This project examined the pathways that students take within and between fields of education, as well as between fields of education and occupations. Using data collected from the 2013 National Graduates Survey, the project compared similarities and differences between Ontario and all of Canada. Findings suggest that links between qualifications within the same field of education were weak, as were links between fields of education and occupations. Most students opted to change their field of study when pursuing a second postsecondary education qualification, and the field of study they chose varied depending on whether pathways were within colleges or universities, or between colleges and universities. Similarly, the links between fields of education and occupations were quite weak, with the exception of regulated occupations (such as in nursing or engineering) where the links between fields of education and occupations were much tighter.
This research was funded by the Ontario Ministry for Training, Colleges and Universities through the Ontario Human Capital Research and Innovation Fund (OHCRIF). The final report for this project was submitted in 2016. We thank the MTCU for the opportunity to undertake this research and for their support throughout the project.