Nice Work (If You Can Get It): University Student Employment and Labour Market Experience in Summer 2011

University students in technically oriented disciplines are benefitting the most from an improving student summer labour market, according to a new analysis of data from the CanEd Student Research Panel. The online survey of more than 2,800 students reveals that, generally speaking, students had an easier time finding work in 2011 than in 2010, with students in math, computer science, engineering and architecture seeing the largest improvement. Students in the visual and performing arts and in education were most likely to report having trouble finding work. Similarly, wages are highest in the hard sciences and lowest for students in the arts and humanities. Crucially, students in the technically oriented disciplines were much more likely than their peers to report that their job could only be done - or could best be done - by someone studying in their discipline. The finding that these students are both earning relatively high wages and gaining career-related work experience serves as an endorsement of the co-op model that bridges learning and work.

To download a PDF of the full report, please click here.

Other CanEd reports can be accessed from our publications page.

Students Prepare to Vote

As Canadians head to the polls on Monday, survey data compiled during the past year by Higher Education Strategy Associates' Canadian Education Project sheds light on the voting intentions and priorities of Canadian university students. According to a survey of 1,314 students conducted between April 21st and 27th, 2011, 27% of students who are very or somewhat likely to vote on May 2nd plan to vote for the New Democratic Party; 25% plan to vote for the Liberal Party, 16% plan to vote Conservative, 10% plan to vote Green and 21% remain undecided with the election just days away. Among the 1,314 respondents, 76% said they were very likely and another 10% said they were somewhat likely to vote.

Read The Canadian Education Project Intelligence Brief on the student vote here.

For other recent reports including the 2007, 2008, and 2009 budget commentaries please see our Publications page.