THUNDER BAY — Students in the city got a chance to learn more about campus life and the programs they might want to take at Confederation College’s open house this week.
“Students and their parents meet with different program coordinators that we have, talk about different career opportunities, and they can start to think about what they might want to do next year in terms of post-secondary education, Derek Lawrence, manager of enrolment services and recruitment, told Dougall Media at the Tuesday evening event.
Lawrence said the college has world-class programming with a variety of different career paths for potential students looking to progress through post-secondary education.
He highlighted the college’s most well-known programs, such as the flight management program, Onajigawin Indigenous Services, and the Social Service Worker program.
Grade 12 at Westgate CVI, Ava Harasen, said she already accepted an offer from the college for the paramedic program.
“I’ve always really liked the like medical sort of stuff. I just didn’t really want to work in a hospital, so it just seemed like a good idea,” she said.
Harasen said the reason she chose to attend the program at Confederation College was that it was close to home.
She also said the provinces’ learn and stay grant is a bonus.
The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant covers the cost of tuition and books for students who commit to serving in the region post-graduation.
Saint Patrick High School grade 12 student Broklyn Poile-Kelly said the college is her only choice. She wants to apply for the film production program.
“Con College came to my school and did a presentation, and I saw the film production video and I just was like inspired,” she said.
Poile-Kelly is looking forward to the whole college experience.
Carly Rich, program coordinator for the Early Childhood Education program, said campus life is a balance.
“It’s really important that you attend your classes because that’s how you’re going to be successful in the program, but we also showcase a lot of really neat campus life opportunities, so connecting the students to other students to programs that support from a cultural and traditional lens, and also fun,” she said.
The Early Childhood Education program has undergone some re-evaluation by incorporating student feedback, Rich said.
“They come to us with their own values, beliefs, knowledge, cultures, traditions and we want to showcase that as we embed learning from a collaborative lens. It’s really important to have qualified, quality early childhood educators in our childcare programs,” she said.
Rich said first and second year students are hired as casual and supply staff as they’re going through the program, because of the dire need for early educators.
“There is an extensive waitlist in the community for childcare, and it is a really vital program to have families at work with the cost of living increasing and the importance of educating children and learning alongside them,” she said.
