The future of Alberta's economy and prosperity hinges on a critical question the province hasn't been asking about its $6.7 billion annual investment in higher education, according to education experts.
The $6.7 Billion Question
Each year, the Alberta government channels $6.7 billion into post-secondary education. When the provincial government established the Expert Panel on Post-Secondary Institution Funding and Alberta's Competitiveness in fall 2024, many hoped it would signal a transformative approach to learning in the province.
Stephen Murgatroyd and David Finch, authors of the analysis, initially felt optimistic that this represented a serious commitment to developing Alberta's most valuable resource: its people. The panel's own report acknowledged that "continuing the status quo — the same historical approach used in the past — will not be sufficient to meet the challenges the province and post-secondary institutions face in the coming years."
Why Familiar Solutions Fall Short
However, that optimism quickly faded when the panel's recommendations emerged. The report largely recycled incremental solutions from the past decade, including:
- Expanded work-integrated learning
- Flexible governance models
- Mission-driven research
While these ideas have merit, they fail to address the structural challenges facing Alberta's human capital system. The explanation for this limited vision became apparent in Appendix 3 of the report, which revealed that of the 36 stakeholders consulted, 34 represented the existing post-secondary system, while only two came from business or external sectors.
Learning from History's Mistakes
The fundamental problem lies in the question the panel asked: "How can we improve the current post-secondary system?" This narrow framing inevitably produced conventional answers.
History provides stark warnings about the danger of asking the wrong questions. In the 1890s, carriage manufacturers defined themselves in terms of horses rather than transportation, leading to their collapse when automobiles emerged. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he didn't ask how to make better computers—he challenged the company to think differently, resulting in revolutionary products that reshaped multiple industries.
The future prosperity of Alberta will be determined by its people's capacity to adapt, learn, and contribute to an evolving labor market. Rather than tinkering with the existing system, the province must confront a more fundamental question: "How can we best develop our province's human capital to meet the challenges of the future?"
This shift in perspective could unlock the transformative potential of Alberta's substantial education investment and better prepare the province for the economic challenges ahead.
