Provincial government releases 10-year strategy for post-secondary education

UCalgary supports the goals stated in the Alberta 2030 strategy, looks forward to learning more about implementation
Canadian flag on UCalgary campus

The Government of Alberta released the Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy on April 29, 2021. This strategy, which will guide the province’s approach to post-secondary education in the decade to come, is the result of a province-wide System Review which began in February 2020.

“The University of Calgary supports the goals stated in the Alberta 2030 strategy. Improving access and student experience, developing in-demand skills, and supporting innovation have long been among the stated objectives of our university,” said President Ed McCauley. “In the coming weeks, we will be working through the strategy and look forward to learning more from the Ministry of Advanced Education regarding its implementation.”

The six objectives of the Alberta 2030 strategy are to improve sustainability and affordability, strengthen system governance, improve access and student experience, develop skills for jobs, support innovation and commercialization, and strengthen internationalization. UCalgary made several recommendations during the consultation stage of the System Review that informed these outcomes and the accompanying flagship initiatives found in the strategy.

“We appreciate the Government of Alberta’s willingness to engage us and other institutions – and listen to our feedback – throughout the drafting process,” McCauley added.

As with any new strategy, there are also unknowns. The details around implementation will be important, and ongoing stakeholder input will be critical as we continue to provide high quality student experience, support world-class research and innovation, and remain accountable to the community, including our alumni.

“The University of Calgary student experience, as measured by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), is among the highest in the country. Post-graduation employment has long been an important metric for our university,” said McCauley. “We are the entrepreneurial university - and on a per capita basis create more spinoff companies than any other major Canadian university. We do this while having among the lowest administrative costs in the U15.”

We know that our alumni are passionate about the future of UCalgary, and we appreciate that many took the time to participate in online surveys and town halls held by the province during the System Review. We encourage our alumni and campus community to remain informed and engaged throughout the Alberta 2030 implementation process

You can read more about the strategy, including the full report, at: alberta.ca/alberta-2030-building-skills-for-jobs.aspx

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