Section D:
Postsecondary education

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D1 Postsecondary enrolment
Registered apprentices [PDF version]
Colleges [PDF version]
Universities [PDF version]
D2 Postsecondary completions and graduation rates
Registered apprenticeship completions [PDF version]
Postsecondary completions: Colleges [PDF version]
Postsecondary completions: Universities [PDF version]
D3 University educators [PDF version]
D4 Research and development [PDF version]
D6 Educational attainment [PDF version]

D1 Postsecondary enrolment

Registered apprentices

Tables D.1.1 through D.1.3

Overall, Indicator D1 portrays postsecondary enrolment. This sub-indicator presents information on the number of registered apprentices in Canada, and in its provinces and territories (Table D.1.1), including breakdowns by sex and major trade group (Table D.1.2), and by age group (Table D.1.3).

Concepts and definitions

• Information on the number of registered apprentices is based on data provided by apprenticeship branches in the provinces and territories and includes all individuals registered in an apprenticeship program, whether or not they had been enrolled in any formal classroom training during the year. This information is collected through the Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS), which gathers information on individuals who receive training and those who obtain certification in a trade for which apprenticeship training is being offered; specifically, the number of registered apprentices taking in-class and on-the-job training in trades that have either Red Seal or non-Red Seal endorsement, and for which apprenticeship training is either compulsory or voluntary. The RAIS survey also compiles data on the number of provincial and interprovincial certificates granted to apprentices or trade qualifiers (challengers).¹
  
  Provincial and territorial governments co-ordinate apprenticeship programs in their jurisdiction. Most of the apprentice's training time is spent on the job working with experienced tradespersons, usually over a period of three to four years. A portion of the apprenticeship program is spent in formal classroom instruction prior to or during their apprenticeship period.

• The numbers of registered apprentices are presented for the following 22 major trade groups, by sex: automotive service; carpenters; early childhood educators and assistants; electricians²; electronics and instrumentation; exterior finishing; food service; hairstylists and estheticians; heavy duty equipment mechanics; heavy equipment and crane operators²; interior finishing; landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists; machinists; metal workers (other); millwrights; oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers; plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters; refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics; sheet metal workers; user support technicians; welders; and other³. These 22 major trade groups comprise a special grouping that was created using the National Occupation Classification (NOC).

• The numbers and percentages of registered apprentices are provided for the following seven age groups: under 20; 20 to 24; 25 to 29; 30 to 34; 35 to 39; 40 to 44; 45 and over; and for those whose age was unknown.

Methodology

• The Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS) survey is an annual census. Data are collected for all registered apprentices and trade qualifiers (challengers); no sampling is done. Response is mandatory and data are collected directly from respondents and extracted from administrative files. The information is requested in individual record format and each record represents a registered apprentice or trade qualifier (challenger). The reference period is the calendar year, and the collection period is February through September of the reference year.

  The RAIS collected aggregate data by trade programs from 1980 to 1990. It included information on the number of new registrations, total registrations, leavers, completions and certificates granted. In 1991, in response to requests for more information on individual apprentices, the survey began collecting additional information on sex and age and requested information in individual record format.

  In 2008, the RAIS underwent a major survey redesign, and a number of new data elements were added and requested from the jurisdictions. Some of the new data elements being requested relate to the number of technical and on-the-job hours completed by apprentices during their training.

• Beginning with the 2008 data, the RAIS used the National Occupation Classification (NOC) to create a special grouping of 22 major trade groups. All RAIS historical data have been revised to reflect these 22 groups.

Limitations

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, all counts are randomly rounded to a multiple of 3. As a result, when the data are summed or grouped, the total value may not match the sum of the individual values, since the total and subtotals are independently rounded. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

• The information on number and percentage distribution of registered apprentices that is presented by age group also includes an "age unknown" category, as age was not available for some records due to missing information.

Data source

• Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS), Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 3154 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3154&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2.)

Colleges

Tables D.1.4 and D.1.7

Overall, Indicator D1 portrays postsecondary enrolment. This sub-indicator presents information on student enrolment in colleges, by sex, registration status and program type (Table D.1.4.1 and Table D.1.4.2). These counts are presented for full- and part-time students. The percentage of female enrolment relative to total full-time college enrolment, by program type, is also examined (Table D.1.7.1 and Table D.1.7.2). Data are presented for Canada, and for the provinces and territories.

Concepts and definitions

• The information presented reflects college enrolment.⁴ Counts represent the number of students who were enrolled in an educational activity on October 31^st and thus present a snapshot of enrolments on that day.

  Colleges are created under the authority of either a province's Colleges Act or equivalent, or under a Society/Societies Act or equivalent, with education as a primary purpose. These institutions are created primarily to offer certificate, diploma, and transfer or continuing education and professional development programs requiring less than three years of full-time study. They are often circumscribed by government and often need to seek government approval to introduce new programs, especially degree programs. High school completion is generally required for admission.

  College refers to community colleges, CEGEPs (collège d'enseignement général et professionnel or college of general and vocational education in Quebec), technical institutes, hospital and regional schools of nursing, radiography, medical technology and health records, as well as establishments providing technological training in specialized fields.

• Registration status captures enrolment for full- and part-time students on the day of the snapshot. Since there is no commonly accepted definition for the registration status of full- and part-time students, it is defined by the reporting postsecondary institutions.

• Information is presented for the following program types offered at colleges:

• Total enrolment, all programs, for both part-time and full-time students, also includes the category "Other program levels," which is not presented in the tables. "Other program levels" includes "program levels not applicable" or "non-programs" (taking non-credit courses or taking courses without seeking a credential).

• College certificate or diploma and other programs at the college level includes college postsecondary programs; college post-diploma programs; collaborative degree programs; university transfer programs from a college or CEGEP (includes associate degrees); and college preliminary year courses.

• Undergraduate enrolment captures those programs leading to a bachelor's degree, an applied degree, a university preliminary year or pre-bachelor, or to an undergraduate-level certificate or diploma.

• Graduate portrays programs leading to a master's degree or other university graduate-level certificates or diplomas.

Methodology

• The data on college enrolments were extracted from the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to publish information on enrolments in and graduates of postsecondary education institutions in Canada. Implemented in 2000, PSIS replaced the following three surveys: the University Student Information System (USIS), the Community College Student Information System (CCSIS) and the Trade and Vocational Student Survey (TVOC).

  PSIS is a census with a cross-sectional design and a longitudinal follow-up. Data are collected for all units of the target population; no sampling is done. Up to and including 2007, the target population was Canadian public and private not-for-profit postsecondary institutions (universities, community colleges and trade and vocational training centres). As of 2008, the target population is postsecondary institutions that are publicly funded by provincial ministries of education or their equivalent. Each postsecondary institution (the "collection unit") provides Statistics Canada with data pertaining to its programs and students.

• The college data presented here exclude students enrolled in programs related to pre-employment, apprenticeship, basic training or skills upgrading, second language training, job readiness or orientation programs.

Limitations

• From year to year, more institutions are reporting data using the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) format. The institutions that report data using the PSIS format are asked to include students enrolled in non-programs, including non-credit activities, as well as undergraduate- and graduate-level enrolments. In general, this has resulted in institutions reporting a larger number of student enrolments. Starting in 2000/2001, enrolments from private non-subsidized institutions that were part of the PSIS survey were no longer included.

• These figures on college enrolment should not be compared with those published before PSIS was introduced in 2000. All PSIS data are subject to revision.

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, all counts are randomly rounded to a multiple of 3. Since the total and subtotals are independently rounded, the total values may not match the sum of the individual values. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

• The college enrolment figures for both sexes include enrolments for which sex was not reported; therefore, these figures may not match the totals obtained when the enrolments for males and females are added together.

• The denominator used to calculate the percentage of females relative to total full-time college enrolment excludes enrolments for which sex was not reported.

Data source

• Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 5017, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5017&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

Universities

Tables D.1.5 and D.1.6

Overall, Indicator D1 portrays postsecondary enrolment. This sub-indicator provides information on student enrolment in universities, by sex, registration status and program type (Table D.1.5). These counts are presented for full- and part-time students. The percentage of female enrolment relative to total full-time university enrolment, by program type, is also examined (Table D.1.6). Data are presented for Canada and the provinces (there are no universities in the territories).

Concepts and definitions

• The information presented reflects university enrolment.⁵ Counts represent the number of students who were enrolled in an educational activity on December 1^st (November 1st in Ontario) and thus present a snapshot of enrolments on that day.

  Universities are created under the authority of a province's University Act or equivalent, or under a Society/Societies Act or equivalent, with education as a primary purpose. These institutions are created primarily for the purposes of offering degree programs and to conduct research. They generally have complete authority to set their own academic standards and priorities. Within the institution, the supreme authority on all academic policy is generally a body on which faculty predominate.

• Registration status captures enrolment for full- and part-time students on the day of the snapshot. Since there is no commonly accepted definition for the registration status of full- and part-time students, it is defined by the reporting postsecondary institutions.

• Information is presented for the following program types offered at universities:
    
  • Total enrolment, all programs, for both full-time and part-time students, includes the following categories not presented in the tables: "trade/vocational and preparatory training certificate or diploma," "community college certificate or diploma or other community college level" and "other program levels." "Other program levels" includes "program levels not applicable" or "non-programs" (taking non-credit courses or taking courses without seeking a credential.
  • Undergraduate enrolment captures those programs leading to a bachelor's degree, a first professional degree, an applied degree, university preliminary year or pre-bachelor, undergraduate level certificate or diploma, license undergraduate and licentiate or testamur.
  • Graduate reflects enrolment in programs leading to a master's degree, an earned doctorate, post-doctoral program, master's qualifying year, university graduate level certificate or diploma, PhD qualifying year or probationary, internship (postgraduate medical education known as post-MD) and residency (medical, dental, veterinary).

Methodology

• The data on university enrolments were extracted from the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to publish information on enrolments in and graduates of postsecondary education institutions in Canada. Implemented in 2000, PSIS replaced the following three surveys: the University Student Information System (USIS), the Community College Student Information System (CCSIS) and the Trade and Vocational Student Survey (TVOC).

  PSIS is a census with a cross-sectional design and a longitudinal follow-up. Data are collected for all units of the target population; no sampling is done. Up to and including 2007, the target population was Canadian public and private not-for-profit postsecondary institutions (universities, community colleges and trade and vocational training centres). As of 2008, the target population is postsecondary institutions that are publicly funded by provincial ministries of education or their equivalent. Each postsecondary institution (the "collection unit") provides Statistics Canada with data pertaining to its programs and students.

Limitations

• From year to year, more institutions are reporting data using the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) format. The institutions that report data using the PSIS format are asked to include students enrolled in non-programs. In general, this has resulted in institutions reporting a larger number of student enrolments.

• These figures on university enrolment should not be compared with those published before PSIS was introduced in 2000. Enrolments counts for 2004/2005 through 2007/2008 have been revised, and all PSIS data are subject to revision.

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, all counts are randomly rounded to a multiple of 3. Since the total and subtotals are independently rounded, the total values may not match the sum of the individual values. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

• The university enrolment figures for both sexes include enrolments for which sex was not reported; therefore, these figures may not match the totals obtained when the enrolments for males and females are added together.

• The denominator used to calculate the percentage of females relative to total full-time university enrolment excludes enrolments for which sex was not reported.

• Since 2005/2006, enrolments for University of Regina have not been available.

• The following institutions, previously colleges, now have the status of universities and are included in the 2008/2009 counts for British Columbia: Capilano University, Vancouver Island University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and University of the Fraser Valley. The increase in enrolment for Canada in 2008/2009 was mainly due to the attribution of university status to these five colleges. Part of this increase in university enrolment was in "Trade/vocational and preparatory training certificate or diploma" and "Community college certificate or diploma or other community college level" programs.

Data source

• Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 5017, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5017&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2
  

D2 Postsecondary completions and graduation rates

Registered apprenticeship completions

Tables D.2.1 and D.2.2

Overall, Indicator D2 examines trends in postsecondary completions. This sub-indicator presents information on the number of individuals completing registered apprenticeship programs in Canada, and in its provinces and territories (Table D.2.1), including breakdowns by sex and major trade group (Table D.2.2).

Concepts and definitions

• The information on registered apprenticeship completions is based on data provided by apprenticeship branches in the provinces and territories and includes registered apprentices who have completed their program and received either an interprovincial or provincial certificate, as well as trade qualifiers (challengers)¹ who have received a Certificate of Qualification. This information is collected through the Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS), which gathers information on individuals who receive training and those who obtain certification in a trade for which apprenticeship training is being offered; specifically, the number of registered apprentices taking in-class and on-the-job training in trades that have either Red Seal or non-Red Seal endorsement, and for which apprenticeship training is either compulsory or voluntary. The RAIS survey also compiles data on the number of registered apprentices, which includes those still registered from the previous year (apprentices who have not yet completed and have not withdrawn from training) plus apprentices newly registered during the current year.

• The numbers of registered apprenticeship completions are presented for the following 22 major trade groups, by sex: automotive service; carpenters; early childhood educators and assistants; electricians²; electronics and instrumentation; exterior finishing; food service; hairstylists and estheticians; heavy duty equipment mechanics; heavy equipment and crane operators²; interior finishing; landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists; machinists; metal workers (other); millwrights; oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers; plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters; refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics; sheet metal workers; user support technicians; welders; and other³. These 22 major trade groups comprise a special grouping that was created using the National Occupation Classification (NOC).

Methodology

• The Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS) survey is an annual census. Data are collected for all registered apprentices and trade qualifiers (challengers); no sampling is done. Response is mandatory and data are collected directly from respondents and extracted from administrative files. The information is requested in individual record format and each record represents a registered apprentice or trade qualifier (challenger). The reference period is the calendar year, and the collection period is February through September of the reference year.
  
  The RAIS collected aggregate data by trade programs from 1980 to 1990. It included information on the number of new registrations, total registrations, leavers, completions and certificates granted. In 1991, in response to requests for more information on individual apprentices, the survey began collecting additional information on sex and age and requested information in individual record format.
  
  In 2008, the RAIS underwent a major survey redesign, and a number of new data elements were added and requested from the jurisdictions. Some of the new data elements being requested relate to the number of technical and on-the-job hours completed by apprentices during their training.

• Beginning with the 2008 data, the RAIS used the National Occupation Classification (NOC) to create a special grouping of 22 major trade groups. All RAIS historical data have been revised to reflect these 22 groups.

Limitations

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, all counts are randomly rounded to a multiple of 3. As a result, when the data are summed or grouped, the total value may not match the sum of the individual values, since the total and subtotals are independently rounded. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

Data source

• Registered Apprenticeship Information System (RAIS), Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 3154 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3154&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2.)

Colleges

Tables D.2.5 and D.2.9

Overall, Indicator D2 examines trends in postsecondary completions. This sub-indicator provides information on the number of certificates, diplomas and degrees granted by colleges, by sex of graduate and program type (Table D.2.5) and by sex of graduate and field of study (Table D.2.9). Data are presented for Canada, and for the provinces and territories, by academic year.

Concepts and definitions

• The information presented examines trends in postsecondary completions for colleges; that is, the number of certificates, diplomas and degrees granted by colleges.⁶ All counts reflect the academic year as defined by the college, which generally begins on the first day after the end of the winter semester.
• Colleges are created under the authority of either a province's Colleges Act or equivalent, or under a Society/Societies Act or equivalent, with education as a primary purpose. These institutions are created primarily to offer certificate, diploma, and transfer or continuing education and professional development programs requiring less than three years of full-time study. They are often circumscribed by government and often need to seek government approval to introduce new programs, especially degree programs. High school completion is generally required for admission.
• College refers to community colleges, CEGEPs (collège d'enseignement général et professionnel or college of general and vocational education in Quebec), technical institutes, hospital and regional schools of nursing, radiography, medical technology and health records, as well as establishments providing technological training in specialized fields. Programs related to pre-employment, apprenticeship, basic training or skills upgrading, second language training, job readiness or orientation programs are not included in these college completion counts.
• Information is presented for the following program types offered at colleges:
  • College certificate or diploma and other credential at the college level includes: college postsecondary programs; college post-diploma programs; collaborative degree programs; university transfer programs from a college or CEGEP (includes associate degree); and college preliminary year courses.
  • Undergraduate refers to programs leading to a bachelor's degree, an applied degree, a university preliminary year or pre-bachelor, or to an undergraduate-level certificate or diploma.
  • Graduate portrays programs leading to a master's degree or other university graduate-level certificates or diplomas.
• The field of study data are presented according to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the official classification used at Statistics Canada. The number of certificates, diplomas and degrees granted by colleges are presented for the following fields of study: agriculture, natural resources and conservation; architecture, engineering and related technologies; business, management and public administration; education; health, parks, recreation and fitness; humanities; mathematics, computer and information sciences; other; personal, protective and transportation services; personal improvement and leisure; physical and life sciences, and technologies; social and behavioural sciences and law; and visual and performing arts, and communications technologies.

Methodology

• The data on the number of certificates, diplomas and degrees granted by colleges were extracted from the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to publish information on enrolments in and graduates of postsecondary education institutions in Canada. Implemented in 2000, PSIS replaced the following three surveys: the University Student Information System (USIS), the Community College Student Information System (CCSIS) and the Trade and Vocational Student Survey (TVOC).

• PSIS is a census with a cross-sectional design and a longitudinal follow-up. Data are collected for all units of the target population; no sampling is done. Up to and including 2007, the target population was Canadian public and private not-for-profit postsecondary institutions (universities, community colleges and trade and vocational training centres). As of 2008, the target population is postsecondary institutions that are publicly funded by provincial ministries of education or their equivalent. Each postsecondary institution (the "collection unit") provides Statistics Canada with data pertaining to its programs and students.

• The college data presented here exclude completions from programs related to pre-employment, apprenticeship, basic training or skills upgrading, second language training, job readiness or orientation.

Limitations

• From year to year, more institutions are reporting data using the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) format. The institutions that report data using the PSIS format are asked to include undergraduate and graduate completions from colleges. In general, this has resulted in institutions reporting a larger number of completions. Starting in 1999/2000, completions from private non-subsidized institutions that were part of the survey were no longer included.

• These figures on college completions should not be compared with those published before PSIS was introduced in 2000. All PSIS data are subject to revision.

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, all counts are randomly rounded to a multiple of 3. Since the total and subtotals are independently rounded, the total values may not match the sum of the individual values. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

• The college completion figures for both sexes include individuals for whom sex was not reported; therefore, these figures may not match the totals obtained when the completions for males and females are added together.

Data source

• Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 5017, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5017&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

Universities

Tables D.2.3 and D.2.8

Overall, Indicator D2 examines trends in postsecondary completions. This sub-indicator provides information on the number of degrees, diplomas and certificates granted by universities, by sex of graduate and program type (Table D.2.3) and by sex of graduate and field of study (Table D.2.8). Data are presented for Canada and the provinces (there are no universities in the territories), and by calendar year.

Concepts and definitions

• The information presented examines trends in postsecondary completions for universities; that is, the number of degrees, diplomas and certificates granted by universities.⁷ All counts reflect the number of graduates in the calendar year.

  Universities are created under the authority of a province's University Act or equivalent, or under a Society/Societies Act or equivalent, with education as a primary purpose. These institutions are created primarily for the purposes of offering degree programs and to conduct research. They generally have complete authority to set their own academic standards and priorities. Within the institution, the supreme authority on all academic policy is generally a body on which faculty predominate.

• Information is presented for the following program types offered at universities:

  • Undergraduate refers to completions from programs leading to a bachelor's degree, a first professional degree, an applied degree, university preliminary year or pre-bachelor, undergraduate level certificate or diploma, license undergraduate and licentiate or testamur. It also captures "other undergraduate" programs; that is, university preliminary year or pre-bachelor, undergraduate certificate or diploma, license undergraduate and licentiate or testamur.

  • Graduate portrays programs leading to a master's degree or an earned doctorate, as well as "other graduate," which includes master's qualifying year, university graduate certificate or diploma, PhD qualifying year or probationary, internship (postgraduate medical education known as post-MD) and residency (medical, dental, veterinary).

  • The information for college programs outlines completion with a college certificate or diploma, or from other college-level programs (college post-diploma programs and collaborative degree programs) granted by universities.

  • Trade/Vocational covers trade/vocational and preparatory training certificates or diplomas granted by universities.

• The field of study data are presented according to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the official classification used at Statistics Canada. The number of certificates, diplomas and degrees granted by colleges are presented for the following fields of study: agriculture, natural resources and conservation; architecture, engineering and related technologies; business, management and public administration; education; health, parks, recreation and fitness; humanities; mathematics, computer and information sciences; other; personal, protective and transportation services; personal improvement and leisure; physical and life sciences, and technologies; social and behavioural sciences and law; and visual and performing arts, and communications technologies.

Methodology

• The data on the number of degrees, diplomas and certificates granted by universities were extracted from the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), a national survey that enables Statistics Canada to publish information on enrolments in and graduates of postsecondary education institutions in Canada. Implemented in 2000, PSIS replaced the following three surveys: the University Student Information System (USIS), the Community College Student Information System (CCSIS) and the Trade and Vocational Student Survey (TVOC).

• PSIS is a census with a cross-sectional design and a longitudinal follow-up. Data are collected for all units of the target population; no sampling is done. Up to and including 2007, the target population was Canadian public and private not-for-profit postsecondary institutions (universities, community colleges and trade and vocational training centres). As of 2008, the target population is postsecondary institutions that are publicly funded by provincial ministries of education or their equivalent. Each postsecondary institution (the "collection unit") provides Statistics Canada with data pertaining to its programs and students.

Limitations

• These figures on university completions should not be compared with those published before PSIS was introduced in 2000. All PSIS data are subject to revision.

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, all counts are randomly rounded to a multiple of 3. Since the total and subtotals are independently rounded, the total values may not match the sum of the individual values. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

• The university completion figures for both sexes include individuals for whom sex was not reported; therefore, these figures may not match the totals obtained when the completions for males and females are added together.

• Since 2005, degrees, diplomas and certificates granted by the University of Regina have not been available.

• For Quebec institutions, degrees, diplomas and certificates granted do not include micro programs and attestations.

• The following institutions, previously colleges, now have the status of universities and are included in the 2008 completion counts for British Columbia: Capilano University, Vancouver Island University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and University of the Fraser Valley. The increase in credentials awarded in 2008 in Canada is entirely due to the attribution of university status to these five colleges. Also, the majority of college and trade/vocational certificates and diplomas were awarded by these five former colleges.

• Due to the revision of the institutions included in the PSIS survey, the following were not included in the 2008 data: in Ontario, Institut de pastorale des Dominicains, Tyndale University College and Seminary, Redeemer University College, Royal Military College of Canada; in Alberta, Newman Theological College; in British Columbia, Vancouver School of Theology, Trinity Western University, and Seminary of Christ the King.

Data source

• Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS), Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 5017, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5017&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

D3 University educators

Tables D.3.1 through D.3.4

Indicator D3 presents information on university educators in Canada and the provinces. It outlines the number of full-time university educators, providing breakdowns by academic rank and by sex (Table D.3.1). The male–female distribution of educators, by age, is also examined (Table D.3.2), as well as the age distribution of educators compared with that of the overall labour force (Table D.3.3). Average salaries, by academic rank and by sex, are also presented (Table D.3.4).

Concepts and definitions

• Full-time university educators refers to all full-time teaching staff employed in universities in Canada.

  Full-time includes:

  • staff appointed on a full-time basis whose term of appointment is not less than 12 months (including any staff member on leave);

  • new appointees hired on a full-time basis (i.e., whose term of contract is greater than 12 months) and who are at the institution for less than 12 months in the first year; and

  • staff who were appointed to teach 12 months or more and at a later date entered into a formal agreement with the institution to work on a reduced load basis. This situation usually arises with staff members who are approaching retirement.

  Teaching staff refers to:

  • all teachers within faculties, whether or not they hold an academic rank;

  • academic staff in teaching hospitals;

  • visiting academic staff in faculties; and

  • research staff who have an academic rank and a salary scale similar to teaching staff.

  In Table D.3.4, the definition of full-time university staff  is similar to that used in Tables D.3.1, D.3.2 and D.3.3, but excludes staff who are on unpaid leave, all religious and military personnel or similar staff paid according to salary scales lower than those applying to regular/lay staff, and staff having a salary of zero or unreported.

• The following academic ranks are used:

  • full professors, referring to the most senior rank;

  • associate professors, the mid-level rank (requirements vary considerably between institutions and departments);

  • assistant professors, the entry-level rank; and

  • other, which refers to lecturers, instructors and other teaching staff.

• Gender gap is defined as the average salary of female university educators as a percentage of the average of males.

Methodology

• The information on full-time university educators is from the University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS), which conducts an annual survey that collects national comparable information on the number and socio-economic characteristics of full-time teaching staff at Canadian degree granting institutions (universities and colleges). The information is collected for each individual staff member employed by the institution as of October 1^st of the academic year, presenting a snapshot as of that date.

• The percentage distribution of university educators by age and median age is based on educators for whom age is known.

• Salaries and salary scales of full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities are based on the annual rate of salary plus stipends. The data are in current dollars. The Consumer Price Index should be used to convert the data to constant dollar amounts for comparison over time. For the index and further details on converting, please see Table F.1.3 in the "Reference statistics" section.

• The Labour Force Survey data used to compare the age distribution of the overall full-time employed labour force with that of full-time university teaching staff are based on a monthly average from September to April.

Limitations

• To ensure the confidentiality of responses, a random rounding process is applied to the data. As a result, when these data are summed or grouped, the total values may not match the sum of the individual values, since the total and subtotals are independently rounded. Similarly, percentage distributions, which are calculated on rounded data, may not necessarily add up to 100%.

Data sources

• University and College Academic Staff Survey, Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada website, survey 3101, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3101&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

• Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada website, survey 3701, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3701&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

D4 Research and development

Tables D.4.1 through D.4.5

Indicator D4 presents information on research and development (R&D), focusing on the R&D performed by the higher education sector. The context for R&D activities carried out in the higher education sector is provided by examining total domestic expenditures on R&D as a percentage of GDP from an international and national perspective (Table D.4.1 and Table D.4.2). Expenditures on R&D by performing sector are outlined (Table D.4.3 and Table D.4.4), as are sources of funding for R&D expenditures in the higher education sector (Table D.4.5).

Concepts and definitions

• The R&D data presented in this indicator are assembled based on guidelines presented in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD's) Frascati Manual.⁸ These guidelines indicate that research and development (R&D) is considered to be any creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of scientific and technical knowledge and to use this knowledge in new applications. The central characteristic of R&D is an appreciable element of novelty and of uncertainty. New knowledge, products or processes are sought. The work is normally performed by, or under the supervision of, persons with postgraduate degrees in the natural sciences or engineering. An R&D project generally has three characteristics: a substantial element of uncertainty, novelty and innovation; a well-defined project design; and a report on the procedures and results of the projects.

• Total domestic expenditures on R&D (Table D.4.1 through D.4.3) represent the total value of domestic expenditures on R&D of all organizations in the performing sectors (categorized as government, business enterprise, higher education, and private non-profit organizations). It includes R&D performed within a country and funded from abroad, but excludes payments for R&D performed abroad.

  The definition of total domestic expenditures on R&D in a provincial/territorial context is similar to that provided above. The expenditures are assigned to the province or territory in which the performing establishment is located. Personnel may live in an adjoining province or territory (e.g., the National Capital Region) and materials and equipment may come from another province or territory or country; these factors must be taken into consideration when using this statistic as a provincial/territorial indicator of R&D activity.

• R&D performing sectors are categorized as follows: 
  
  Federal government, which includes departments and agencies of this government.
  
  Provincial governments, which include departments and agencies of provincial and municipal governments in Canada, as well as provincial research organizations.
  
  Business enterprise is composed of business and public enterprises, including public utilities and government-owned firms (e.g., Canadian National Railways and Ontario Hydro).
  
  Higher education, in reference to the pan-Canadian R&D statistics, covers universities and affiliated institutions such as research hospitals, research institutes, experimental stations, and clinics under the direct control of or administered by higher education establishments. Although OECD guidelines request that R&D in the entire postsecondary sector be reported, data for Canada are limited to R&D activities in universities and affiliated institutions as data on R&D in colleges and similar institutions are not currently collected at Statistics Canada.

  Private non-profit comprises charitable foundations, voluntary health organizations, scientific and professional societies, and other organizations not established to earn profits.

• Sources of funds for R&D in the higher education sector are categorized as follows:
  
  

  Federal government, through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada Research Chairs, and other federal departments and agencies.

  Provincial governments, including municipal governments.

  Business enterprises, including donations, bequests and contracts from individuals and businesses;

  Private non-profit organizations, including donations, bequests, and contracts from foundations and not-for-profit organizations.

  Foreign sources, which are funding entities located abroad.

  Higher education sector, which funds its own R&D using two revenue streams:

  General funds: These represent government transfers (or block grants) to higher education institutions that are used to support R&D activity. Although these funds essentially represent indirect government spending on R&D, for the purposes of pan-Canadian statistics, they are allocated to higher education funding due to the difficulty of categorizing these funds as provincial or federal.

  Own revenue sources: This refers to self-generated revenue of higher education institutions from sources such as tuition fees, investment income, revenue from sales of services and products by the institution, and license and patent incomes.

Methodology

• Total domestic expenditures on R&D in Canada are estimated annually by Statistics Canada, by type of sector, source of funds, and science type using a series of surveys supplemented by modeling.⁹ Beginning in 2007, expenditures for R&D performed by the federal government in the National Capital Region were included with the respective Ontario and Quebec totals. This revision has been made historically to 1988. Previously, federal government R&D expenditures in the National Capital Region were only included in the Canada total.

• Beginning with the 2009 reference year, R&D expenditures by provincial governments are not estimated for provinces that do not participate in Statistics Canada's survey of provincial scientific activities. Survey-based expenditures for the 2009 reference year are available for Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. The increases in R&D expenditures by the provincial category in Saskatchewan in 2009 reflect data collection whereas in previous years, figures were estimated.

• The expenditures for R&D performed by the higher education sector (Table D.4.4) are derived from an estimation model, which uses the following components:

  a) direct sponsored research;
  b) direct non-sponsored research (the time spent on R&D when it is undertaken as part of the teaching function, taking into account the portion of faculty time spent on this type of R&D and faculty salaries)
  c) indirect costs of sponsored and non-sponsored research;
  d) direct and indirect cost of R&D performed by affiliated hospitals not included elsewhere in the main data source.

• The main source of data for the above estimation model is the annual Financial Information of Universities and Colleges survey, conducted in conjunction with the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO)¹⁰;

• For the 2009 reference year, key data for sponsored research for Quebec were not available at the time of the R&D data release by Statistics Canada. Therefore, data for Quebec were estimated and will be updated in the next publication.

• Sources of funds for expenditures on research and development in the higher education sector are derived from an estimation model. The data used in the model are obtained from the Financial Information of Universities and Colleges survey. These data on sources of funds for R&D conducted require two main refinements before they can be used: reconciliation of sector definitions and discrepancies between expenditure and income data.

• The data on R&D in the higher education sector are based on a revised estimation procedure first used for the 1998/1999 estimates. Since then, some improvements to the inputs to this estimation procedure have been made and have been reflected in historical revisions to the data.

• During the 2001/2002 estimation procedure, the one-time grant to universities awarded by the federal government to assist in indirect costs associated with research activities taking place at universities was included in the expenditures on R&D by the university sector. The estimation system had to be modified to ensure those costs were sourced to the federal government and not double-counted. In 2003/2004, the indirect costs grant for R&D in universities became an annual payment. The estimation system ensures these payments are not counted twice.

• Table D.4.1 compares Canada with other OECD member countries. To facilitate the international discussion, subsequent comparisons make use of the G-7 and the top four OECD countries in terms of the level of resources devoted to R&D relative to gross domestic product, as they thereby serve as useful reference points.

• R&D expenditures and source of funds data are shown in current dollars. To convert these current dollar data to constant dollar amounts for comparison over time, it is recommended that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Implicit Price Index be used for national and provincial conversions. A GDP deflator is the appropriate deflator for economy-wide statistics because it accounts for the cost of goods for households, for government and for industry. For the index and further details on converting, see Table F.1.2.

• The OECD totals shown in Tables D.4.1, D.4.2 and D.4.3 reflect the OECD countries as a single entity as each total represents the sum of all values provided by each country. For example, in Table D.4.1, the OECD total for total domestic expenditures on R&D as a percentage of GDP was obtained by dividing the total domestic expenditures in all OECD countries by the total GDP across OECD countries.

Limitations

• One of the most important issues relating to R&D concerns its definition. There remains some ambiguity in defining precisely what constitutes R&D; for example, in a continuing project, determining the precise point at which the project passes the boundary of R&D and becomes exploitation of a process or product for which it may be said that the R&D stage has been completed. This ambiguity is perhaps less serious in internal time series, where it may be expected that the year-to-year application of the definition by the same reporting unit will be consistent.

• Estimates of total domestic expenditure on R&D, like any other social or economic statistic, can only be approximately true. Different components are of different accuracy, sector estimates probably vary from 5% to 15% in accuracy. However, estimates of total domestic expenditure are sufficiently reliable for their main use as an aggregate indicator for science policy.

• The source for internationally comparative statistics on R&D is the OECD. OECD guidelines request that R&D in the entire postsecondary sector (defined as all universities, colleges of technology, and other institutes of postsecondary education, whatever their source of finance or legal status) be reported. However, data for Canada are limited to R&D activities in universities and affiliated institutions (including research hospitals) and degree-granting university colleges as data on R&D in colleges and similar institutions are not available.

  Although the OECD is working to improve the international reporting of R&D statistics, other comparability issues exist; therefore, it is important that the reader exercise caution in interpreting these statistics.

Data sources

• OECD StatsExtracts, Main Science and Technology Indicators database, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

• Gross Domestic Expenditures on Research and Development in Canada (GERD), and the Provinces: National Estimates 2001 to 2011 / Provincial Estimates 2005 to 2009, vol. 4, no. 1 (January 2012), Catalogue no. 88-221-X, Statistics Canada.

• Science Statistics: Estimates of Research and Development Expenditures in the Higher Education Sector, 2009/2010, vol. 35, no. 3 (October 2011), Catalogue no. 88-001-X, Statistics Canada.

• CANSIM Table 358-0001, Gross domestic expenditures on research and development, by science type and by funder and performer sector, annual (dollars), data published in January 2012, Statistics Canada.

D6 Educational attainment

Table D.6.3

This indicator examines educational attainment among the Canadian population aged 25 to 64¹¹, often considered to be the "working-age" population. Data for the off-reserve Aboriginal population, the non-Aboriginal population, and for the total population are presented for Canada and for the provinces and territories (Table D.6.3).

Concepts and definitions

• The off-reserve Aboriginal population refers to those persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group; for example, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit. This is based on the individual's own perception of his or her Aboriginal identity.¹²

• Educational attainment refers to the highest level of schooling completed. For this indicator, which is based on data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), educational attainment¹³ is categorized as: 
  
  Less than high school: No education or education below high school graduation.
  
  High school: High school graduation or some postsecondary education (not completed).
  
  Trades: Trades certificate or diploma from a vocational school or apprenticeship training.
  
  College: non-university certificate or diploma from a community college, CEGEP, school of nursing and similar programs at this level; university certificate below bachelor's degree.
  
  University: bachelor's degree; university degree or certificate above bachelor's degree.

Methodology

• Statistics Canada's monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS) was developed following the Second World War to satisfy a need for reliable and timely data on the labour market. LFS data are used to produce the well-known unemployment rate as well as other standard labour market indicators (the employment rate and the participation rate). The survey covers the civilian, non-institutionalized population 15 years of age and over. It is conducted nationwide, in both the provinces and the territories. The survey does not cover: persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements in the provinces; full-time members of the Canadian Forces and the institutionalized population. These groups together represent an exclusion of less than 2% of the Canadian population aged 15 and over.

• Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for Canada are derived using LFS results from the provinces; the territories are excluded. LFS revised the weights used for the Aboriginal population data which has resulted in the revision of several previously published estimates.

• The data presented for this indicator are based on a 12-month average from January to December.

• The percentage of the population aged 25 to 64 who had attained a specific level of education was obtained by dividing the number of people aged 25 to 64 who had completed the given level of education by the total number of people aged 25 to 64, then multiplying by 100.

Limitations

• The figures presented may not add up to totals because of rounding.

• While persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements are not included in the sample for the provinces, the sample for the territories includes both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.

• Caution should be exercised in interpreting the provincial ratios and differences in ratios between provinces and over time, as small estimates may present fairly high sampling variability. Estimates for small geographic areas, for small age groups or for cross-classified variables will be associated with larger variability.

• The data presented are not directly comparable with census-based data for the Aboriginal population.

• Data for Nunavut reflect the 10 largest communities.

Data source

• Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada. For more information, consult "Definitions, data sources and methods", Statistics Canada Web site, survey 3701, http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3701&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2

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Notes:

1. "Trade qualifiers (challengers)" refers to individuals who receive a Certificate of Qualification in a trade for which apprenticeship is voluntary. This means that they did not register for or complete apprenticeship training, but they did succeed in obtaining certification within that trade.

2. Changes to the Emploi-Québec reporting decreased the number of registered apprentices in 2008, especially in the "Industrial electrician" and "Heavy equipment and crane operators" trades.

3. "Other" consists of miscellaneous trades and occupations not classified elsewhere.

4. For information on university enrolment, please see the Handbook section "Postsecondary enrolment, universities."

5. For information on college enrolment , please see the Handbook section "Postsecondary enrolment, colleges."

6. For information on the number of degrees, diplomas and certificates granted by universities, please see the Handbook section "Postsecondary completions, universities."

7.For information on the number of degrees, diplomas and certificates granted by colleges, please see the Handbook section "Postsecondary completions, colleges."

8. The Frascati Manual is a document that lays out the methodology for collecting and using statistics about research and development in countries that are members of the OECD. For more information, see www.oecd.org.

9. For more information, see Gross Domestic Expenditures on Research and Development in Canada (GERD), and the Provinces, Volume 4, number 1 (January 2012), Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 88-221-X.

10. For more detail, see Science Statistics, vol. 35 no. 3 (October 2011 edition), Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 88-001-X.

11. Please see the Education Indicators in Canada: An International Perspective series (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81-604-X) for information on educational attainment in an international context. In these reports, Indicator A1, "Educational attainment of the adult population", presents figures for Canada, the provinces and territories, along with the international averages provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. All of these data are categorized using the International Standard Classification of Education (ISECD).

12. See "Aboriginal identity" in "Section 3: Dictionary of concepts and definitions" in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 71-543-G).

13. For more information, see "Educational attainment" in Section 3: Dictionary of concepts and definitions" in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 71-543-G).