A Council of Ontario Universities (COU) report showed a spike in the number of mature students returning to university to upgrade their skills.
The report, released Jan. 20, concluded there remains a strong demand for a university education in Ontario.
Its key findings showed that applications have increased overall, including more “gap year” students applying, who take a year off between high school and post-secondary education. High school applicants have also grown by 28 per cent since 2004.
The spike in mature students includes adults returning to university and people switching to university from college.
“The data shows that application levels for university are very strong,” COU president and CEO Bonnie Patterson said.
“Adults are turning to university to upgrade their skills and credentials to compete for jobs in this slowly recovering labour market.”
Patterson said employers seek to hire workers with communication skills. A survey by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives said people skills are the number one skill desired by employers.
“Business executives are the most interested in strong soft skills in new hires, which universities are known for cultivating,” she said.
Students are also returning to school to fulfill personal goals, according to Patterson. A survey by the Gandalf Group whose findings were released by COU showed that 94 per cent of students want the chance to change and grow personally in university.
Colleen Dunn, a mature student at Carleton University, said she returned to school at the age of 56 for the purposes of her own personal growth.
“I am not looking for a second career but I would like to use my opportunities as a student to give back to Carleton,” Dunn said. “Second only to the birth of my children, returning to school is the most amazing experience of my life.”
