The three Niagara dailies (Niagara Falls Review, St. Catharines Standard and Welland Tribune) and the Hamilton Spectator released an article on Niagara College’s expectations for international student enrollment following the federal government’s announcement around capping international student study permits.
The article notes President Sean Kennedy’s confidence in the College’s preparedness for the upcoming academic year and beyond, highlighting that NC’s two campuses will maintain stable international student numbers, estimating that approximately 5,500 students will arrive in Niagara to begin post-secondary education.
“Our allocation, certainly for Niagara College, is one that will enable us to keep our momentum going that has really been building over the past few years,” said Kennedy. “Those clouds of uncertainty have parted and we are now able to, with greater assurance, confidently work with students that are planning on attending Niagara College and help them get ready to come to Canada.”
The article also emphasizes the significance of the Ford government’s allocation strategy, which prioritizes in-demand sectors such as skilled trades, nursing, child care, and STEM fields. Kennedy highlights the recognition of colleges’ pivotal role in addressing Ontario’s labor force needs.
“We certainly talked about the importance of ensuring that we were allocating enough seats so that we would have enough graduates down the road to help fill all of the labour force shortages,” he said. “All of these sectors need skilled graduates and we need both domestic students and international students, graduates from those programs, to fill the huge labour force shortages that exist and are projected.”
Read the April 21 St. Catharines Standard article here.
