To post-secondary or to not post-secondary?

The back and forth for almost 40% of Canadians who feel unsure whether or not higher education is worth their time and money.

A recent Ipsos survey for CourseCompare, a data-based platform on Canadian post-secondary information, revealed that their Gen Z respondents felt the most confused about the value of post-secondary education, with 46% saying they were unsure about what good a degree or diploma could do for them.

And besides the numbers, an overall pendulum swing in sentiment towards higher education is also driving uncertainty towards staying in school. Couple that with high tuition prices, changing student visa legislation, and AI's role, and the pendulum just keeps on swinging.

Host Pooja Handa speaks to Robert Furtado, the CEO of CourseCompare to discuss their Return on Education index, a database that categorizes which degrees and diplomas give you the best return on investment. The two also talk about what skills you need to protect yourself from the current volatile job market.

You can learn more about CourseCompare here:

https://www.coursecompare.ca/
https://www.coursecompare.ca/roe-index/

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It’s been a busy start to the fall sitting of Parliament.

Ahead of the end of its first week back, long-time minister Chrystia Freeland announced she decided to leave her cabinet post at Transport, while the Prime Minister announced her appointment as a new special envoy to Ukraine. Meanwhile the Ottawa confirmed its budget will be coming November 4th, with a substantial deficit attached.

Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Tyler Meredith, a former economic advisor to the government, about Freeland’s departure and legacy, and what to expect in the delayed fiscal plan.

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Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

There are growing calls from some federal and provincial politicians for the Carney government to abolish Canada’s temporary foreign worker program, claiming companies are using the it to find cheaper labour. The push came after the job numbers for August showed tens of thousands of losses and a high unemployment rate for young Canadians.

But the government is pushing back, saying TFW use is in significant decline and the program is needed. So what’s really happening with Canada’s job market and are foreign workers to blame?

Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with McGill economics professor Fabian Lange to find out.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter