Employers give college graduates high marks

A recent survey shows that 92.6% of employers are satisfied with Ontario college graduates.

Further details are contained in the news release below.

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Toronto - Ontario college graduates have once again received high marks from employers, with more than 90 per cent of surveyed employers expressing satisfaction with graduates hired within the past year.

"Employers are hiring college graduates because they have the skills and knowledge to succeed in the workplace," said Barbara Taylor, chair of the committee of presidents for Colleges Ontario.

"The data shows that colleges are providing the skills training and education that are vital to Ontario's future. Our graduates are making a huge contribution to the economy and will be even more essential in the years ahead."

The employer satisfaction rates are part of the annual KPI results released annually. The KPIs, which measure the success rates and satisfaction levels for students and graduates, are collected by an independent research firm for the colleges and for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

In recent years, the KPIs have found high approval ratings among students, graduates and employers, and that trend continued in this data, which was collected from March 2006 to February 2007. The provincial findings were:

- 92.6 per cent of employers were satisfied with the quality of the educational preparation of college graduates

- 90.1 per cent of college graduates found employment within six months of graduation

- 82 per cent of graduates were satisfied with the usefulness of their college education in achieving their goals after graduation

- 77.4 per cent of students were satisfied with the overall quality of services, programming and resources available to them.

Students did indicate that they wish to see improvements in the quality of programs and services available. Taylor said the colleges continue to work with the federal and provincial governments to address the ongoing need for improved funding for colleges.

Colleges Ontario is the voice of Ontario's 24 colleges of applied arts and technology. Ontario colleges serve about 200 communities throughout the province, delivering a wide range of career-focused education and training programs to more than 150,000 full-time and 350,000 part-time students.

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