December 1, 2017

The latest from the 2016 Canadian Census states the Canadian workforce is more educated than ever before

According to Statistics Canada, the majority of Canadians nowadays have completed a post-secondary education of some sort. Data from the 2016 census shows that 54 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 25 to 64 have a post-secondary education, which has increased from 48.3 per cent in 2006. This is the highest level among industrialized nations.

The number of young women attaining a bachelor’s degree has grown significantly within the last decade, jumping nearly eight percentage points to 40.7 percent. In regards to men, the highest growth rate came from those with an apprenticeship certificate, which increased from 4.9 per cent to 7.8 per cent.

Young women are now more likely to have a doctorate, predominantly in the education, social sciences, health, arts and communication technology fields. However, men with doctorates in the fields of architecture, engineering, mathematics and information technology are still outnumbering women, according to census figures.

Graduates in nursing, engineering, education and information technology fields were more likely to work in their fields of study, while those with an arts, humanities, or social science degree were more likely to work in jobs which they were overqualified.

Additionally, the census also shows that a majority of new immigrants have at least a bachelor’s degree, while just under a third of refugees increase their education levels after arriving in Canada.

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