Colleges Ontario – Celebrating Legacy Stories
Ontario’s public colleges are a critical part of the province’s workforce and economic infrastructure, training skilled workers across key sectors like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, energy, mining, and skilled trades. Entering 2026, however, the sector was under significant financial pressure.
When federal policy changes on international students reduced international enrolment, institutions across the province were forced to make difficult decisions, including layoffs, program reductions, and campus closures. The issue was no longer limited to institutional finances; it had broader implications for regional access to education, workforce development, and Ontario’s ability to meet growing labour-market demand.
Colleges Ontario engaged StrategyCorp to develop and execute a provincial government relations strategy focused on securing a more sustainable funding model for the sector.
The strategy called for aligning the colleges’ case with the Government of Ontario’s economic priorities, including workforce development, skilled trades training, industrial growth, and economic resilience. Rather than framing the issue solely as a request for additional funding, the strategy positioned colleges as essential infrastructure supporting the province’s broader economic agenda.
StrategyCorp developed a coordinated advocacy and coalition building campaign, engaging with senior government officials and other key decision-makers. The approach also drew on evidence showing that colleges had already implemented significant operational reductions and that further cuts would affect program capacity, regional access, and the supply of skilled workers.
Employer support became an important part of the campaign. More than 300 letters were secured from organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, aviation, mining, energy, labour, and other sectors. These voices reinforced the direct connection between college training capacity and their immediate workforce needs, validating the core value proposition which was central to our campaign.
In February 2026, the Government of Ontario announced $6.4 billion in new funding, a generation investment supporting the long-term success and sustainability of the province’s post-secondary sector.
The investment provided colleges with greater financial stability and a stronger foundation for program delivery, workforce training, and long-term planning. It also recognized the role of public colleges in supporting Ontario’s economic priorities and addressing persistent labour shortages across key industries.