Montréal, August 30, 2013 – The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has presented its brief on CEGEP training. This document is further to the Board of Trade’s participation in consultations for policy projects on the future of higher education instituted by the Government of Québec.
“Greater Montréal is home to more than half of the province’s CEGEPs,” says Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “They play a vital role. They are a decisive step both for students who want to pursue university studies and for those who want to join the labour force earlier by acquiring technical expertise. Our city’s ability to tackle challenges related to productivity and demographics depends a great deal on their performance.”
“To be more competitive and better meet the needs of the labour market, CEGEPs must offer more coherent training that avoids overlaps between programs and spreading resources too thin, and that is more in line with evolving needs,” Michel Leblanc says. “This is why strong collaboration between CEGEPs and the business community is essential.”
“CEGEP training must also be seen as a strategic tool for better integrating immigrants to the labour force,” Mr. Leblanc says. “Integration is currently difficult, resulting in a loss of human capital for the city. The government needs to encourage a CEGEP training offer that rounds out the initial training provided to immigrants – particularly through attestation of college studies programs – to promote their integration to the labour force.”
“Finally, CEGEPs must have the autonomy they need to accomplish their mission and decide on the training they will offer,” Michel Leblanc says. “We need to strike a balance between control and agility. That means that the government has to provide stable, predictable and increasingly performance-based funding, while encouraging sound governance.”
Consult the Board of Trade’s brief on CEGEP training here.
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.
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Source :
Sylvie Paquette
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca
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