CICan is a proud partner of the Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI), a national research organization based at the University of Ottawa that engages in research aimed at informing policy discussions focused on education, skills, and the labour market.
Led by Dr. Ross Finnie, the EPRI dispelled the so-called “barista myth” by showing that holding a post-secondary credential does in fact improve employment outcomes and earnings.
By using administrative data from 14 post-secondary institutions in four Canadian provinces and linking it to tax records provided by Statistics Canada, EPRI was able to track the earnings of graduates from 2005 through 2013. This resulted in a comprehensive portrait of their labor market outcomes and of the impact of a college, institute, or university degree.
Fast Facts
- The first year after graduation, college and institute graduates receive average annual earnings of $34,000
- This grows to $54,000 a year, eight years after graduation
- 90% of graduates receive earnings that are well above “barista level”