Conestoga College feels the squeeze

[Admiral Beez]

Immigration cuts leave an Ontario college, and its city, feeling the strain

Conestoga College’s changing fortunes are leading to layoffs at the school, weaker sales for local businesses and fewer job seekers in the community

www.theglobeandmail.com

Paywall free: https://archive.is/bMTSp

It's hard to feel bad for Conestoga College and their lead in what could be considered human trafficking of international students, bringing people here under essentially false pretenses, offering worthless certificates to rubes who then end up in dead end gig jobs before getting deported by the Feds once their permits expired.

Imagine the difference if instead of useless marketing and business admin certificates, Conestoga College focused its international recruitment on the trades, bringing new welders, carpenters and millwrights. Those students would be prized and gainfully employed today. They have top programs in the trades:

Welding and Fabrication Technician | Ontario College Diploma

The 2-year Welding & Fabrication Technician Diploma program provides skills for the layout, forming, fitting, joining & inspection of welded fabrications

www.conestogac.on.ca

Trade School Programs: Pathways to Skilled Careers | Conestoga College

Explore exciting trade school programs at Conestoga College. Prepare for a successful career with our skilled trades training and apprenticeship options.

www.conestogac.on.ca

I wonder how KW is doing overall? Was the LRT based on this larger student population?

 

[gabe]

Immigration cuts leave an Ontario college, and its city, feeling the strain

Conestoga College’s changing fortunes are leading to layoffs at the school, weaker sales for local businesses and fewer job seekers in the community

www.theglobeandmail.com

Paywall free: https://archive.is/bMTSp

It's hard to feel bad for Conestoga College and their lead in what could be considered human trafficking of international students, bringing people here under essentially false pretenses, offering worthless certificates to rubes who then end up in dead end gig jobs before getting deported by the Feds once their permits expired.

Imagine the difference if instead of useless marketing and business admin certificates, Conestoga College focused its international recruitment on the trades, bringing new welders, carpenters and millwrights. Those students would be prized and gainfully employed today. They have top programs in the trades:

Welding and Fabrication Technician | Ontario College Diploma

The 2-year Welding & Fabrication Technician Diploma program provides skills for the layout, forming, fitting, joining & inspection of welded fabrications

www.conestogac.on.ca

Trade School Programs: Pathways to Skilled Careers | Conestoga College

Explore exciting trade school programs at Conestoga College. Prepare for a successful career with our skilled trades training and apprenticeship options.

www.conestogac.on.ca

I wonder how KW is doing overall? Was the LRT based on this larger student population?

Problem with trades is once they get experience they move out of Canada to the US. Canada is a stepping stone for the US for a lot of skilled workers. I don't blame them for moving. You can make better money in the US with a lower cost of living. 60k to 100k a year down there goes a lot further than here. As long as Canadian companies have a revolving door of cheap TFW;s things won't change.

Guelph’s new $90M downtown Conestoga College campus is deferred until ‘enrolment allows’ What a shame, this would have a been a perfect spot for a developer to convert the office building into housing, for people who will actually spend money downtown.

So this building sitting in a prime location, is going to sit empty until the government opens the flood gates again.

ICYMI: Conestoga’s $90M Guelph campus deferred

The campus, intended to be in the former Co-Operators building, is deferred until enrollment picks up

www.guelphtoday.com

 

[Admiral Beez]

Problem with trades is once they get experience they move out of Canada to the US.

That may be the case usually, but with US CBP and ICE specifically targeting brown people they may be disinclined to jump ship. And besides, the Canadian schools still get the tuition, and lastly a good percentage will still remain to contribute to Canada’s future.

 

[McGillicuddy]

That may be the case usually, but with US CBP and ICE specifically targeting brown people they may be disinclined to jump ship. And besides, the Canadian schools still get the tuition, and lastly a good percentage will still remain to contribute to Canada’s future.

To an extent, yes. But the children of Nigerian aristocracy aren't attending community colleges in Ontario based solely upon Fanshawe College's global reputation as a centre for learning in bar and golf club management.

It is true that the outright hostility of the Americans will drive some people to consider Canada instead. It is also true that cracking down on pathways that lead from college programs to PR and citizenship will produce a push effect, especially among the wealthiest students.

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

To an extent, yes. But the children of Nigerian aristocracy aren't attending community colleges in Ontario based solely upon Fanshawe College's global reputation as a centre for learning in bar and golf club management.

It is true that the outright hostility of the Americans will drive some people to consider Canada instead. It is also true that cracking down on pathways that lead from college programs to PR and citizenship will produce a push effect, especially among the wealthiest students.

Funny you should mention Fanshawe: their "campus" in the office building at Bay south of Gerrard that replaced a Duke pub finally shuttered this week.

 

[Admiral Beez]

To an extent, yes. But the children of Nigerian aristocracy aren't attending community colleges in Ontario based solely upon Fanshawe College's global reputation as a centre for learning in bar and golf club management.

It is true that the outright hostility of the Americans will drive some people to consider Canada instead. It is also true that cracking down on pathways that lead from college programs to PR and citizenship will produce a push effect, especially among the wealthiest students.

Once we've addressed the mess of the study permit and TFW system, I'd welcome a renewed study permit process with an implicit path to PR, but only in areas that the country sees a need, such as the certified trades. And most importantly, PR must be applied for from the home country.