OUSA has pushed for a number of years now to increase university participation for traditionally underrepresented groups – low-income students, students with disabilities, rural and northern students, aboriginal students, etc. Increasing graduation rates for these students has tremendous benefits, both social and economic.
With this in mind, I attended a roundtable yesterday on youth engagement and the need for a national youth strategy, hosted by Justin Trudeau. In attendance were two dozen charities, lobby organizations and youth counsellors. Discussion ranged from the need for stable funding for front-line support workers to early childhood education, to the need to set national targets for participation in post-secondary education.
OUSA and our partners across Canada are considering drafting a joint submission on the need for a national early outreach strategy. If Mr. Trudeau is successful in convincing the government of the need for a national youth strategy, it is imperative that increasing post-secondary participation is included.
We’ll keep you posted,
-Alexi White
