Shift to higher education
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The proportion of university graduates in Canada has been steadily growing over the past half-century. In 2006, 51% of Canadians aged 15 and older had education beyond high school.
The government introduced programs at the end of the Second World War that encouraged 53,000 returning war veterans to enroll in university. In 1951, just 2% of Canadians aged 15 and older had university qualifications. Over the next five decades, that proportion climbed steadily, from 5% in 1971 to 11% in 1991 and to 18% in 2006.
During the 1960s and 1970s, a strong college system developed throughout Canada, including the CEGEP system in Quebec. By 1971, the appeal of these colleges was evident: 17% of the population had completed some postsecondary education other than university.
By 2006, nearly 33% of the population had completed non-university qualifications.
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