‘Kick-start’ fund aims to get students on-the-job experience, but critics say overall cost of education not addressed by new measures

Ontario students will get something to add to their resumés under a new, $190-million “kick-start” career program.

The funds, spread out over three years, will go to school boards, colleges, universities and employers to give teens and 20-somethings spe- cialized learning and hands-on job experience so they “will hit the ground running when they graduate,” said Finance Minister Charles Sousa.

But apart from the career program and some changes to student loan thresholds, the budget largely overlooked post-secondary education, critics said, especially compared to last year’s blockbuster “free tuition” announcement.

“The theme that we’ve seen is that while these new programs are exciting for some students, we need to address the overall cost of education and recognize that, in Ontario, students pay the highest fees in the entire country,” said Gayle McFadden of the Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students.

A “career-ready fund” that provides work placements to post-secondary students and recent grads will also get a boost, as will research positions and fellowships for graduate students who work with industry professionals.

The Ontario government also plans to add 100 paid internship positions while pledging more money to help adults struggling to complete high school earn their diploma or upgrade their skills. The amount will be announced in the coming weeks.

Also in Thursday’s budget was good news for graduating post-secondary students, who will now start repaying their provincial loans only when they are earning at least $35,000 a year, up from the current $25,000.