11. Determining the Financial Perception of Ottawa by Post-secondary Students in Comparison to Competing Cities

Institution: Carleton University

CSWB plan priority: Financial security and poverty reduction 

Project Term: Winter 2024

Course Code: ISAP 2002

Professor: Vivian Nguyen

Group Members: Andrew Du-Frigstad

City Lead: Emmanuel Rey

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Background: There is a talent retention issue with students leaving after graduating from institutions in Ottawa. Understanding what students think about their financial prospects in Ottawa and other cities will help understand what needs to be targeted to keep students post-graduation.

Objective(s): Understanding how students view the cost of living of Ottawa and competing cities, how accessible is the job market in each city, how applicable their degree is to each city.

Approach: Ranking Ottawa, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg with Online Surveys using QR codes placed on campuses as well as conducting in-person interviews to get a good balance of overall consensus and to get reasoning.

Potential for Impact: Knowing what is driving students away from working in Ottawa will help policies and programs better target the issues found. For example, if it is a hostile work environment making graduates leave, then you know to create programs to bolster a friendly job market.

Community Partner: N/A

Community Partner - Mission: N/A