[Advocacy Win] Ontario Investing $242 Million to Prepare College and University Students for In-Demand Jobs

This year, our recommendation called for sustained investment in modernizing post-secondary facilities and equipment so Ontario college students can train on the technology used in today’s workplaces:

The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security should increase and sustain annual investments in campus infrastructure and training equipment. including the College Equipment and Renewal Fund and the Facilities Renewal Program—at a level equivalent to at least $222 million, ensuring that post-secondary institutions can continuously modernize facilities and equipment to provide students with hands-on experience using industry-relevant technology and certifications, while improving access to high-quality, local work-integrated learning and career preparation opportunities.

Today, we are pleased to see that advocacy is successfully reflected in the government’s new $242 million investment to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. These investments included:

• $209.3 million through the Facilities Renewal Program for publicly funded colleges and universities to complete maintenance, repairs and upgrades to existing facilities.

• $21.6 million through the College Equipment and Renewal Fund for colleges to buy and renew instructional equipment and learning resources.

• $10.8 million through the Training Equipment and Renewal Fund for universities to renew and buy modern, state-of-the-art equipment and learning resources.

This will mean better labs, newer equipment, and stronger hands-on learning across the province.

OSV continues to advocate for a more accessible, affordable, and high-quality post-secondary system for all Ontario students.

See the full announcement at https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006916/ontario-investing-242-million-to-prepare-college-and-university-students-for-in-demand-job