The Progressive Conservative party is speaking out against what they claim is failed post-secondary planning on behalf of Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Ontario colleges and universities are facing a surge in applications as both high school students and laid-off workers wrestle for spots, leaving some out in the cold.

“The students who will not get accepted into college will be forced into a rough job market with only a high school education and limited workplace experience,” said Jim Wilson, member of provincial parliament for Simcoe-Grey, at a press conference on Monday.

Wilson also raised concerns over campuses struggling with limited classroom space — and provided a solution.

“If the government says there is a capital space problem on campuses, then I say open up some of the factories that have closed in our ridings, and some of the shops on the main street. Put some desks in; put some chairs in. Bring back retired professors if you have to.”

“This is a crisis,” Wilson added.

Despite the MPP’s outlook, questions remain as to whether southwestern Ontario colleges and universities are equipped to handle increased acceptance numbers.

Northern colleges have been coping with an additional hurdle: the collapse of local mining and forestry sectors. This has spurred hundreds of students — who might have otherwise entered the labour force — to instead pursue academics, as well as forced adults to look into second career training.

Western, on the other hand, seems to have ample room for increased enrollment.

“We’ve taken a long-range approach to space planning,” Ruban Chelladurai, associate vice-president of Western’s institutional planning and budgeting, said.

“We’ve been consciously planning by either expanding or redesigning classrooms to meet our projected needs.”

Chelladurai observed the recent renovation of the University Community Centre could possibly allow the closure of classrooms elsewhere to accommodate the graduate expansion program and research activities. He also announced plans to remove the staging building located between Delaware Hall and North Campus Building next year.

Student residences at Western have perhaps seen more of a crunch in recent years. In 2008, 50 first-year students were placed in Bayfield Hall, a residence designed exclusively for upper-year students, after enrollment exceeded on-campus accommodation.

“We’re certainly very tight, but so far we’ve been able to live up to the Western residence guarantee,” Susan Grindrod, associate vice-president of housing and ancillary services, said.