Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

A. Government Issues
A.1 Government Issues (cont’d)
Instead, students may attend multiple institutions and programs over several years before
landing in a career that reflects their passion. Rather than establishing a rigid system of sector
roles, Ontario’s post-secondary system needs enough flexibility to respond quickly to this
modern reality. And respecting the third area, colleges view delays in program approvals as
irresponsibly paralytic given that the colleges’ ability to respond to labour market needs will be
severely obstructed.
Demographic Challenges
Demographics will play an increasingly significant role for Ontario higher education enrolment
and service delivery over the next many years. It can be surmised from much of the relevant
demographic data that the composition of student enrolment will shift (becoming older and
increasingly multi-cultural) and that the labour markets of non-Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
communities will increasingly depend on the availability of flexible, longer-term employment
arrangements for mature workers to address potential skill shortages. Everything about the way
that colleges operate - from recruitment to teaching methods to student supports - will need to
be transformed. Highlights from the general population-level data that are suggestive of this
trend include:
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Ontario’s population is projected to rise to 16.4 million by 2031, from its current level of
12.9 million;
The main driver of population growth is, and will continue to be, international migration.
In recent years, Ontario has been losing population to other provinces through net
interprovincial migration;
Natural increase (births minus deaths) has been on a long-term decline in Ontario;
Ontario’s population is aging. Its median age and the proportion of older people in the
population are rising. By 2031, the median age in the province is projected to be 43
years and seniors aged 65 and over will make up almost 22 percent of the population;
The 15 - 29 age cohort as a whole will grow over the next few years but then either
decline or grow slowly after that;
Ontario’s population is highly concentrated in the GTA. The share of the Ontario
population living in the GTA is expected to be even higher in the future;
o Canada’s population is projected to reach 39 million by 2031 and 42.5 million by 2056 -
up from 33 million today;
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By 2030, the rate of natural increase is expected to turn negative, with the number of
deaths outnumbering births. Immigration will then account for all of Canada’s population
growth; and
London significantly lacks people in the 15 - 24 year old labour force category. Its
growth in this age group is -4.36 percent - much lower than most communities.
Conversely, in the 45 - 54 year old category, London has had very strong growth.
Regionally, in Oxford, Elgin, Norfolk and Middlesex, a similar demographic picture is
emerging.
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