Ontario’s Postsecondary Graduates Find Employment in a Wide Range of Occupations

Author: Hagar Effah When applying to postsecondary education, students and parents can find themselves grappling with the weighty decision of selecting the right program. We often assume that this important decision will open the door to a singular occupation that will determine the future of our entire career. However, the reality is that most careers […]

Imagining New Possibilities for Campus Mental Health Support

Authors: Ken Chatoor, Elizabeth Agoe and Amy Kaufman Earlier this year, HEQCO published an evaluation of the mental health support system in Ontario’s postsecondary institutions (PSIs). Based on a series of interviews with institutional staff and community partners, as well as scans of services and strategies, we reported that PSIs are struggling in a variety […]

Unlocking the Potential of Ontario’s WIL Data Landscape

Author: Sophie Lanthier Work-integrated learning (WIL) and other forms of experiential learning (EL) offer several well-documented benefits for students, postsecondary institutions (PSIs) and employers. Students who learn in a workplace environment can apply classroom learning and develop employability skills. When WIL programs are aligned with industry needs, they address skills shortages and support postsecondary students’ […]

Thank you for joining us at Access Reboot!

Access Reboot: New Directions for Higher Education took place on Friday, November 3 in Toronto. The event brought together institutional staff, community partners, representatives from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and other postsecondary education (PSE) stakeholders to share best practices, develop ideas and challenge traditional approaches to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and accessibility in […]

Without Province-wide Data, School Boards Help Us Piece Together Pandemic Impacts on Student Pathways

HEQCO partnered with multiple Ontario school boards to understand how pandemic learning disruptions impacted postsecondary education (PSE) pathways. Our work with the TDSB revealed impacts on student pathways were not as negative as some feared. Our partnerships with three school boards in Central-Eastern Ontario reinforced this finding while providing insight into regional differences. These boards […]

The Access Reboot Conference Is Here. Join Us to Expand the Conversations About Access in Postsecondary Education.

On November 3, HEQCO’s ninth conference will bring together attendees from across the higher education sector to share best practices, develop ideas and challenge traditional approaches to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and accessibility in our postsecondary education system. Access Reboot: New Directions for Higher Education will take place at the Delta Hotel in Toronto. Register […]

Guiding Policy and Practice in International Education: Introducing the Consortium on International Education

The Consortium on International Education is a new HEQCO-funded research project involving five partner organizations. Each partner will conduct evidence-based research to inform policy and practice and address growing concerns related to the state of international education in Ontario. Over the next two years, the partners will investigate the quality, accountability and sustainability of international […]

Student Identity and Work-integrated Learning (WIL): Exploring Student Experiences of WIL by Demographic

HEQCO’s fall 2021 survey of students reveals that women, immigrants and students with disabilities are not experiencing the same levels of inclusive, high-quality WIL as others. These demographic groups report statistically significant higher rates of dissatisfaction, barriers to accessibility at different stages of their placement, harassment from colleagues and mental health challenges. Authors: Ken Chatoor […]

Ontario School Boards Require Clearer Guidance to Collect Student Census Data

Recent Ontario legislation requiring school boards to collect identity-based data is an important step toward greater equity. However, issues with implementation have meant results have been delayed, inconsistent or limited. To facilitate the collection of high quality and comparable data, government should provide clearer guidance and more complete data collection templates to school boards. Author: […]