Dalton McGuinty’s poor economic management risks leaving thousands of Ontario students stranded without solid job or education opportunities. Today Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and Kitchener – Waterloo PC MPP Elizabeth Witmer visited Kitchener’s Conestoga College to discuss the college application crunch in advance of the February 1st application deadline.
Despite clear signs that the Second Career retraining program would have a ripple effect on college enrolments throughout Ontario, the McGuinty Government failed to plan for the surge in college applications that would result. Due to a spike in the number of laid-off workers seeking retraining through this program, some Ontario colleges are now seeing the number of applications increase by as much as 50%.
As a result of this surge of new applications, Ontario high school students looking to pursue post-secondary education are at risk of being frozen out of their local college altogether. This situation could have been easily predicted and prevented. At the same time, Dalton McGuinty’s poor economic management has resulted in a devastated job market for students with a youth unemployment rate of 18.3%.
QUOTES:
“Dalton McGuinty’s job-killing economic policies have created a situation where too many Ontario high school students can neither find a job nor get an education.”
– Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak
“The McGuinty Liberals should have seen this coming. Instead laid-off workers and Ontario students are left fighting each other over opportunities to improve their education, training and job prospects. Second careers are important, but first careers matter too.”
– Ontario PC MPP Elizabeth Witmer
QUICK FACTS
- The Equal Consideration Date application deadline for fall 2010 Ontario College programs is February 1, 2010.
- Over the past year Dalton McGuinty has promised to create 1,064,000 new jobs in his Budget, Green Energy Act and HST tax grab. In reality he has presided over the net loss of 141,600 jobs during that same time period.
- Statistics Canada’s December jobs report confirms that Ontario’s unemployment rate is 9.3%, well above Canada’s national average of 8.5%. In Kitchener the unemployment rate is even higher still at 9.6%. Ontario’s youth unemployment rate is 18.3%, up from 18% last month.
CONTACT:
Greg Medulun
416-325-1330