CASA releases survey report on the value of post-secondary education

On August 18, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) released a survey report called “The Value of Post-Secondary Education in Canada.” The release of the report was followed by an online launch event on August 20. 

Conducted by Abacus Data, the survey assesses how working-age Canadians perceive and experience post-secondary education (PSE). Abacus Data surveyed 1,500 working-age Canadians ages 18–65 from April 30 to May 6. 

According to the survey data, although PSE is valued and understood as beneficial by many working-Canadians, their ability to benefit from PSE is often significantly hindered by factors like affordability, rising tuition costs, and student debt. 

Specifically, 82 per cent of the respondents cited high tuition costs and student debt as primary concerns for PSE. Additionally, 61 per cent said that they struggled to afford tuition and other expenses while earning their education. 

The online launch event began with an overview of the report by Hannah Hunter, policy and research analyst at CASA. Hunter noted that while CASA usually surveys students specifically, they expanded this survey to account for a national context of rising levels of youth unemployment and a changing labour market informed by political shifts and technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI). 

“Canadian governments and industries are really debating this question of how to build a stronger, more sovereign, and productive nation to meet our nation’s generational challenges,” Hunter said. “But we feel like the role of PSE in these conversations has been really lacking.”

Panelists provide insight on report findings

According to CASA’s report, “Canada cannot build the strongest economy in the G7 without also cultivating the strongest training and research ecosystem in the G7.”

The data indicates that 89 per cent of those surveyed believe that investing in PSE is important for Canada’s economic stability and competitiveness in the global landscape. Additionally, 83 per cent believe that the federal government should invest more in PSE.

Oksana Kishchuk, Abacus Data vice-president (insights), noted that despite the barriers Canadians face to accessing PSE, “the benefits of [PSE] … far outweigh the costs,” with the majority of those surveyed recommending it for their children.

Future Skills Canada Executive Director Noel Baldwin mentioned that with Canada’s labour force in flux, “the post-secondary system is at a bit of a crucial moment to figure out how it will reshape itself [and] how it will contribute to some of the objectives that government has set.”

Baldwin also emphasized the need to develop comprehensive policy dialogue at both provincial and federal levels as it relates to PSE.

Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, mentioned that there’s a disconnect between these survey results and policy. According to Usher, PSE is not a key priority for Canadian political parties.

“I don’t think there’s a single Canadian political party that actually cares about knowledge as an ingredient in future economic success,” Usher said.