Here is a look at the issues facing education in Ontario

1. ISSUES FACING
EDUCATION – ONTARIO –
MARCH 2019
BY: PAUL YOUNG, CPA,
CGA
DATE: MARCH 18 2019

2. PAUL YOUNG - BIO
• CPA, CGA
• Academia (PF1, FA4 and MS2)
• SME – Risk Management
• SME – Close, Consolidate and Reporting
• SME – Public Policy
• SME – Financial Solutions
• SME – Supply Chain Management
Contact information:
Paul_Young_CGA@Hotmail.com

3. SUMMARY
 Education across Canada have seen improvement in
graduation rates.
 NDP and Liberals continue to throw money at symptoms
which do not improve the effectiveness of delivery tax
dollars to the student education.
 Rural Ontario needs a new economic development
strategy
 Education is not being aligned in terms of the jobs today
as well as the future
 Too many students lack critical thinking, interpersonal
skills, time management and judgement
 Too many students have been treated as special when in
the fact the real world does not treat anyone special
 There are systemic issues with programs being offered at
the secondary level. There needs to be more emphasis on
financial planning, biology, IT, chemistry, writing and
physics.

4. AGENDA
 Ontario
 What is ARC
 Graduation Rates – High School
 Education Ranking / Canada
 Teacher compensation
 Drummond Report
 What is Skills GAP?
 Skills GAP and Productivity
 Government Training Programs
 Issues facing Skills Development and Training
 Hamilton, Ontario
 New Math
 ARC School Closing
 Special Needs
 Skills Gaps
 Other resources

5. ONTARIO AND EDUCATION
 Source – Stats Canada and Government of Ontario
• McGuinty increase teacher compensation when
he took office
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/1
0/31/dalton_mcguinty_regrets_how_teachers_un
ions_were_handled.html
• Students are not being pushed to areas where
there are more upside to jobs
• Student debt is a big issue in Ontario -
https://globalnews.ca/news/3755628/canadian-
student-loans-regrets/
• Wynne and McGuinty policies led to private
sector jobs and investment fleeing the province.
-
http://business.financialpost.com/news/econo
my/public-sector-crowding-out-private-job-
growth-hampering-employment-opportunities-
in-canada
• New tax policies will hurt start ups -
http://business.financialpost.com/personal-
finance/taxes/canadas-proposed-tax-changes-
are-casting-entrepreneurs-as-the-bad-guys-
and-thats-bad-news-for-the-economy

6. WHAT IS ARC?
Source - http://peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Ontario-school-closing-list-2017.pdf
orhttp://www.standard-freeholder.com/2017/06/29/ontario-hitting-pause-on-school-closures---media-
teleconference
Based on guidelines provided by the Ministry of education the various
school boards conduct review of enrolment as part of assessing whether a
school should be close or not.

7. GRADUATION RATES
Source - https://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-595-m/2011095/tbl/tbla.11-eng.htm http://www.the10and3.com/the-vast-disparity-in-canadas-high-school-graduation-rates-
00016/
• Many school systems have no fail system. The stats of graduation do not indicate the quality of grads
• Many students, especially in Ontario are struggling with the math and sciences. Jobs of today and the
future require knowledge in areas like math, biology, chemistry, physics, etc. -
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/8001901-eqao-students-fall-further-and-further-behind/
• There has been improvement in education - http://www.red-leaf.com/where-does-the-canadian-
education-system-rank-globally/
• Students are not being encourage to enter the trades - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/skilled-
trades-shortage-costing-windsor-essex-600m-every-year-says-report-1.4168822

8. EDUCATION
RANKINGS
Source -
https://www.conferenceboard.c
a/hcp/provincial/education.asp
x

9. TEACHING COMPENSATION
Source - http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-604-x/2016001/t/tbld2.1-eng.htm
• McGuinty increase teachers compensation
by 25% -
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012
/10/31/dalton_mcguinty_regrets_how_teach
ers_unions_were_handled.html
• Pension funding issues -
http://business.financialpost.com/personal-
finance/retirement/ontario-is-reportedly-
going-to-overhaul-its-pension-funding-
obligations-and-ease-rules
• Declining enrolment -
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/school
-enrolment-in-canada-a-snapshot
• School boards have struggle with costs, i.e.
hydro, wages, etc. -
https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/the-
next-ontario/ontarios-school-boards-are-a-
mess-we-made

10. NDP AND EDUCATION 1. We have declining enrolment as such schools need
to be reviewed for their operational efficiency!
https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/7419349-
niagara-school-closures-show-need-for-a-single-
school-system/
2. How are you going to create new jobs? Business has
been cutting back due to labor reforms including
minimum wage hikes -
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-
jobs-update-losses-minimum-wage-1.4528669
3. see no emphasis on skills trade, math, sciences
and/or sex education
4. Are you going to deal with teacher’s salaries?
http://business.financialpost.com/executive/careers
/teachers-should-earn-their-high-pay
5. ETFO endorsement -
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ndp-
elementary-school-teachers-ndp-endorsement-
1.4656696
6. New teachers cannot find jobs -
http://www.macleans.ca/work/jobs/two-thirds-of-
new-teachers-cant-find-full-time-work/
7. Teacher retirement -
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/
education/anatomy-of-an-ontario-teachers-
paycheque/article6015968/#c-image-0

11. EDUCATION CUTS / ONTARIO
 Teaching Cuts / Toronto - http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2015/03/02/perfect-storm-
means-painful-cuts-for-torontos-catholic-school-board.html
 Lack of oversight education - https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/ontarios-school-boards-are-a-mess-
we-made
 Niagara School Board Cuts - https://cupe.on.ca/niagara-catholic-district-school-boards-plans-cut-front-
line-school-board-workers-will-impact-services-says-cupe-1317/
 Belleville - http://www.intelligencer.ca/2017/06/24/teachers-union-upset-with-school-budget
 OSSTF - https://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/8605412-durham-school-board-chair-says-ontario-
s-education-funding-doesn-t-work-how-would-the-parties-fix-it-/

12. AVERAGE COST FOR SCHOOL /BLUEWATER SCHOOL BOARD
Source - http://www.bwdsb.on.ca/About_Us/home%20page
Bluewater District School
Board currently has
approximately 16,000
students in 39 elementary
schools and 9 secondary
schools. The board
employs about 3,000
permanent and casual
staff. There are 10 elected
trustees on the Board.
The 2017-18 budget continues the board’s
commitment to provide quality education
to its students
and meet the priorities of the strategic plan
through the following measures:
• Implementing investments outlined in
2017-18 labour agreements including
class size reductions, additional
staffing for special education,
programming and other system
Investments
• Responding to changes in funding
levels while ensuring student
achievement and wellbeing
• Addressing surplus school spaces
• Managing increased labour related
costs
• Focusing on efficiencies and
effectiveness in the stewardship of
financial resources
School Operations/Closing

13. JOB CUTS / TEACHING
Amanda, I would read the drummond report or AG report
or F/S. Drummond report was clear that costs were too
high. Wynne and McGuinty decided to up wages and perks
to teachers which led to issues with school board budgets!
https://london.ctvnews.ca/parents-upset-as-bluewater-
board-cuts-educational-assistants-1.2425318
https://www.toronto.com/news-story/5474356-public-
school-board-cuts-hundreds-of-teaching-jobs-to-balance-
budget/

14. DRUMMOND
REPORT
 https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/02/15/edu
cation_cuts_misguided_and_shocking_say_experts.html
 Could it be that @fordnation @LisaThompsonMPP
@VictorFedeli have dusted off the Drummond Report?
 ETFO - https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/future-of-full-day-
kindergarten-in-doubt-as-the-province-looks-at-what-
s-working-1.4274320
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/02/15/edu
cation_cuts_misguided_and_shocking_say_experts.html
The liberals never implemented much of anything from
the Drummond Report

15. DECLINING
ENROLMENT
 Many schools are suffering from declining enrollment
 Economic development opportunities in rural areas
have been impacted by bad government polices like
hydro rates, carbon taxation, regulations, etc. -
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2016/10/24/even
-greenest-of-grocers-burned-by-hydro-costs
 PC party would focus on delivering education as well as
creating the conditions that would foster economic
growth.
 NDP and Liberals lack a coherent strategy to address
rural related issues
 Public Safety Costs
 Declining student enrollment
 Economic development
 Aging rural population

16. BLOG – SKILLS
TRADE

 Source - https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/economic-advisers-push-ottawa-focus-
business-investment-job-re-skilling-205533/
 “The overarching goal of the influential Advisory Council on Economic Growth is to help Canadian
households add an extra $15,000 to their projected annual pre-tax incomes by 2030.
 In its third wave of recommendations, to be released later this week, the council says Canada urgently
needs another $15 billion in annual investments for adult skills development to help workers adjust to the
demands of the rapidly changing labour market.
 The group recommends the creation of an RRSP-type lifelong learning fund that enables workers to
accumulate tax-free savings, combined with contributions from employers and government, in order to
cover the cost of developing new skills midway through their working lives.
 Canada already has educational programs - https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/government-
policies-education-skills-development-canada-november-2017
 Canada needs to revamp its post secondary model to better align skills to jobs of today and tomorrow -
https://www.inc.com/business-insider/21-new-jobs-future-robots-automation.html
 Job Retraining programs -The federal government provides funding for post-secondary education via CST
Transfers – All job training programs should be reviewed to ensure money is achieving the outcomes
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/training.html
 Primary and secondary school programs need to be revamp to ensure students are pushed to jobs of the
future - https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/2017-career-management-outlook-on-jobs-canada-
and-united-states

17. HAMILTON, ONTARIO – SKILL
TRADES
• The body shop owner said it best “We
need skill labor”
• Wynne has failed the skill trades
• The guy also said it was a photo op
• This is how Wynne confronts the
issues in Hamilton by pushing her
Guarantee Income Program -
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ha
milton/wynne-announcement-
hamilton-1.4082476
• Private sector investment leaving
Ontario -
http://business.financialpost.com/o
pinion/another-multinational-
employer-is-fleeing-ontario-and-
the-wynne-government-doesnt-
seem-to-care
• Trades -
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ott
awa/ontario-budget-threat-
certified-tradespeople-1.3868990

18. OTHER RESOURCES
Skills Gap -
http://www.thewhig.com/20
16/04/05/job-skills-gap-
worsening-study-finds
Slow Economy -
http://www.slideshare.net/pa
ulyoungcga/gross-domestic-
product-gdp-canada-july-
2016
Wage Growth -
http://www.slideshare.net/pa
ulyoungcga/wages-and-
employment-canada-july-
2016
Housing Costs -
http://www.slideshare.net/pa
ulyoungcga/real-estate-
trends-and-analysis-for-
canada-august-2016
Youth Unemployment -
http://debatepost.com/2016
/09/14/canada-continues-
importing-unskilled-
immigrant-while-
unemployment-rate-climbs-
to-7/
Innovation -
https://www.slideshare.net/p
aulyoungcga/federal-
government-programs-to-
support-innovation-and-
business
Career
Management/Innovation -
http://www.slideshare.net/pa
ulyoungcga/2016-
employment-outlook-
canada
Government Spending -
http://www.slideshare.net/pa
ulyoungcga/government-
policies-healthcare-and-
education-canada

19. EMPLOYMENT
ISSUE
 Why? We have youth unemployment as well as the economy is sluggish in terms of
growth. Job creation is only 200K for 2016, but the bulk of new jobs are part-time.
http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/government-policies-broadcasting-canada-
commentary-and-analysis-november-2016?next_slideshow=1
 There are already issue with job settlement programs in terms of both funding and
openings. So, why would we bring in more new immigrants?
 FYI - https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2016/12/09/canada-must-learn-from-
mistakes-to-integrate-syrian-refugees-editorial.html or
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/a-milestone-looms-for-canadas-syrian-refugees-
month-13/
 FYI
 I guess Trudeau's legacy will be "high tax, lower quality of life, high youth unemployment,
low business investment and big government"
 Yazidis
 http://www.calgarysun.com/2017/02/21/trudeau-spending-28m-to-give-1200-refugees-
asylum-this-year?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=recommend-
button&utm_campaign=Trudeau+spending+%2428M+to+give+1%2C200+refugees+asyl
um+this+year
 Truth about the border rush
 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/02/24/what-the-
canadian-media-ignores-about-canadas-new-refugee-crisis/?utm_term=.4314b4bad80f

20. USA VS CANADA IMMIGRATION
Are the new immigrants going to have the skills to create
the new googles? Link: Videos -
http://video.lauraingraham.com/Ingraham-slams-
Labrador-on-immigration-So-youre-where-Cantor-is--
26275295?playlistId=15975

21. TEACHING YOUTH TO CODE
 http://techportfolio.net/2017/05/closing-canadas-tech-skills-gap-teach-youth-to-code/
220,000 workers needed: That’s how vast Canada’s tech skills gap could
be by 2020, according to Canadian government and industry experts.
If that gap isn’t closed, many tech companies will be forced to look for
opportunities outside the country, Waveform CEO Kirk Simpson
recently told CBC News.
“If we can find the talent somewhere else, we might open a second
location in the U.S. market or in a European market,” he said. “And those
jobs will not go to Canadians.”

22. FEDERAL BUDGET 2017-2018
 Source – Government of Canada
Issues
• Provinces have policies for apprenticeship that will required modification to support more applicants
• Universities would have to increase classroom space and equipment to support more enrollment in areas like
engineering, math, sciences, IT
• STDC already exist in terms of seed financing. The problem is more money for innovation is that many deals
require bare minimum of $5 to $10M so that would be like 60 deals a year
• There are already innovation funds that both companies and universities/college leverage
• Startup take time to move ideas from incubation to market. FYI – Canada had already been moving to
advance manufacturing, expert farming, clean technology, 3-D printing, Information technology.

23. BLOG – SKILLS
TRADE

 Source - https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/economic-advisers-
push-ottawa-focus-business-investment-job-re-skilling-205533/
 “The overarching goal of the influential Advisory Council on Economic Growth is to help
Canadian households add an extra $15,000 to their projected annual pre-tax incomes by
2030.
 In its third wave of recommendations, to be released later this week, the council says
Canada urgently needs another $15 billion in annual investments for adult skills
development to help workers adjust to the demands of the rapidly changing labour
market.
 The group recommends the creation of an RRSP-type lifelong learning fund that enables
workers to accumulate tax-free savings, combined with contributions from employers and
government, in order to cover the cost of developing new skills midway through their
working lives.
 Canada already has educational programs -
https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/government-policies-education-skills-
development-canada-november-2017
 Canada needs to revamp its post secondary model to better align skills to jobs of today
and tomorrow - https://www.inc.com/business-insider/21-new-jobs-future-robots-
automation.html
 Job Retraining programs -The federal government provides funding for post-secondary
education via CST Transfers – All job training programs should be reviewed to ensure
money is achieving the outcomes https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/training.html
 Primary and secondary school programs need to be revamp to ensure students are pushed
to jobs of the future - https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/2017-career-
management-outlook-on-jobs-canada-and-united-states

24. HAMILTON, ONTARIO – SKILL TRADES
• The body shop owner said it best “We
need skill labor”
• Wynne has failed the skill trades
• The guy also said it was a photo op
• This is how Wynne confronts the
issues in Hamilton by pushing her
Guarantee Income Program -
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil
ton/wynne-announcement-hamilton-
1.4082476

25. EMPLOYMENT / CANADA
 Source – Stats Canada
Ontario may have higher graduation rates which is a good thing! However, it is the quality of student that is the issue at
hand. Many students are told to go to University as such we have likely more university/college than the economy can
support.
Wynne and McGuinty’s policies drove out investment in areas likes goods producing. Goods producing jobs tend to pay 25-
30% more than service sector jobs!

26. NEW MATH
SCRAPPED
Source -
https://torontosun.com/news/l
ocal-news/levy-the-new-math-
must-focus-on-basics

27. ARC / SCHOOL CLOSINGS
Hey @osstf @ETFOeducators
You back the Liberals for years even though the education system was a disaster. @fordnation gets elected
as such has decided to dust of the drummond report! Libs also force school closings, right?
https://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/7292879-four-durham-schools-among-121-in-ontario-slated-
to-close-in-coming-years/ or https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/seven-schools-in-owen-sound-to-close-by-2017-
1.2867481

28. SPECIAL
NEEDS /
EDUCATION
SOURCE -
HTTP://WWW.DURHAMRADIO
NEWS.COM/ARCHIVES/117579

29. SKILL GAP RANKING
Source - https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/these-are-the-ten-best-countries-for-skill-and-education/ or
http://reports.weforum.org/global-human-capital-report-2017/
2015 Ranking 2017 Ranking
2015 Canada was ranked 4th when it
comes to managing of human capital

30. SKILL GAP AND PRODUCTIVITY
United States:
 Roughly 200 million adults in the U.S. today make up the "digital workforce," where productivity requires skills using a number of digital platforms.
 Amazingly, only one out of ten workers from this group rate themselves as proficient with the digital tools they use, according to video training
company Grovo.
 This skills gap costs the U.S economy a whopping $1.3 trillion every year, and comes at a time when productivity growth is already down over
historical periods. For example, the Wall Street Journal reports that the average U.S. worker's output has risen just 1.3 percent per year during the past
five years, well below the 2.3 percent figure during the 20 years leading up to the economic crisis.
 The infographic below from Grovo outlines the cost of the digital skills gap and which skills are essential for the 21st century workforce.
Canada
 Canadian businesses, particularly small and medium sized ones, are falling behind in adopting new technologies, mainly because they can’t find the
people they would need to implement the changes, the report says. And that could have negative consequences. “If Canada does not address the
talent and skills gap, it could cost the economy billions of dollars in lost productivity, tax revenues, and gross domestic product,” the report states.
 Out of 527,000 students who graduated in Canada in 2015, only 6 per cent — 29,000 — graduated from an IT field, the report found. Canada would
have to graduate around 43,000 IT students per year to keep up with job growth.
Source - http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/how-the-digital-skills-gap-is-crippling-productivity.html and http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/12/it-
jobs-skills-shortage-canada_n_9440872.html

31. EMPLOYMENT (CPC VS LPC)
Source –Stats Canada

32. TOP CAREERS / CANADA
Source - http://globalnews.ca/news/2944692/the-top-eight-careers-of-the-
future-in-canada/ or https://www.trade-schools.net/ca/articles/careers-in-
demand.asp
Risks
• Healthcare funding –
Provinces are
strapped for cash
• Education funding –
declining enrolment
• Residential/non-
residential
investment has been
sluggish
1. Registered Nurse
2. Truck Driver
3. College or Vocational Instructor
4. Business Management Consultant
5. Welder
6. Licensed Practical Nurse
7. Occupational or Physiotherapy Assistant
8. Software Engineer or Designer
9. Aerospace Engineer
10. Industrial Electrician
11. Aircraft Pilot
12. Pharmacist
13. Psychologist
14. Steamfitter or Pipefitter
15. Construction Estimator
16. Veterinary Technician or Assistant
17. Dispensing Optician

33. TOP CAREERS IN CANADA FOR 2019
Source - https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/careersandeducation/the-20-highest-paying-in-demand-jobs-in-canada-for-2019/ss-BBUoDW9?ocid=spartanntp
Ranking Career Salary
1 Register Nurse $38,500 to
$120,000
2 Software Engineer $48,000 to
$153,000
3 Account Manager $57,000 to
$101,000
4 University
Professor
$29,000 to
$215,000
5 Anesthesiologist $109,000 to
$580,000
6 CPA $42,000 to 103,000
7 Business Analyst $27,000 to
$134,000
8 Engineering
Project Manager
$58,000 to
$122,000
9 IT Project Manager $53,500 to
$170,000
10 Aerospace $49,000 to
$110,000
11 Sales Rep $31,700 to $74,000
Ranking Career Salary
13 Register Nurse $38,500 to
$120,000
14 Industrial
Electrician
$48,750 to $81,500
15 Welder $53,500 to $91,500
16 Airline Pilot $40,200 to
$150,000
17 Optician $38.500 to
$75,500
18 Pharmacist $44,600 to
$144,700
19 Recruiter $20,000 to
$214,000
20 Clinical
Psychologist
$64,500 to
$160,000
21 Construction
Estimator
$21,000 to
$152,000
22 Veterinarian $28,000 to
$175,000

34. OTHER RESOURCES
 Skills Gap - http://www.thewhig.com/2016/04/05/job-skills-gap-worsening-study-finds
 Slow Economy - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/gross-domestic-product-gdp-canada-july-2016
 Wage Growth - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/wages-and-employment-canada-july-2016
 Housing Costs - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/real-estate-trends-and-analysis-for-canada-
august-2016
 Youth Unemployment - http://debatepost.com/2016/09/14/canada-continues-importing-unskilled-
immigrant-while-unemployment-rate-climbs-to-7/
 Innovation - https://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/federal-government-programs-to-support-
innovation-and-business
 Career Management/Innovation - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/2016-employment-outlook-
canada
 Government Spending - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/government-policies-healthcare-and-
education-canada