Alex Usher on Post-Secondary Squeeze, Student Debt, and the Future of International Education

What does Canada's post-secondary system actually deliver — and for whom? In this candid, wide-ranging conversation, Michael Sangster sits down with Alex Usher, one of Canada's most respected higher education analysts and president of Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA), to take an honest look at the pressures reshaping post-secondary education in Canada.Usher pulls no punches: university systems are more financially fragile than colleges, student debt is set for a sharp rebound, and Canada may be sleep-walking into a workforce crisis driven by demographic decline and misguided immigration policy. But there's optimism here too — for the institutions nimble enough to move fast, build strong outcomes, and demonstrate clear value for students and society.This episode weaves through student debt trends, OSAP reform, the international student caps, global talent flows, career college perceptions, and the remarkable resilience of skills-first education — all filtered through Usher's signature blend of data rigour and straight talk. Whether you're setting education policy, leading a career college, or deciding where to invest your tuition dollars, this conversation gives you the unvarnished picture.[00:03:00]: When the best friend in the room doesn't know what he bought[00:07:30]: Student debt is coming back — and it will make people scream[00:09:00]: Universities are more brittle — and they know it[00:13:00]: The cautious optimist: what good looks like right now[00:16:00]: Career colleges going global — and solving the brain drain problem[00:17:00]: "Typical Canadian mediocrity" — the international students warning[00:20:30]: The bullshit detector: the skill that built a career[00:22:30]: The sector's real warts — and why they're shrinking