Colleges Ontario

(Toronto, Feb. 9, 2009) – Ontario’s college sector has launched its first-ever provincewide television advertising campaign today with ads aimed at parents’ biases about college and university.

The TV ads, part of a broad campaign that also includes newspaper and Internet ads, radio ads, transit shelter posters and more, focus on young people saying “It’s all about M.E.” (with the ‘M.E.’ in varsity-style letters) as they discuss their education goals. The ads encourage parents and students to recognize that college education and training may be the best option for many young people seeking to fulfil their career aspirations.

“For many students, the internationally recognized programs at Ontario’s colleges provide the education that will best prepare them for long-term success,” said Linda Franklin, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario.

“Parents and students who are thinking about postsecondary education tend to focus on university – they aren’t necessarily aware of the full range of programs available at the colleges. We are encouraging them to talk about the careers available today and to choose the higher education option that makes the most sense. In many cases, that choice should be college.”

The colleges’ move into TV advertising represents a significant step forward in the effort to address parents’ biases about postsecondary education. The ads are part of an ongoing campaign that began in early 2008 when the colleges ran transit ads for “Obay,” a fictional pill that claimed it could get teenagers to obey their parents’ wishes.

The $2.5-million M.E. campaign will run throughout Ontario in February and March and will also be running in the fall. The multi-media campaign was created by Endeavour, a Toronto-based full-service advertising agency established in 2005. Endeavour was also responsible for the media plan and buy for the campaign.

“This campaign provides a real sense of empowerment to young people who want to pursue their goals,” said Barry Avrich, the president of Endeavour. “It will get parents and teens talking about higher education and exploring college as an option.”

More than 90 per cent of college graduates who enter the workforce get jobs within six months of graduation. As Ontario strives to strengthen its competitive advantage by providing higher education to greater numbers of people, there will need to be greater awareness of the opportunities available at the colleges.

“This is a long-term effort to promote the postsecondary education opportunities available in Ontario,” Franklin said. “It will help greater numbers of people get the education and training they need to fulfil their potential.”

Ontario colleges serve about 200 communities throughout the province, delivering a wide range of career-focused education and training programs to more than 200,000 full-time and 250,000 part-time students.

To learn more about the campaign, visit www.myeducation.me.

- 30 -

For more information, contact:

Sally Ritchie
Senior Communications Officer
Colleges Ontario
(416) 596-0744, ext. 242
ritchie@collegesontario.org