Publications

HEQCO conducts and commissions studies and evaluations, often in partnership with Ontario’s colleges and universities, on key issues in accessibility, quality and accountability. Various organizations and individuals have considerable and valuable expertise in postsecondary education research. The research publications below reflect this collaboration with some of the best thinkers on issues related to higher education. Join our mailing list and keep current with the latest HEQCO research.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At HEQCO, we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. To request HEQCO material in alternate formats, please contact info@heqco.ca​​.

@ Issue Paper No. 21 Apprenticeship in International Perspective Points of Contrast with Ontario

Federal governments are key players in apprenticeship systems around the globe Much of the public discussion surrounding changes to Ontario’s apprenticeship system has focused on what is happening in other systems around the world. A new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) examines seven countries’ apprenticeship systems and finds that while […]

@ Issue Paper No. 20 Apprenticeship in Ontario An Exploratory Analysis

Ontario apprenticeship registrations rising, but completion rates are a concern Since 2000, registrations for new apprenticeships have grown nearly every year, in Ontario and Canada. But a new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) finds that completion rates have not kept pace with registrations. Apprenticeship in Ontario: An Exploratory Analysis shows that while […]

Still Worth It After All These Years

In economically troubled times, university still produces employability and earnings advantage Unlike college, university education often seems to end up under the spotlight during economically troubled times – either as salve or Satan depending on who’s doing the talking. As the debate continues, a new report from the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQCO) examines postsecondary […]

Outcomes of Doctoral Program Graduates Pilot Test of a Strategy to Measure Outcomes Using Exit and Alumni Surveys

Pilot program attempts to collect meaningful outcomes data for graduate students As the number of graduate students in Ontario increases, so does the desire for reliable data about the experience of these students and their employment outcomes. A new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) examines a pilot program at Western […]

Outcomes based funding Current status promising practices and emerging trends

The evolution of outcomes-based funding: Institutional mission matters Outcomes-based funding – linking government funding to institutional performance based on identified outcomes – is relatively new to postsecondary systems that have long been accustomed to dollars driven by enrolment. But funding formulas are the most powerful government instruments available to steer system changes and the behaviour […]

The Great Skills Divide, Bridging the Divide

Pursuing an entry-level job? BYO work experience An entry-level job used to be synonymous with a first job, but that could be changing, according to a new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO).  A study of Canadian job ads found that employers posting entry-level positions expected applicants to have up to […]