Northern Ontario colleges face cuts
As post-secondary needs in Ontario change, colleges in smaller economies are struggling to adapt
WATERLOO, Ont. (CUP) — As the market in Ontario changes, so must the colleges that educate the growing workforce. For institutions in the northern parts of the province, this means cutting programs and changing direction.
"Program renewal or changing a program mix in response to market is a natural occurrence in the college system," explained George Burton, president of Canadore College, which has announced the suspension of 12 of its programs this fall.
It's a move that Burton said has "come as a bit of a shock to the college."
No new student intakes will occur for programs including law clerk, crime scene investigation and dental assisting. Students currently enrolled will complete their degrees at Canadore.
At the same time, another announcement was made citing the approval of five new programs beginning in fall 2011, including civil engineering technician, diabetes education and mobile application developer.
"Making those suspension decisions was not easy," said Burton, who explained that several factors were taken into account during the suspension process including "market demand for graduates, enrolment trends, the strategic direction of the college, student needs, graduate employment," as well as sector growth and decline.
The cuts at Canadore, located in North Bay, Ont., are indicative of the changes that often plague northern colleges earlier and harder than those in the greater Toronto area.
"They're blessed by being in larger markets," said Burton of Toronto area colleges. "We do not have the advantage of economies of scale in the outlying areas in northern Ontario or eastern Ontario and so we have to be perhaps a little more focused in meeting our community needs."
Burton explained that the focus northern colleges must take does not necessarily mean more difficult decisions, but ones made within a shorter timeframe.
Don Lovisa, president of Durham College, located in Oshawa, Ont., explained that his college also pulls directly from a local market of students from the area, though he described the Durham Region as "the fastestgrowing demographic" in the province.
"(Our growth is) fuelled by us looking at our program mix and expanding and adding to it and also taking advantage of our growing demographic," Lovisa explained.
Although he is now in charge of one of the fastest-growing colleges in the provinces, Lovisa also spent 20 years in leadership roles at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, including dean of the school of business.
"I know full well the challenges and the opportunities at the northern colleges," Lovisa said. "They have a higher percentage of local draw, but they also have a smaller economy."
Lovisa also pointed out other challenges that come from being located in northern areas of the province that often house aging populations and are home to high youth migration.
"As industry changes in the smaller communities, it often has a larger impact than it does in a community such as the Durham Region, so I'm fully aware of the challenges that Canadore is going through and their need to reinvent themselves."
For Burton, the changes come early into his tenure as president of Canadore, as he took up the position on July 15 of last year.
"The job of a college president is difficult during the best of times," said Burton. "And program suspensions are not something that we relish doing, but again to fulfill our commitment to students and the communities we serve it goes with the position to ensure that we are responsible to those emerging needs."
WATERLOO, Ont. (CUP) — As the market in Ontario changes, so must the colleges that educate the growing workforce. For institutions in the northern parts of the province, this means cutting programs and changing direction.
"Program renewal or changing a program mix in response to market is a natural occurrence in the college system," explained George Burton, president of Canadore College, which has announced the suspension of 12 of its programs this fall.
It's a move that Burton said has "come as a bit of a shock to the college."
No new student intakes will occur for programs including law clerk, crime scene investigation and dental assisting. Students currently enrolled will complete their degrees at Canadore.
At the same time, another announcement was made citing the approval of five new programs beginning in fall 2011, including civil engineering technician, diabetes education and mobile application developer.
"Making those suspension decisions was not easy," said Burton, who explained that several factors were taken into account during the suspension process including "market demand for graduates, enrolment trends, the strategic direction of the college, student needs, graduate employment," as well as sector growth and decline.
The cuts at Canadore, located in North Bay, Ont., are indicative of the changes that often plague northern colleges earlier and harder than those in the greater Toronto area.
"They're blessed by being in larger markets," said Burton of Toronto area colleges. "We do not have the advantage of economies of scale in the outlying areas in northern Ontario or eastern Ontario and so we have to be perhaps a little more focused in meeting our community needs."
Burton explained that the focus northern colleges must take does not necessarily mean more difficult decisions, but ones made within a shorter timeframe.
Don Lovisa, president of Durham College, located in Oshawa, Ont., explained that his college also pulls directly from a local market of students from the area, though he described the Durham Region as "the fastestgrowing demographic" in the province.
"(Our growth is) fuelled by us looking at our program mix and expanding and adding to it and also taking advantage of our growing demographic," Lovisa explained.
Although he is now in charge of one of the fastest-growing colleges in the provinces, Lovisa also spent 20 years in leadership roles at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, including dean of the school of business.
"I know full well the challenges and the opportunities at the northern colleges," Lovisa said. "They have a higher percentage of local draw, but they also have a smaller economy."
Lovisa also pointed out other challenges that come from being located in northern areas of the province that often house aging populations and are home to high youth migration.
"As industry changes in the smaller communities, it often has a larger impact than it does in a community such as the Durham Region, so I'm fully aware of the challenges that Canadore is going through and their need to reinvent themselves."
For Burton, the changes come early into his tenure as president of Canadore, as he took up the position on July 15 of last year.
"The job of a college president is difficult during the best of times," said Burton. "And program suspensions are not something that we relish doing, but again to fulfill our commitment to students and the communities we serve it goes with the position to ensure that we are responsible to those emerging needs."
