Georgian alumni contribute $1.4 billion in added income to the Central Ontario region, according to a recent economic impact study by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI). The study, based on data from 2019-20, shows that Georgian’s Owen Sound Campus adds $93.5 million in income to the Grey Bruce regional economy, the equivalent of 1,309 jobs. Overall, alumni from this campus add $77.3 million to the regional economy.
“This study quantifies the economic value of Georgian and the significant return on investment for our students, employers and the communities we serve,” said Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, President and CEO of Georgian College. “Georgian students contribute to the local economy while studying and generate longer-lasting impact as alumni, many of whom will choose to make Owen Sound and the Grey Bruce area their home – they are essential to the success of our local employers, regional economy and they also serve as catalysts for social innovation.”
Tracee Givens, is one such alumna. While studying in the Business – Accounting program (class of 1984) at Georgian, she took a part-time job working weekends in the kitchen of a local nursing home and it was there that she began her 40-year passion for long-term care.
Now as Executive Director at Maple View Long-Term Care, Givens oversees 40 employees, and 20 per cent of them graduated from Georgian’s nursing and Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs.
“We’re lucky to have a local college that offers programs that benefit our organization, and we understand the importance of supporting each other because it benefits us both,” said Givens. “Georgian has been able to help with our staffing needs and we’re able to offer placements for Georgian students. We want them to succeed and hopefully they’ll see there’s good local employment for them as well.”
Givens appreciated that as a college student, she was able to live at home, work part-time and go to school until she found her niche. “The college was pretty small back then, which was nice and it was so personal and easy to make friends. We had a great core group of people and I remember my faculty fondly.” Givens added, “My Georgian business foundation has been valuable in every position I’ve held.”
She has enjoyed her long career in the long-term care setting. “I encourage young people, like my daughter’s friends, to look into careers like becoming a personal support worker,” she said. “It gets you in the door and you can find out if the health-care sector is where you want to be.”
She added that the long-term care field is very rewarding. “I love helping others – especially the senior population who are so worthy,” she said. “I consider it a privilege to provide care for those who have given so much and cared for us.”
Georgian’s economic impact by the numbers, ooking at the impact on the City of Owen Sound specifically, the campus and its students add $42.6 million in income, supporting 548 local jobs. Student spending adds $1.6 million to the local economy and the impact of alumni currently employed in the workforce is $28 million.
For every $1 a student invests in their education at the Owen Sound Campus, they’ll gain $1.60 in lifetime earnings. At the same time, taxpayers will gain $4.70 in added tax revenue and public sector savings, and society will benefit from an additional $6.10 in added income and social savings.
Overall, Georgian College campuses contribute $1.7 billion in income to the Georgian catchment area economy, approximately 5.3 per cent of the total gross regional product. This equates to 22,752 regional jobs, or one out of every 15 jobs in the catchment area. Student spending adds $64.4 million in income, while alumni impact accounts for $1.4 billion!
Economic impact data specific to all seven campus communities that Georgian College serves is available at GeorgianCollege.ca/EconomicImpact.
source: media release, Georgian College
