Why education?

Give the young a future and the future’s bright for all

At Roasters Foundation, we recognize the importance of accessible education. An educated population makes for a society equipped to deal with the challenges of the future. This is particularly true for maintaining a quality workforce to build and grow the economy. Education seems like the obvious answer, but today students are faced with a serious problem…

The Situation at a Glance…

  • In Quebec, only 69% of young people complete high school or a professional training by the age of 20 [1].
  • On average, 2 out of 3 students who drop out of school are boys.
  • One of the most common reasons students do not continue their studies after high school is because they can’t afford it[2].
  • 34% of students who do not go on to post-secondary education say their financial situation is a major barrier3. (Statistics Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada [3]

 

According to research from McKinsey & Company, people who drop out of high school have much lower incomes than those who have completed their studies. Over the course of their lifetime, they will have lost out on a total of $439,000 worth of earning potential. As a result, their contribution to society is less than it could be. They are more likely to collect welfare, suffer from depression and have a lower life expectancy.

Our entire society is affected by this! To move forward in a knowledge-based economy we must encourage our youth to stay in school and provide more students with access to education.

At a recent gathering of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Roasters Foundation put it this way:

Our common objective toward self-actualization begins with the satisfaction of the most rudimentary of needs. This objective can only be realized when we have the confidence, the courage and the space to dream… Dreams empower us with the will to set our most ambitious goals and to strive for our most arduous objectives.

Rachel Renaud

President

At Roasters Foundation, we are dedicated to making a positive impact on people who are striving to achieve their educational and professional goals. Education is the key to a prosperous society. Employers, individuals and organizations alike need to invest in the educational needs of the workforce to ensure continuing quality of work and technological advances in the future. All it takes is a little creativity, cooperation and innovation.

See what we’re doing, and follow our lead!

[1] Savoir pour pouvoir: Entreprendre un chantier national pour la persévérance scolaire. Rapport du Groupe d’action sur la persévérance et la réussite scolaires au Québec.
[2] Kelly Foley. “Why Stop after High School? A Descriptive Analysis of the Most Important Reasons that High School Graduates Do Not Continue to PSE”. Montreal: Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation Research Series
[3] Mylene Lambert et. al “Who pursues post-secondary education , who leaves, and why: Results from the Youth in Transition Survey.” Statistics Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Ministry of Industry, Ottawa: November 2004.