As final exams and the end of the school year approach, this is perhaps a good time to take a look at the educational profile of Québec. In March, Statistics Canada published a national profile of the evolution of the country’s educational situation between 2001 and 2006. On a national scale, Canadians between the ages of 25 and 64 are increasingly well educated. Over this period, the number of adults possessing a university degree increased by 24%, putting Canada in good standing among OECD countries. With 23% of the adult population possessing a university degree (Bachelor’s or higher), Canada ranks 6th among OECD countries, tied with Australia and Korea.

When we know that, according to the OECD, the increase in the average level of education contributes to an increase in the GDP per capita, this is good news. In this regard, the figures are unequivocal: over the last 10 years, the GDP per capita in Canada has been growing steadily — it went from $26,510 (in constant dollars) in 1996 to $33,503 in 2006, a leap of over 26%.

What is the story in Québec? At 21%, the proportion of adults possessing university degrees is slightly less than the national average. This result nevertheless remains an improvement over the 2001 figure. In fact, if we include other university diplomas (minors, majors, and other certificates), this proportion is brought up to 26.2%, while in 2001 it was at 21.6%. Also, the area in which the province stands out favourably is in professional training. In 2006, the proportion of adults possessing a trade school diploma was about 18%, which represents the highest percentage among Canadian provinces. Within the context of an anticipated shortage of specialized labour, this situation seems encouraging.

The province distinguishes itself in another respect: as many as 94% of adults who studied in Québec still lived here in 2006. This is the highest percentage when compared to other provinces, which tends to confirm the hypothesis of less inter-provincial mobility among Québec workers. That being said, this result may also have something to do with the vitality of Québec’s job market. Indeed, the level of unemployment has been falling steadily over the last 10 years, settling at only 6% in 2007. This means that graduates from Québec or abroad can find challenges worthy of their aspirations in the province. One thing is certain: this result confirms that investments in education in Québec are especially profitable, since 94% of the money invested in education “stays” here.

Another highlight of Statistics Canada’s study has to do with Montrealers’ education. More than 27% of adults possess a university degree. This is better than the Québec and Canadian averages, but the city’s rivals — Vancouver (31%) and Toronto (34%) — fare quite a bit better. In its 2005 edition of the Montréal Health Report, the Board of Trade placed a lot of hope on the fact that between 1990 and 2000, Montréal ranked third with regard to an increase in university graduates (+36.4%) among 12 North American CMAs, ahead of New York and Boston! But it was already lagging behind Toronto (+37.2%) and Vancouver (+42%), and the 2006 census shows that the gap has grown wider between Montréal and its metropolitan rivals. Which just goes to show that the fight for talent is more alive than ever for Montréal and Québec.