Latest news with #St.ClairCollege
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
St. Clair College faces $6.5M budget deficit, but U.S. trade war could spark new demand
But the college says the U.S. trade war could trigger new domestic demand and investments in training St. Clair College has entered the 2025-26 fiscal year with a budget deficit of $6.5 million, after a year that saw enrolment impacted by steep cuts to study permits issued to international students. The board of governors approved the budget in late March. College President Michael Silvaggi told CBC on Monday the deficit was unfortunate but not a surprise. "Certainly, there has been a change in the landscape of post-secondary education, and not just [in] Ontario, but all through Canada," Silvaggi said. "St. Clair College is not immune to all the change that has happened." The federal government slashed international study permits by more than a third at the start of 2024 amid concerns that the number of international students in the country was contributing to a shortage of housing and driving up rents and purchase prices. Reserve fund to cover deficit It cut permits by another 10 per cent for the 2025 school year. St. Clair responded in February by suspending 18 of its programs, including many that had been popular with international students, though it still anticipates posting a surplus for the 2024-25 school year, Silvaggi said. Funding to cover the 2025-26 deficit will come from the institution's sustainability reserve fund, whose purpose is to offset deficits when necessary. "St. Clair College has always taken a very conservative approach with respect to our finances," Silvaggi said, "So we have some comfort there knowing that we have some money set aside." The college is mandated to balance its budget, but it opted not to cut spending enough to do so this year because of the uncertainty created by the U.S. trade war with Canada and the need to reshape the Canadian economy. "You don't want to cut too deep because there's still all kinds of unknowns," he said. "And what kind of position are you going to be in if a policy change resurrects something and then all of a sudden you're not able to respond accordingly and so forth … Unfortunately, you're not always able to right the ship on a dime." Silvaggi does not expect the federal government to loosen its restrictions on international study permits any time soon, he said. And even if it did, he said, Canada would have work to do to rebuild its reputation as a destination for those students. College Ontario, the advocacy organization for the province's colleges, had previously told CBC it was concerned about the federal government's changes to immigration and the impact on students and local economies. But the country's efforts to refocus its economy away from the United States may create new demand from domestic students and attract new investment in training, Silvaggi said. "In terms of economic development and so forth, colleges have always played a role in training, in retraining, in blazing new territory," he said. "So certainly that is a consideration. Because we need to be ready when called upon." The University of Windsor announced in April that it had trimmed its budget deficit to $4 million through a series of cost-cutting measures. Those included eliminating vacant positions, laying off some staff, reducing part-time teaching contracts and implementing a hiring freeze, Vice President of Finance and Operations Gillian Heisz said at the time.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More newcomers are learning French in hopes of improving their chances to stay in Canada permanently
After spending $42,000 on his masters in mechanical engineering at the University of Windsor, Harbal Deep Sidhu is now paying $2,000 a month to learn French to advance his chances at getting Permanent Residence (PR) in Canada — an increasing trend among newcomers. "I'm very much concerned. From the time I've graduated, I have seen extreme changes to the laws and regulations to get permanent residency now. The cutoff points are very high, which is very difficult even for a masters or PhD student," the 25-year-old said. "So, we get points for learning French and we can use it in our PR application." The pursuit for PR is becoming cutthroat. As of January, Canada is estimated to have 3.02 million temporary residents but there are only 395,000 PR spots available this year. Hence, Sidhu said, the rush to learn French. While struggling with the language, the international student from Punjab, India, said he has been practicing it rigorously "around two hours every day" to bolster his application. He worries that in the next draw, the cutoff points would be higher and hopes learning French becomes his saving grace. From getting a premium Duolingo subscription to YouTube videos, Sidhu is leaving no stone unturned, including "a very expensive" private French tutor. Sidhu said his 16-month master's "was not worth it" and now more expenses await for him to gain PR. He suspects it will take him at least six months to reach the proficiency levels needed by the immigration department. He wants to apply for his PR later this year, as he has only two years left on his work permit. "I think speaking and listening are difficult, but reading is difficult because it's a completely different language, different alphabets and all other things. It's really hard work." He said the government should reduce the cutoff points or have exceptions for master's and PhD students and help applicants who "are already contributing to the economy of Canada." "I'm going for a French certification that will again cost me money. I'm still investing in this country. I'm not getting back anything in return." Gurasees Singh, who is pursuing computer system technician networking at St. Clair College, is also eyeing online French programs. He said while the government has increased PR pathways under education and health-care streams, he would not qualify. "But because we are IT professionals, we definitely need to consider French. We won't be able to get into trades or health pathways. So, French is the only option that becomes feasible for us," he said. Singh said many data and networking companies also prefer bilingual candidates and learning French is an asset overall. "French is one of the best options right now," he said. His friend and classmate, Abhoo Kabil, agrees. He is also considering French-related immigration pathways. "Some people I know have succeeded in French," he said. "It would be great scope for becoming a permanent resident of this country." Lou Janssen Dangzalan, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer, said he has been advising his clients for two years now to learn French as one of their backup plans to improve the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores. CRS is a ranking system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for immigrants applying for a permanent residency, using factors like age, level of education, English proficiency and work experience. Every two weeks, IRCC draws a CRS rank and applicants with that score or higher are invited to submit documents to receive a permanent resident card. "The most apparent reason being if you pursue French as a second language, essentially you stand to increase your CRS points, and that increases your chances to get drawn," he said. "The other thing is that you receive the possibility of being classified as a Francophone under Express Entry and that means that you could benefit from Francophone category based selection, which has a lower cutoff score." He said that's what he advised a client of his, a year and a half ago, and it "significantly increased" his points for PR. "I've successfully been trying to convince more and more of the people who consult with me or who are clients with us to pursue French as an alternative, as their ultimate backstop." Dangzalan said many international students, holding postgraduate work permits which have a limited validity maximum of three years, are opting for this route. If one speaks French at a Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level equivalent to five out of 10, Dangzalan said they can qualify for a Francophone mobility work permit. "People should aim for a minimum of five and then work their way up to seven. [Higher] the points that you get as a matter of bilingualism for your CRS under Express Entry, increases dramatically by a factor of 50 points." Dangzalan suggests immersing in the language and not just approaching it as "a requirement for immigration." For others like Amangel Bhullar, a PhD student at the University of Windsor, it's about getting access to better opportunities, especially governmental jobs that need French speaking candidates. Speaking about international students and work permit holders learning French "to be competitive in the PR process." Bhullar said it is "surely an edge." The 32-year-old became a citizen in 2022 and said in the present job market, knowing an extra language gives the competitive edge. "I'm learning French, which could help me open doors in my R&D, research and the government side of things," she said. "Nowadays, I see a lot of bilingual jobs are coming up. Since the job market is changing and they're looking for more competitive people, I am learning French to keep myself in the competition." Bhullar said her only hurdle with French is learning correct pronunciations and that it might take her three years at Boreal College to be fluent enough. Simon Goulet, the campus director at Windsor's Boreal College, said their seven campuses across the province have been feeling the increasing demand for French programs from newcomers. "We are seeing an increase right now in international students registering into our French as second language program," he said. Province wide, he said there is a "222 per cent increase in registrations of international students in the program." "That's good news. There's a lot of interest in learning French for many reasons. Immigration is one, but also there's a curiosity for official languages as well and a desire to partake in that." Goulet said many newcomers are realizing that being fluent in French is an advantage in Canada. "Our program is really focused on conversational skills, so it's more so the speaking and listening components," he said. "But it's only one part of the puzzle. You need to find that immersion outside too." Due to the rising interest, Goulet said their Windsor site will soon join the suite of Hamilton, London, and Sudbury sites to offer French examinations required by IRCC.
CTV News
24-04-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Wake up in Windsor: CTV's Your Morning highlighting the region in special election show
Your Morning will be broadcasting live from St. Clair College on Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. 'We did a live show out of Saint John, New Brunswick. We did a live show out of Edmonton last week, and this week we are here in Windsor,' host Anne-Marie Mediwake said Thursday. She was near St. Joachim interviewing Essex County farmer Leo Guilbeault as part of a focus on the local greenhouse and agriculture sector and the impact of American tariffs. 'We came to Windsor-Essex, because yes, it's a smaller city, but it has big impact from what is happening south of the border,' Mediwake said. 'You've got manufacturing and auto, which everybody knows, but there's a secondary story that isn't talked about a lot, but equally important, and that is agriculture in this area, the amount of produce that goes across the border in to feed the U.S., that story is a really big one here.' Your Morning will have a wide range of special interviews from the Goodfellows to Mayor Drew Dilkens and local Unifor leaders. Over the course of the federal election, Your Morning has travelled across the country but Mediwake says there are common themes across Canada. 'Everybody's talking about cost of living and affordability. That's number one for everybody; every demographic in every province,' Mediwake said. 'But how what's happening south of the border affects different industries and provinces, that's what we wanted to dig into and that's part of the reason we came to Windsor.'
CBC
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Canada Votes 2025: Windsor West voters seek empathy, affordability, job security in this election
Voters in Windsor West who spoke with CBC Windsor about their federal election concerns say the country is in need of a change. There's been some major investments in Windsor West in recent years, including the newly built Gordie Howe bridge — the third international border crossing in the riding — and designation of Ojibway as a national urban park. The area also includes the South Windsor and Sandwich Town neighbourhoods, which are home to the city's two major post-secondary campuses, the University of Windsor and St. Clair College. The riding has been an NDP stronghold for more than two decades. In 2002, NDP MP candidate and incumbent Brian Masse was elected for the first time. Since then, he's been re-elected seven times. While Windsor West resident Avneet Dhami didn't say who she's voting for, she does think that this time around, Canadians are looking for a change in leadership. "I think the biggest issue for most people is that they don't like the current status quo ... and I would agree, I think something does need to change," said Dhami. "The government has so much power and they don't ever use it for the benefit of most of us, it's always for companies and corporations and not for people like you and me." In Sandwich Town, 32-year-old Hassan Charif said he wants to see action. "Hopefully this time around, whatever parties that's running, hopefully whatever they say, they actually mean and hopefully, if we do elect them, they do implement everything they say they're going to do," he said. Jobs, cost of living are key issues In recent years, Windsor has had one of the highest unemployment rates of big cities in Canada. Challenges finding work along with record inflation has some students and young people in the Windsor West riding wanting to see a government that will prioritize the job market and a strong economy. As a first-year registered practical nurse student at St. Clair College, Dhami said she wants to see things become affordable again. "You go to the grocery store and like you look at produce and you think, 'I used to be able to afford that and now [I] can't,'" she said. How are the parties doing? Check CBC's Poll Tracker She says there needs to be more resources dedicated to helping new immigrants, like housing and healthcare. "They're lowering the amount of international students and immigration, but what about the people that are already here, right? What about them?" Charif, who lives in Windsor West, says housing and homelessness are issues that he wants to see addressed. He said he believes the cost of living crisis and employment aren't being talked about enough. "I feel like we're in an economy right now where things are like so expensive, but people are working part-time jobs or hourly pay jobs and they're struggling to keep up with that living paycheque to paycheque," he said. For 28-year-old Nicholas Shepley, the Progressive Conservative Party are who he feels politically aligned with. Shepley, who is at St. Clair College boosting his math grades so that he can become a mechanic, says he attended conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's Windsor rally. "Everything I've been hearing about what the Conservatives have been doing is making more and more sense," he said. "Like build more pipelines [and] axe the taxes so that homes aren't so expensive." 'I want to vote with empathy' At the University of Windsor, first-year biomedical science student Ziyad Deen said job opportunities and the economy are top of mind. As someone who identifies with the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Deen said they also continue to worry about their rights. "I don't want to force LGBT on anybody, I just want them to have knowledge and treat us as humans," they said. "It's very lost to vote with empathy these days ... I want to vote with empathy for the population right? I am voting for everybody, right? So I would say consider that when voting." For recently retired resident Utanu Mafandala, her priorities look a little different. Mafandala just moved to Windsor in January, but she's spent decades living in Montreal and Toronto. She says crime and healthcare are two top concerns for her. Mafandala said that while at first she thought having a change of government would be good for the country, escalating tensions with the United States and all the tariff talk have her thinking "it's better if we can just keep the continuity of the government who is now in place." But, she says she didn't agree with many of former prime minister Justin Trudeau's policies and thought his government didn't prioritize the wellbeing of Canadians. Out of this election, she hope the next government takes "care of the people here in the country more, improve the situation of the citizens here." What matters to you? CBC Windsor wants to hear from voters in our region about their top priorities for this election. Fill out the form below to tell us what you think:
CBC
28-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
St. Clair College student participates in Tourette syndrome advocacy day in Washington D.C.
Social Sharing An 18-year-old student at St. Clair College is back from Washington D.C. after taking part in the annual Tourette Association of America Advocacy Day on March 5. Leamington native Lily Steinhoff said the highlight of the trip was meeting others who were just like her. "I have echolalia, so I was picking up everyone else's ticks," she said. "So it was kind of funny. It's like, 'You have that tick?' 'Oh, I have that tick too.' Or … I'd have a tick, and they'd be like, 'You gave me that tick', and [I'd] and be like, 'Oops.'" Participants in the advocacy day learned how to be resilient leaders, how to advocate, and how to do presentations in schools, Steinhoff said. They also learned more about Tourette syndrome itself. It's not 'just swearing' One of the most common misconceptions, Steinhoff said, is that Tourette syndrome is "just swearing." "That's a big misconception is that everyone swears and that people with Tourette's aren't able to work, aren't able to drive, aren't able to do a lot of things. But I can." Steinhoff's ticks include clearing her throat, gasping and clapping, she said. Anxiety and stress make them worse. One in 50 people in Ontario have Tourette's, she added. Steinhoff has met other people with Tourette's on Instagram and that has helped her feel less alone, she said, as has television show Raising Tourette's, which follows families with children dealing with the condition. And pop star Billie Eilish has spoken about her experience with Tourette's. Watching Eilish perform allowed Steinhoff to discover that she too can experience relief from ticks while singing. "I see her on stage, I don't see her tick, and it's just so cool to see people when they have that one thing that helps them not tick," Steinhoff said of Eilish. Gymnastics and dancing also help, she said. While in Washington, she met another celebrity with Tourette syndrome: TV and social media personality Baylen Dupree. " She is one of the nicest humans I've ever met," Steinhoff said. "I talked to her about my advocacy work and even asked her … how I can get out and advocate more. And she gave me the advice that I should just post on Instagram – post as much as I can, post facts, talk about it." Steinhoff, who was diagnosed at age 12, is currently studying hospitality. But she sees professional Tourette syndrome advocacy in her future, she said. Asked what she would say to other young people diagnosed with the condition, she replied, "Buckle up. It's going to be a long ride." She also encouraged them to advocate for themselves. "I would just say, 'I have Tourette syndrome,'" she said.
