Dorm rooms are filled, parents return home and orientation activities wind down as students head to class this week at Confederation College and Lakehead University.
This week, Confederation College welcomed nearly 3,500 new and returning students, including more than 1,300 international students.
Michelle Salo, Confederation College president said, international student enrolment is down 14 per cent year over year as a result of the changes in the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada policy and impact on Canada’s brand in the international market.
The college offers more than 65 full-time programs aimed at training students for top jobs across all fields.
New at the college this year is the addition of the pharmacy technician program, which Salo says was in response to the college’s health-care partners who have identified a major shortage in the Northwest region. The program has a full intake of students, which reflects the growing demand and interest in that career field.
“We have a process in place to constantly review programs, and curriculum and adjust according to industry standards and expected outcomes to ensure that our students have the right skills to be highly employable after graduation,” Salo said.
At Lakehead University, orientation activities are also winding down as almost 9,000 students head to class at its Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses. More than 2,000 of this cohort will settle in Orillia for the semester.
Gillian Siddall, university president and vice-chancellor, said an estimated 1,900 international students will attend the university from more than 80 countries worldwide.
“Our students, faculty and staff make deep impacts on Thunder Bay and Simcoe County through employment and economic contributions, volunteerism and community work, and for many, by falling in love with these amazing communities and staying to build their lives here after they graduate,” Siddall said, in a news release to The Chronicle-Journal.
Partnerships between the university and local industries, municipalities and community organizations help to accommodate more than 80 per cent of Lakehead students in work-integrated learning experiences during their undergraduate degree. Statistics show 97.4 per cent of Lakehead University’s graduates are employed within two years of completing their degrees, and 90.1 per cent of students receive jobs directly related to their studies.
Confederation College has expertise in forming industry partnerships aimed at training students to higher levels of learning with apprenticeships and hands-on learning. Salo told The Chronicle-Journal earlier this year that their focus is on the needs of employers in Northwestern Ontario, and broadening the college’s workforce development and contract training teams, which work with partners throughout the region.
“It’s really expanding opportunities, mostly in the west. We’ve done a lot in the east with our mining readiness programs, but we know there’s a lot of opportunity west in Dryden, Kenora, and Fort Frances to work with industry partners,” Salo said.
“We’re also expanding work with northern communities to make sure that we’re training people in (their) community (so they don’t have to) come here to Thunder Bay, and that’s a significant priority for us.”
Both the college and the university contribute to the local economy. Lakehead University has an annual economic impact of $2.4 billion in Northwestern Ontario and $294.5 million in Orillia. Confederation College drives a $707.3-million annual economic impact on Thunder Bay and the district.
