New research validates potential economic impact of City School

City School by Mohawk College is well positioned to help the local community achieve more inclusive and sustainable economic growth and to improve people’s standards of living, according to a report released today by Deloitte Canada.

First launched in 2015, City School is an initiative created out of Mohawk College’s belief in the importance of expanding access to postsecondary education. By teaching skills that are in demand, this initiative aims to ensure that graduates achieve good employment opportunities after completing their course. The report, “The Economic Impact of City School”, explored the economic contributions of City School as it relates to individual participants, businesses, and communities over the past five years and assessed the potential of City School to make a large-scale impact on the health and well-being of local residents and the businesses that serve and sustain them.

The primary findings of the study indicate:

• City School reduces barriers to post-secondary education by addressing material barriers (i.e., finances) and non-material barriers (i.e., experience, self-confidence).
• City School mitigates the skills gap challenges facing Hamilton-area businesses by partnering with employers and tailoring its training to meet industry needs.
• City School creates stronger, healthier and more resilient communities by breaking the cycle of under-education and unemployment/under-employment and by creating a positive multiplier effect in vulnerable populations.
• An expanded use of the City School training model could achieve more inclusive and sustainable economic growth, to the benefit of living standards for the greater community.

“City School was created in response to chronic challenges that our city has faced, especially in struggling neighbourhoods, and we are proud of our results. We are grateful for Deloitte Canada’s validation that City School has the potential to positively change lives and support the prosperity of our community. As the city works to recover after the drastic economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this report gives us even more confidence that City School can play a significant role in that effort.” - Mohawk College President Ron McKerlie.

“In order to reveal the true impact of the City School program, we looked beneath headline economic numbers, such as GDP, and explored the program’s impact on individual participants and businesses. Our main conclusion is that City School is a bridge to education and employment opportunities, generating a meaningful array of economic and social impacts, and ultimately helping to build a more prosperous country.” - Craig Alexander, Chief Economist at Deloitte Canada

This initiative is aligned with Deloitte’s global WorldClass ambition to support 50 million individuals for the future of work by 2030, by helping them to develop job skills, improve educational outcomes, and access opportunities to succeed in this new economy.

To review the full report:

https://issuu.com/mohawkcollege/docs/mohawk_college_-_economic_impact_of_city_school