Education/training
Education that works"You represent part of our hope for a prosperous future," remarked Chris Bentley, Ontario's Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, during an address earlier this month at Education that Works, the annual conference of Ontario's career colleges in London. |
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 [ 2006-05-24 ] |
Bentley was referring to the growing realization by students that career-focused training is a path to success for entering a workforce where the demand for skilled workers is increasing.
35,000 STUDENTS
Ontario's career colleges play a significant role in providing post-secondary skills and career training. Each year, these institutions graduate more than 35,000 students, which is not far off the numbers graduating from community colleges.
The model for career colleges is unique: focused career training, shorter duration, more intensive studies, smaller instructor-to-student ratios and flexible program schedules to accommodate the range of student needs.
Tanya Blazina, spokesperson for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, said private career colleges work well for many students.
"They offer a diverse range of post-secondary training programs, and have for over 100 years. They appeal to students who want to learn practical skills on a flexible schedule from an institution close to where they live," Blazina said. "Career colleges also attract students who need practical skills to enter, or re-enter, the workforce as quickly as possible, or who want a compressed length of training."
A visit to the Ontario Association of Career Colleges website (www.oacc.on.ca) illustrates the diversity of this sector. There are schools training in everything from welding to health care and technology. In total, there are close to 500 career college campuses in operation in Ontario. Some of these campuses are part of a larger organization that offers training in various regions across the province. Others are stand-alone colleges that have served students well in their programs of choice.
PARALEGAL GRADUATE
Shelley Morrison is an example of the success students can have from this type of education. "As a student, it was important for me to receive upgraded curriculum and to study courses that were related to my particular program," said Morrison, a recent graduate of the paralegal program at Westervelt College.
"Private colleges have the versatility to design their programs to meet industry needs," she said.
Morrison has since gone on to a successful career as a court reporter in London.
The career college sector is undergoing considerable change with the introduction of the new Private Career Colleges Act late last year. The legislation will increase student protections and make career colleges an even more integral part of the skills training solution. The sector has been working closely with the government on these changes through a series of working group consultations involving ministry and school representatives. The act received Royal Assent last December and the regulations are currently being finalized for proclamation over the coming months.
"This takes [career colleges] up to another level," said Bentley in reference to the new act during his speech at the association conference on May 11. "It's a visible sign to the rest of society that you're all, in fact, striving for and achieving a higher standard."
The act provides for everything from an increase in advertising standards to the establishment of a fund to reimburse tuitions or help students complete their programs if a career college closes. The changes will raise program standards at the institutions. They will also make career colleges more accountable to the public.
"We are very pleased to have this opportunity to work with the government," said Cynthia Cooper, president of the Ontario Association of Career Colleges. "Our members will now be held to a higher standard that will ensure students get a valuable learning experience on which to build their careers."
Each year the association's annual conference is held to discuss the latest in career education. This year's theme, Education that Works, built on the opportunities career college educators have provided to students over the years.
Susan Hoyle-Howieson, director of the ministry's Private Institutions Branch provided delegates with an overview of the changes in store under the new Act. Richard Jackson, director of the ministry's Student Support Branch updated participants on improvement's to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
"We've always been committed to providing our students with the skills they need to prosper," Cooper said. "Only now, the new legislation seals our role in post-secondary education."
To find out more about what's involved in choosing a career college, the association has posted some pointers for potential students on their website at www.oacc.on.ca/ careercollegechoices.
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