OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 27
advocacy in action
Kick-Starting the
Careers of the
Next Generation
of Engineers
O
n January 18, OSPE presented
recommendations to the Standing
Committee on Finance and Economic
Affairs to inform Ontario's 2018 Budget.
This marked the third consecutive
time OSPE has been invited by the
Government of Ontario to speak before
the Standing Committee - emphasizing
both the growing influence of OSPE
as an advocacy organization and the
importance of Ontario's engineering
community. This year, OSPE decided
to present our recommendations in
Kitchener-Waterloo, a community that
thrives on engineering innovation and
entrepreneurship.
OSPE's presentation focused on
the challenges engineering graduates
continue to face in getting their first
engineering job and the actions the
government should take to create more
engineering opportunities. Research
indicates that 33 per cent of engineering
degree-holders work in jobs that do
not require any form of post-secondary
degree - period.
It is OSPE's view that the
underemployment of engineering
graduates undermines the return on
public and individual multi-billiondollar investments in post-secondary
education. When these highly-skilled
individuals are unemployed or take on
positions that do not fully utilize their
engineering education, it means a zero
or diminished return on that education.
28
The VOICe
March 2018
we cannot let ontario's engineering talent go to waste.
OSPE wants to see these people building, innovating and doing; otherwise we
inevitably limit our economic growth across nearly all major sectors of our province.
The Government of Ontario needs to support our engineering talent by aiding their
transition into the workforce so that they can create wealth and jobs right here in our
communities.
engineering grads need someone to invest in them.
someone to give them a shot.
To do this, OSPE asked that Ontario's 2018 Budget expand the Career Ready Fund
and the Career Kickstart Strategy, to create targeted funding that supports engineering
employment. Investments in engineering create jobs, wealth and an impressive culture
of entrepreneurship - benefits that are widely enjoyed by all Ontarians.
For years, OSPE has applauded the government's vision for excellence in
post-secondary education. Ontario's universities and colleges offer world-class
engineering programs that produce incredibly talented graduates. The concerns and
recommendations communicated in OSPE's budget presentation, however, are rooted
in basic economics - namely, that increasing the supply of engineering graduates
without making adequate investments to enable and increase employment demand
has unintended consequences.
The challenge is that businesses are seeking job-ready applicants with several years
of experience to fill their engineering positions. For these engineering employers,
the time and investment required to train and onboard a new hire is expensive and
threatens to put them at a competitive disadvantage. The lynchpin here is to find a
way to reduce employers' costs while incentivizing industry to take on engineering
grads. That's where we believe the provincial government has a critical role to play - as
a connector and a facilitator.
By growing and sustaining the Career Ready Fund and Career Kickstart Strategy,
with targeted investments, Ontario will unlock the massive economic potential of
communities across Ontario and capitalize on our most powerful resource: our highlyskilled workforce.
OSPE brought this important message to decision-makers at Queen's Park - and we
anticipate that all three political parties will agree that investing in engineering isn't only
the right thing to do, it's also great for business. To this end, OSPE is relentlessly fighting
to create engineering jobs, attract investment and elevate the value of engineering;
advancing the overall interests of our members.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - March 2018
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - I
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover1
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover2
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 3
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - 4
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OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover3
OSPE - The Voice - March 2018 - Cover4
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