Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Geography

Supervisor

Dr. Michael Buzzelli

Abstract

Canada’s medium-sized cities have recently experienced a significant net loss in human capital growth attributed alone to internal migration. Subsequently, the largest cities in the country have received a net growth in human capital in part due to internal migration. Using mixed qualitative methods in the form of a policy document analysis and in-depth key informant interviews, this study aims to understand how and to what extent institutional relations are leveraging post-secondary education institutions in medium-sized city-regions of Ontario to attract and retain the highly skilled. The results of this study reveal that limited collaboration to leverage the post-secondary education institutions to attract and retain the highly skilled exists. Accordingly, post-secondary education institutions are largely unresponsive to attracting the highly skilled into their host communities. This study challenges a new way of thinking about how to utilize post-secondary education institutions in the knowledge economy to promote economic development.

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