Maple Ridge East MLA Lawrence Mok is calling out the provincial government for not building a new post-secondary education facility to serve Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, despite an identified need.
Mok, the BC Conservative critic for skills training and international credentials, said he’s disappointed the province’s own feasibility study confirms a clear need for post-secondary education to serve the cities, yet stops short of supporting the development of a new local campus.
“At a time when youth unemployment is at all time highs, the need for accessible post-secondary education is black and white,” said Mok. “But the fiscal mismanagement and reckless spending by this NDP government is limiting opportunities for our next generation.”
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The Ridge Meadows Post-Secondary Feasibility Study said the region is one of the fastest-growing in Metro Vancouver, yet remains one of the few communities in the Lower Mainland without a public post-secondary campus offering a broad range of programs.
The study identified an estimated unmet need of approximately 1,775 students, and found that only 24 per cent of local residents aged 18–29 are enrolled in post-secondary education, compared to the provincial average of 35 per cent.
Despite the need being clearly proven in the document, the report does not sufficiently support establishing a new post-secondary school centre due to fiscal and market constraints, noted Mok.
“As someone who has spent decades in post-secondary education, earning multiple degrees and teaching at the university level, I understand all too well how transformative accessible education can be,” said the first-term MLA.
The study addressed transportation and transit issues that impact students in Mok’s riding.
“When students face two-hour commutes or financial and logistical barriers, many simply don’t enrol. That limits opportunity, and it limits our local workforce,” he said.