OTTAWA, April 17, 2019 – Student organizations across the country have released a joint publication on student employability titled Shared Perspectives: A Joint Publication on Preparing Students for the Workforce.
This publication features student perspectives on several issues in post-secondary education, including employability, skills development, and experiential learning opportunities. It includes contributions from the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC), the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), the College Student Alliance (CSA), the New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA), the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), Students Nova Scotia (StudentsNS), and the University of Prince Edward Island Student Union (UPEISU).
“One of the primary reasons that Canadians attend post-secondary is to improve their job prospects,” says Manjeet Birk, CASA’s Executive Director. “Combining traditional education with work-integrated learning opportunities, such as co-ops, apprenticeships, or internships, is one of the best ways to prepare students for the workforce.”
Shared Perspectives identifies challenges and opportunities encountered by post-secondary students on both a national and provincial level. It draws upon students’ experiences on campus and emphasizes how we must work together to provide post-secondary students with a strong foundation to succeed. Helping students succeed after graduation is an essential aspect of post-secondary education.
Our goal is for all students to have access to higher education and the ability to better their skill-set, regardless of financial position or background. The partners in this publication believe this joint report helps further the conversation on student employability, skills development, experiential learning opportunities, and how best to prepare students for the workforce.
Ms. Birk continues: “Government needs to play a role in making work-integrated learning opportunities available to 100% of students in this country. Furthermore, additional consideration needs to be given to assisting marginalized youth, including immigrants, racialized youth, Indigenous youth, and those with a disability, who continue to grapple with inferior access and elevated unemployment rates.”
Shared Perspectives: A Joint Publication on Preparing Students for the Workforce is a joint report from seven partners, representing over 570,000 students.
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About CASA:
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, national student organization composed of 23 student associations representing 280,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. With its partnership with the Quebec Student Union (QSU), CASA represents a total of 360,000 students across Canada and presents a national student voice to the federal government. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative, and of the highest quality.
Contact:
Lindsay Boyd, Communications and Public Relations Officer
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 613-236-3457
