British Columbia is providing enough vocational and technical training,
but not enough university education.
That’s the conclusion of a recent study by UBC Economics Prof.
Robert Allen on the demand and supply of post-secondary education
and training in B.C.
“There’s a strongly held view that we should continue to emphasize
vocational and technical training,” says Allen. “My findings show
this approach to be misguided.”
The study reveals that between 1992 and 1996 the B.C. economy required
about 35,000 university graduates annually, but B.C.’s universities
only produced 12,000. This means two-thirds of high quality and
well paying jobs went begging and were filled by people moving to
B.C. from other provinces, Allen says.
At the same time, the demand for another 35,000 people with trade,
technical, and vocational credentials was met by provincial supply.
“We don’t need to expand technical and vocational training any
further, but the university system is far too small,” Allen says.
According to the study, B.C. is last among all Canadian provinces
in the number of degrees awarded per resident aged 20-29, and has
the smallest university system, relative to its population, of any
province.
The right strategy, Allen says, is to increase spending on universities,
especially outside of the major urban centres.
While the demand for all kinds of labour in B.C. is slowing along
with the economy, Allen says historical trends suggest the slowdown
is temporary and should have no relevance for policy development
with regard to post-secondary education.
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