Ontario needs 1M university grads over next decade to fill labour gaps

Ontario universities must expand enrollment dramatically to meet projected labour demand over the next decade, according to a new report from the Council of Ontario Universities.

More than one million university graduates will be needed to fill labour market gaps between 2026 and 2035, with the highest demand in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The analysis projects 200,000 workers needed in STEM disciplines alone, followed by health sciences with just under 150,000 positions.

"We will need a million university graduates over the next 10 years to meet the economic needs of our economy," said Steve Orsini, president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities. "If we don't start investing today, it will take several years for these students to graduate. So it's telling us now we need to expand enrollment in those programs."

The report, created by Milton-based Stokes Economics using Statistics Canada datasets and the government's National Occupational Classification system, reinforces provincial priorities. Earlier this year, the Ford government announced it would top off existing commitments to create 30,000 post-secondary seats by adding another 40,000 seats in high-demand programs, backed by $1.7 billion in funding.

Universities across Ontario report surging demand. Ontario Tech's registrar said STEM programs have seen a "surge" over five years and the university is launching new programs in artificial intelligence and aerospace engineering next year. McMaster's engineering dean noted applications jumped from 12,000 in 2022 to roughly 15,000 or 16,000 last year, but the program currently has only 1,200 seats.

The findings come as the province faces criticism over recent OSAP changes that cut the number of grants available to students, raising concerns fewer young people will pursue post-secondary education.