ALMAGUIN — Area residents are more likely to go to college or be apprentices, but less likely to have a university, as compared to provincial and national averages.
New releases from the 2006 census also show more Generation X Almaguinites are seeking post-secondary education than older generations, but less are choosing formal apprenticeships.
The figures come from education information published last week as part of the ongoing releases from the 2006 census.
Census questions asked Canadians to report their highest level of education received.
Portrait of education in Almaguin’s workforce
One in five Almaguinites aged 25 to 64 reported having less than a high school education. That’s compared to the 14 per cent provincial average and 15 per cent national average.
Just under one-third of Almaguin residents say their highest level of education is a high school diploma, a bit higher than the provincial and national averages, where about a quarter of respondents reported the same.
However, more Almaguinites report formal apprenticeship training as their highest education. The rate here — 14 per cent — is higher than the nine per cent Ontario figure and the 12 per cent Canadian average.
More area residents also report a college diploma as their highest education: over a quarter of Almaguinites between age 25 and 64 as compared to about one-fifth of Ontarians and Canadians.
While the provincial and national numbers show about one-quarter of respondents report a university degree as their highest education, 12 per cent of Almaguinites said that was the case.
Younger Almaguinites more educated
Breaking down the statistics into generations show further trends, including a sharp decrease in high school drop-outs.
Twnty-two per cent of those in the 35 to 62 age bracket reported having less than a high school education, while only 12 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds did.
However, fewer younger generation Almaguinites reported apprenticeships as their highest education: 14 per cent of those aged 35 to 64 as compared to nine per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds.
Over a third of the younger generation report college as their highest education, as compared to under a quarter of those in the older generation.
Likewise, more 25 to 34-year-olds report finishing university. About 16 per cent of the younger generation reported university degrees as their highest education, as compared to 12 per cent of 35 to 64-year-olds.
All of these generational patterns in Almaguin reflect national trends.
What we study
Also comparable to provincial and national statistics are Almaguinites’ major fields of study in post-secondary education.
The top three field of study in Almaguin, Ontario and Canada were business, management and public administration; architecture, engineering and related fields; and health, parks and recreation and fitness.
These figures were calculated using 2006 community profiles, as available on Statistic Canada’s website.
You can visit the site and find figures for your own community at www.statcan.com.
Editorial
