Building Up Ontario’s Workforce in the Age of Disruption
We operate in the age of disruption. The concept of ‘Disrupted Innovation’ is focused on challenging established ways of doing business. It fuels change and drives growth. The Ontario Government is embracing the concept of disrupted innovation through the transformation of traditional ways of doing business.
Becoming a Agents of Disruption, Not Victims
The minister in charge of driving these innovation-based changes is Deputy Premier the Honourable Deb Matthews. Her role is centered around ensuring that Ontario’s workforce is well-trained, educated and equipped to help fuel economic growth and to be agents of disruption, not victims.
The primary focus of this process is providing access to education for lower income families, based on the premise that educated workers create a pool of more qualified (employable) workers. This initiative is about enabling social mobility – giving people opportunities based on their potential not on their ability to pay. By redesigning the existing OSAP system and loans, and replacing it with a new program that will:
- Make average tuition FREE for students from low income families
- Provide more help for students from middle income families
- Ensure that nearly 80% of post-secondary students will now graduate with less provincial debt
Ontario’s high school graduation rate is at an all-time high of 85%. 67% of Ontario’s adult population has attained post-secondary credentials (for example, Germany’s rate is 38%).
So what does an educated workforce do for the province? One result is that the province’s education success is getting noticed, giving businesses more confidence in doing business in Ontario. Leading edge companies are investing in Ontario, creating a strong tech boom that will lead to more jobs and fuel economic growth.
