GPRC President and CEO Robert Murray says he’s willing to work with the provincial government on its new post-secondary funding model. On Monday, the province announced that a portion of government funding being given to colleges and universities will be based on achieving key performance measures.
In an emailed statement, Murray says he, “welcomes the opportunity to work with the government to develop indicators for the college that will reflect the needs of the region and students.”
“The announcement provides GPRC’s leadership, faculty and students with the clarity needed to help meet the needs of both current and future students and local industry for years to come with increased certainty,” he adds.
Murray declined to comment further than what was released in the emailed statement and there have been no other details on what the key performance measures could be.
The amount of funding tied to performance outcomes will begin at 15 per cent of operational funding for 2020-21 and increase to a maximum of 40 per cent by 2022-23. Minister of Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides says this approach will help ensure students are set up for success by encouraging institutions to produce job-ready graduates.
“Students make a significant investment in their post-secondary education, and it is essential we do everything possible to give them a rewarding career at the end of their studies. By shifting the focus to performance, we will ensure taxpayer dollars are being used in the most responsible way possible.”
“GPRC students are in high demand in the local and provincial labour markets, and GPRC will focus on ensuring its programming and teaching continues to be tightly aligned to labour markets and their needs,” adds Murray.
The new funding model will go into effect on April 1, 2020.