been hit with “education inflation,” where every one has a bachelor’s degree, its worth has been greatly diminished and the price of tuition has skyrocketed.
Furthermore, Canada currently has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the developed world.
As of 2011, one in three university grads end up in low-skilled jobs. And to top if off, some 60 per cent of university students graduate in the hole, with an average of $27,000 of debt.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
In Europe, post-secondary education is approached in a different way.
A perfect example of this can be found in Switzerland, where the youth unemployment rate currently hovers at 2.8 per cent, a full 14 points lower than in Canada.
Why the massive discrepancy? Simple. At the age of 15, every single Swiss student must choose between two routes; one continues on to university, the other leads to college, an internship, and often, a job.
Surprisingly, two-thirds opt for the latter option and go on to apprentice in all kinds of fields, including nursing, banking, IT, and so on. The close relationship between the colleges and the private sector ensures the schools know where upcoming labour shortages will be, and train students accordingly.
On the other hand, only the most academically passionate, talented, and motivated are accepted into university.
In Canada, most students go to university because their parents want them to. In Switzerland – and much of Europe for that matter – university students have an academic purpose.
Canada needs to learn from Europe.
From an economic point of view, it is a no-brainer. College students go to school for a shorter period of time, it costs them substantially less to attend and they find plenty of well-paying jobs as soon as they graduate (and sometimes before).
The snobby, elitist view that university is the sole pathway to success must be abandoned. Colleges and trade schools need to be seen for what they are – valuable institutions in Canadian society.
Until then, the unemployment rates will remain high and the CBC’s Michael Enright will continue to ask if the “B” in our degrees stands for barista.