Durham College (DC) announced today that a new economic-impact report by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) has found that students who enrol at the college will receive an excellent return on their post-secondary education investment.

“A DC education continues to be a terrific investment, particularly in this new economy,” said Don Lovisa, president, DC. “We are dedicated to providing our students with quality programs, expert faculty and a superior learning environment while ensuring our graduates have the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in their careers and/or their pursuit of further education.”

Titled Demonstrating the Value of Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology – Analysis of the Economic Impact and Return on Investment of Education, the report, which was released in May 2014, shows DC students will get a 15.9 per cent return on their investment (ROI) in addition to enjoying long-term earnings and other benefits. It also noted that the Ontario government gets a huge ROI return on its funding of colleges, with DC delivering a return of almost 4.9 per cent for every dollar the province invests in the college. “Ontario is facing one of its biggest challenges to date with the skills mismatch,” said Lovisa. “The report’s findings are important as Ontario looks for solutions to this and the daunting challenges of youth unemployment and underemployment.”

The report also found that Ontario college students develop the skills required for an increasingly globalized workplace and receive a stream of higher future wages that will continue to grow throughout their working lives.

“College programs are accessible to everyone in the community and deliver excellent returns to government and taxpayers,” added Lovisa. “In addition, for many DC students, a college certificate, graduate certificate, diploma or advanced diploma is only step one in their post-secondary career.  Many choose to complement their studies by leveraging their education with a university degree. Providing students with opportunities to earn additional credentials following graduation is just one way our dedication to the student experience extends beyond graduation.”

EMSI, which is world-renowned for its economic analyses of post-secondary education, conducted its assessment of DC from December 2013 to April 2014. Read more by clicking here.

“A college education is more important than ever to the local economy and helping people find long-term success,” said Lovisa.