Ontario’s college sector has launched its first-ever province-wide television advertising campaign today with ads aimed at parents’ biases about college and university.
The TV ads, part of a broad campaign that also includes newspaper and Internet ads, radio ads, transit shelter posters and more, focus on young people saying, “It’s all about M.E.” (with the ‘M.E.’ in varsity-style letters) as they discuss their education goals. The ads encourage parents and students to recognize that college education and training may be the best option for many young people seeking to fulfil their career aspirations.
“For many students, the internationally-recognized programs at Ontario’s publicly-funded colleges provide the education that will best prepare them for long-term success,” said Loyalist President Maureen Piercy.
“Studies indicate that most parents and students who are thinking about post-secondary education tend to focus on university – they aren’t necessarily aware of the full range of programs available at the colleges. We are encouraging them to talk about the careers available today and to choose the higher education option that makes the most sense. In many cases, that choice should be college.”
“This campaign provides a real sense of empowerment to young people who want to pursue their goals,” said Barry Avrich, the president of Endeavour, a Toronto-based advertising agency. “It will get parents and teens talking about higher education and exploring college as an option.”
More than 90 per cent of college graduates who enter the workforce get jobs within six months of graduation. At Loyalist, 92.3 per cent of 2006-07 grads were employed within six months. As Ontario strives to strengthen its competitive advantage by providing higher education to greater numbers of people, there will need to be greater awareness of the opportunities available at the colleges.
“This is a long-term effort to promote the post-secondary education opportunities available in Ontario,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “It will help greater numbers of people get the education and training they need to fulfil their potential.”
Ontario colleges serve about 200 communities throughout the province, delivering a wide range of career-focused education and training programs to more than 200,000 full-time and 250,000 part-time students.
To learn more about the campaign, visit www.myeducation.me.
Media Contact: Dianne Spencer, Loyalist College, Executive Director, College Advancement & External Relations, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2235