Submission of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on the 2015 Federal Budget

Transcription

1 Submissin f the Canadian Assciatin fr Graduate Studies t the Huse f Cmmns Standing Cmmittee n Finance n the 2015 Federal Budget Summary The Canadian Assciatin fr Graduate Studies (CAGS) thanks the Huse f Cmmns Standing Cmmittee n Finance fr this pprtunity t express its views n the 2015 Federal Budget and plicies that will underpin it. Our membership is familiar with the current high-level debate abut the value f a university educatin, and in particular, the value f a graduate degree. Increasingly, graduate schl deans see themselves as part f an internatinal netwrk f leaders and administratrs. We are all directly affected by glbal trends, recruitment patterns, ambitins f develping cuntries and by the degree t which natins are investing in sphisticated pst-graduate prgrams. Ha Nearly 75 per cent f Canadian graduate students will enter the wrkfrce by filling demand fr highly skilled wrkers in the public and private sectrs, healthcare, and gvernment. Mnies that the Gvernment f Canada allcates t researchers and students thrugh the granting cuncils is a crucial investment in the develpment f prductive, mbile, highly emplyable pst graduates. Indicatrs suggest that the acquisitin f sft skills prvides an effective cmplement t ur cre business - prviding the academic knwledge and the up-t-date methdlgical and analytical skills required t prduce wrld class graduates. T that end, CAGS has invested in the Cnference Bard f Canada s Skills and Pst Secndary Educatin initiative. CAGS will wrk with the Cnference Bard t assess skills develpment and the PhD in Canada. CAGS recgnizes the investments that the Gvernment f Canada made in the February 2014 budget, an additinal $1.5 billin t advance the glbal research leadership f Canadian institutins thrugh the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. It is an investment that increases resurces t researchers in all disciplines. It will als help institutins maintain and develp the infrastructure required t undertake research. The investment in pst-secndary educatin, and particularly the investment in graduate educatin, reassures CAGS that the Gvernment f Canada recgnizes the value f higher educatin t the ecnmy f Canada. CAGS strngly supprts the visin expressed in the 2012 Chakma reprt t the Minister f Trade, that Canada: becme the 21st century leader in internatinal educatin in rder t attract tp talent and prepare ur citizens fr the glbal marketplace, thereby prviding key building blcks fr ur future prsperity and urges the federal gvernment t revisit the recmmendatins.

2 Submissin The Canadian Assciatin fr Graduate Studies (CAGS) thanks the Huse f Cmmns Standing Cmmittee n Finance fr this pprtunity t express its views n the 2015 Federal Budget and plicies that will underpin it. CAGS was funded in 1962 t prmte graduate educatin. It des s thrugh advcacy, infrmatin sharing, meetings and cnferences. The assciatin brings tgether 60 Canadian universities with graduate prgrams as well as ther institutins and rganizatin having an interest in graduate studies. Our membership is familiar with the current high-level debate abut the value f a university educatin, and in particular, the value f a graduate degree. This cnversatin is nt unique t Canada. Increasingly, graduate schl deans see themselves as part f an internatinal netwrk f leaders and administratrs. We are all directly affected by glbal trends, recruitment patterns, ambitins f develping cuntries and by the degree t which natins are investing in sphisticated pst-graduate prgrams. ub Acknwledgment f Budget 2014 CAGS recgnizes the investments that the Gvernment f Canada made in the February 2014 budget. These include the additinal $1.5 billin t advance the glbal research leadership f Canadian institutins thrugh the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. It is an investment that increases resurces t researchers in all disciplines. It will als help institutins maintain and develp the infrastructure required t undertake research. The investment in pstsecndary educatin, and particularly the investment in graduate educatin, reassures CAGS that the Gvernment f Canada recgnizes the value f higher educatin t the ecnmy f Canada. CAGS is pleased with the emphasis n internships and the leeway that allws SSHRC and MITACS t extend its Accelerate prgram beynd the STEM disciplines. The Ecnmic Actin Plan 2013 prvides $70 millin ver three years fr internships cmplementing Ecnmic Actin Plan 2012 s $35 millin ver five years t MITACS t supprt STEM-based internships. Lking twards Budget 2015 Graduate prgrams in Canadian universities generate highly qualified, highly effective individuals wh are prepared t participate in the Canadian ecnmy. Indeed, graduate educatin has a direct impact n all f the 2014 themes fr the pre-budget cnsultatin. The mst direct can be described in the fllwing 4 themes: Balancing the federal budget t ensure fiscal sustainability and ecnmic grwth The earning capacity f university graduates, in particular thse with graduate degrees (Master s and dctral), is nearly duble that f thse with lwer levels f educatin. Fr example, PhDs in health and management related ccupatins have

3 annual average earnings f ver $130,000. The level f incme tax paid by these wrkers fllws the same trend. Mnies that the Gvernment f Canada allcates t researchers and students thrugh the granting cuncils is a crucial investment in the develpment f prductive, mbile, highly emplyable pst graduates. As such, it is a strategic investment in Canada s future. These yung peple, Canadians and internatinal students wh in many cases becme landed are preparing t cntribute t the grwth f the ecnmy, their cmmunities, and Canada s innvatin agenda. Supprting families and helping vulnerable Canadians by fcusing n health, educatin and training New appraches t disease management, supprting aging and vulnerable ppulatins, scial chesin, and training, are just a few examples f innvatins being develped and tested by established researchers and graduate student trainees at universities acrss the cuntry. This wrk benefits all Canadians. Increasing the cmpetitiveness f Canadian businesses thrugh research, develpment, innvatin and cmmercializatin Knwledge, skill and visin are key t cmpetitiveness. Canadian business depends n the ingenuity f a brad range f peple and n a brad range f skills. Access t additinal funding fr research and develpment and a fcus n training in relatin t cmmercializatin and scial innvatin is crucial t advancing Canada s psitin in the wrld. Maximizing the number and types f jbs fr Canadians Nearly 75 per cent f Canadian graduate students will enter the wrkfrce by filling demand fr highly skilled wrkers in public and private sectrs, healthcare, and gvernment. The remaining 25% will fill psitins in the educatin sectr. It is imprtant t equip thse students with skills that leverage their independent thinking, creativity and analytical abilities s that they can thrive in ur current ecnmic, glbally fcused climate s they can thrive in a new fiscal and educatinal reality. The educatin f a grwing number f highly skilled Canadians - in the STEM disciplines and in the creative arts, scial sciences and humanities - helps meet the demands f increasingly cmplex public and private spheres, allwing Canada t cmpete in an expanding glbal ecnmy. A grwing number f PhDs seek emplyment utside f the academy. Many create their wn jbs - and emply thers in new and prfitable ventures.

4 Achieving Success CAGS brings tw areas that will help achieve the gals utlined in the Budget 2015 pririties t the Cmmittee s attentin. Skills develpment in pst-secndary educatin In the last few years we have seen a shift away frm graduate prgrams as direct rutes t academic psitins t a much wider set f pprtunities and pathways beynd the academy. Graduate prgrams acrss Canada have respnded t the need by incrprating prfessinal develpment pprtunities int graduate training. This kind f prfessinal training prvides students with the "sft skills that emplyers insist they require and prepares students t apply their advanced knwledge and skills in a brad spectrum f emplyment settings. Institutins are at the frefrnt f identifying and delivering the skills required by future leaders. The intrductin f innvative prgrams t assist students t develp these skills has been met with enthusiasm and a high degree f uptake. Indicatrs suggest that the acquisitin f sft skills prvides an effective cmplement t ur cre business - prviding the academic knwledge and the up-t-date methdlgical and analytical skills required t prduce wrld class graduates. Ding s will help Canada maintain its cmpetitiveness. CAGS has invested in the Cnference Bard f Canada s Skills and Pst-Secndary Educatin initiative. We will wrk with the Cnference Bard t assess skills develpment and the PhD in Canada. CAGS will use the result f this wrk t cntribute t a brader examinatin f the future f the PhD. Using SSHRC data, we will be explring what wrks best fr Canada by examining frm, functin and internatinal best practices. One f CAGS gals is t prvide an pprtunity t access infrmatin n skills prgrams and initiatives fr PhD and Masters students at institutins acrss Canada. A listing will be hused n the CAGS website that will be updated by members ver time. The sharing f infrmatin is meant t prvide best practice infrmatin in real time, thus encuraging cllabratin. CAGS als encurages excellence in this dmain thrugh its Educatinal Testing Services Award. This annual award recgnizes the best new prgram develped and instituted by a university. Skills develpment and/r the use f technlgy in delivering r assessing PhDs has been a strng theme fr three ut f the fur years f the award. Gd infrmatin is essential t develping and implementing a jb-ready graduate strategy and will help universities supprt the ecnmic gals f bth federal and prvincial gvernments. CAGS is pleased with the annuncement f increased funding f $14 millin fr the develpment f labur market data. Internatinal Students and Internatinal educatin Canadian universities need t recruit high quality researchers and graduate students t cntribute t Canadian scial and ecnmic success. CAGS strngly supprts the visin fr Canada expressed in the 2012 Chakma reprt t the Minister f Trade, that Canada: becme the 21st century leader in internatinal educatin in rder t attract tp talent and prepare ur citizens fr the glbal marketplace, thereby prviding key building blcks fr ur future prsperity.

5 Cmpetitin in glbal educatin has increased in the tw years since the gvernment received this reprt. CAGS urges the Gvernment f Canada t revisit the Chakma reprt and t adpt and invest in activities recmmended by the authrs. The reprt s key message is that acrssthe-sectr quality is the cre f Canada s brand. This shuld cmplement Canada s Internatinal Educatin strategy. Key recmmendatins include: - alignment f federal plicies related t immigratin, freign plicy, as well as trade and innvatin in rder t integrate with Canada s educatin internatinalizatin gals. CAGS requests that the necessary resurces be prvided t the visa system t ensure apprpriate and speedy management f these imprtant dcuments and t minimize cst and administrative barriers fr these highly sught after graduate students. - develpment f an internatinal mbility prgram fr Canadian students that includes graduate students. This culd include the expansin f the Canada Graduate Schlarships- Michael Smith Freign Study Supplements. This investment wuld permit the cuntry s best and brightest t take their place in the wrld t Canada s advantage and meet the grwing interest in reciprcity frm cuntries identified in Canada s Internatinal Educatin Strategy. - prvisin/allcatin f additinal awards and schlarships t internatinal students. Presently, Tri-Cuncil awards are restricted t dmestic students with the exceptin f Vanier schlarships. The paucity f schlarships available t freign students impedes Canada s ability t cmpete with schlarship prgrams prvided by cuntries like China and Brazil in additin t ur majr cmpetitrs fr tp graduate students and researchers (e.g. the United States, Australia and the United Kingdm). - encuragement f the Cuncil f Ministers f Educatin (CMEC) t wrk with stakehlders and apprpriate federal departments t establish clear guidelines n quality assurance and a quality-assurance framewrk. Quality assessment is a grwing cncern t thse interested in cming t Canada. CAGS believes that fllwing thrugh n these recmmendatins in a timely manner will enhance Canada s ability t engage as an internatinal educatinal frce.