Fleming College

‘My son started thinking for himself. OBAY put a stop to that.’  – OBAY  ‘Teaser’ Ad. Students across Ontario can breathe a sigh of relief with the news that a new product, ‘Obay’, purported to stop them thinking for themselves, or about their future, isn’t for real and won’t be appearing in their parents’ medicine cabinets anytime soon. A teaser campaign, featuring fictional ads and humorous, provocative messages about parental mind control has been running across province for the past few weeks. They are part of the lead up to yesterday’s official launch of a new marketing campaign by Ontario’s colleges that is targeted primarily to parents – identified as having great influence when it comes to post-secondary education.“ We have found that many people aren’t aware of the many programs available at colleges and the great career opportunities available to college graduates,” said Fleming College President Dr. Tony Tilly. “Our goal with Obay is to get parents and young people thinking about the post-secondary options available today, and what the best options are for each young person.” Based on recent research, parents favour university over college as the number one choice for their children by a margin of 3 to 1.  The Obay campaign, brought to you by the makers of ‘WhyBecauseISaidSo’ and ‘NotUnderMyRoof’, is designed to remind parents that they should explore all the options – in many cases, their children may be more likely to find rewarding and fulfilling careers through college education and training. Research has also revealed that:

• 98 per cent of parents talk to their children about post-secondary education

• Over 90 per cent of parents talk to other parents about how their children are doing in school

• 44 per cent of parents believe other parents exaggerate their children’s academic accomplishments while only 17 per cent will admit to doing that themselves

• Almost 30 per cent of the parents polled said they would be disappointed or embarrassed if their child went to college

• 20 per cent believe a university education is the only real route to a successful career

• Parents are more familiar with specific universities than they are with specific colleges

Further research conducted on behalf of Colleges Ontario, the advocacy organization representing the province’s 24 colleges, shows an overwhelming public perception that college is a lesser alternative to university. Only 33 per cent of high school students actually go on to university after high school yet an overwhelming majority enter high school believing they will go to university – primarily to meet their parents’ expectations. In a 2006 survey of senior high school students’ perceptions, conducted by Drs. Alan King and Wendy Warren of Queen’s University, a majority (59 per cent) of students reported their parents expected them to attend university. One-fifth of students who identified as planning on college said their parents expected them to go to university. Beginning today, the Obay campaign ads will include overlays that feature copy that delivers a clear message to parents, such as: “Your kids should be allowed to make their own decisions, especially when it comes to their post secondary education.”  Another key message: “Sure you want what’s best for your kids, but when it comes to post-secondary education, pushing them to do what you want isn’t right” and encourages parents and students to “explore all the options” by visiting the website, ontariocolleges.ca, which showcases the exceptional range of programs offered by Ontario’s colleges when it comes to post-secondary education.

How Much Influence Do Parents Really Have?

It is conventional wisdom that today’s teenagers, given the chance, would do the opposite of what their parents want. But while they may see themselves as free-thinking, independent and sometimes unconventional, there is still one area where they are heavily influenced by their parents: post-secondary education.

The College Option

Students discovering their future goals may not be met at university, may find the post-secondary education option right for them at one of the 24 Ontario colleges, and it is important that they involve their parents in the exploration process, helping them understand that a college program that best meets their aspirations will most likely be a better investment in their ongoing education. The Obay campaign is designed to foster such communication between parents and their children so that parents are more receptive to looking at all the options available, and in particular, see the benefits that come when their children are pursuing a program that engages and excites them.“ This campaign will help people in Ontario to recognize that colleges and universities are both viable post-secondary options,” said Dr. Tilly. “We need to ensure that all levels of higher education are producing more graduates to meet the labour market challenges in today’s economy.”