Latest news with #postsecondary
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
New Brunswick government to spend $7.35 million on next phase of CCNB renewal project
The Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) is receiving $7.35 million to support the next phase of its Bathurst campus renewal project. 'The contributions CCNB makes to advance New Brunswick are immeasurable, and we are proud to support their efforts to innovate, develop a skilled and agile workforce and build communities,' Jean-Claude D'Amours, acting minister of post-secondary education, training and labour said in a news release. 'This project is consequential for the community, the province and our post-secondary education sector, and we are thrilled to support it.' The money will be provided by the department as part of the 2025-26 budget. The government first announced funding for the initial phase of the project in December 2023. 'This marks another key milestone made possible by the dedication of our teams and valued partners,' said Pierre Zundel, president and CEO of CCNB. 'As we move toward the official opening, our commitment remains stronger than ever; we're focused on delivering training and applied research that shape bright futures and strengthen New Brunswick's francophone communities for generations to come.' A new building on du Collège Street will replace a current building on Youghall Drive as part of the college's plan, as well as modernizing an existing building on du Collège Street, which opened in 1916. CCNB has five campuses and offers nearly 80 programs grouped in seven schools that aim to help meet the needs of the province's labour market. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Colorado's Blueprint For The Future Of Education And Work
Governor Jared Polis signs an Executive Order directing Colorado's state agencies to work together ... More to help more post-high school learners access needed credentials and jobs. For decades, Americans have followed a linear path: education first, then work, with clear boundaries between the two. This industrial-era model is becoming obsolete in today's economy, where technological change accelerates career transitions and the average worker will hold nearly 13 different jobs over their lifetime, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The State of Colorado is confronting this new reality with Gov. Jared Polis's recent Executive Order (EO), "Reimagining the Future of the Postsecondary Talent Development System in Colorado," which aims to transform how education and workforce systems function together toward a more interconnected talent development system. In the EO, signed on May 20, Gov. Polis asserted: "We must continue to close the gaps between academic and occupational education and training. Our education systems must meet learners where they are and serve them dynamically to meet the workforce demands of Colorado's growing economy." The traditional boundaries between learning and earning are already blurring in practice. Many learners pursue credentials while working full-time, companies invest in employee education and educational institutions partner with employers on curriculum development. Yet government structures haven't adapted to this reality. Colorado's initiative aims to close this gap by rethinking how education and workforce systems interact. Rather than treating them as separate domains with occasional intersections, the EO envisions an integrated talent development system. Despite Colorado's impressive track record in workforce development—including free in-demand credentials, stackable credential programs, expanded apprenticeships and the nation's first equivalency framework that recognizes different educational modalities—pressing challenges remain. The state has two available jobs for every unemployed person, and while 90% of well-paying jobs require postsecondary education or training, undergraduate enrollment among Colorado residents has declined by 8% since 2010. At the heart of Colorado's initiative is a fundamental shift in perspective: moving from an institution-centered system to a learner-centered ecosystem. The current system creates what a statewide task force described as "an immense administrative burden" with programs "managed, funded, and reported on separately," creating unnecessary complexity for both providers and learners. The EO establishes several key principles to guide this transformation. It declares that reimagining the system is necessary to meet Colorado's economic needs, calls for aligned strategies among partners, emphasizes close collaboration between agencies and specifically targets young adults ages 18-24 who are neither in school nor employed. Business leaders have welcomed the announcement as a decisive move in Colorado's rapidly evolving labor market. Colorado Thrives, a coalition of CEOs and business leaders from Colorado's leading employers, has established an ambitious goal to upskill or place 30,000 Coloradans into good jobs by 2030. The employer-led initiative, which includes leaders from Colorado-based companies including DaVita, Guild, Ibotta and Vail Resorts, seeks to address a critical reality in Colorado: while talent exists throughout the state, opportunity remains unevenly distributed. "Colorado learners and jobseekers benefit from clear pathways to meaningful careers, and we all can help them get there," says Christine Heitz, CEO of Colorado Thrives. "Employers are excited to invest in local talent and be a positive force in the ecosystem. The Governor's Executive Order is an encouraging move to unify strategy, inspire bold action and make it easier to partner. Colorado thrives when we work together, and today's announcement propels us forward." To implement this vision, Gov. Polis has directed key state agencies to collaborate on reimagining the talent development system. The Colorado Departments of Labor and Employment, Higher Education, and Regulatory Agencies will work with the Office of Economic Development and International Trade to develop a comprehensive plan. "Governor Polis' executive order is a strong step toward aligning education and workforce systems to deliver better outcomes for learners and employers alike," says Dr. Steve Taylor, policy director and senior fellow on economic mobility at Stand Together Trust. "By breaking down silos across state agencies and focusing on talent development as a unified effort, Colorado is setting a national example for how to streamline resources and create a more efficient, demand-driven education-to-work ecosystem." What makes Colorado's approach promising is its emphasis on connectivity. The statewide task force vision articulated that by age 21, every Coloradan should have access to in-demand industry credentials, relevant college credit and high-quality work-based learning opportunities at no cost. This value has been adopted by the Colorado Department of Education as part of its most recent strategic plan and forms the foundation for the new Homegrown Talent Coalition. Colorado's initiative is part of a growing national conversation about the need to reimagine the relationship between education and work. In their report "The Big Blur," Jobs for the Future (JFF) advocates for a fundamental redesign of the last two years of high school and first two years of college into a single, more coherent system that bridges the gap between secondary education, postsecondary learning and workforce preparation. 'Too often, students, job seekers, and employers looking to gain skills are forced to navigate confusing and disconnected pathways from learning to work,' says Joel Vargas, a vice president with JFF. 'Governor Polis' action is an exciting step toward breaking down the arbitrary barriers between our education and workforce systems. This sets the stage for a more streamlined, learner-friendly system – that also responds to the needs of employers and Colorado's economy. This is the kind of bold leadership we have called for in our 'Big Blur' work and I hope other states are paying attention.' Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation and author of America Needs Talent, proposed a national Department of Talent nearly a decade ago, which would be positioned to address challenges similar to those facing Colorado. While the vision did not materialize at the national level, the fact that a state like Colorado is examining the integration of postsecondary education and workforce programs leaves Merisotis optimistic about states' visions. 'States need to focus on their talent needs, and how best to get there,' says Merisotis. 'We should care a little less about who provides the learning and a little more about what the state's residents know and can do in order to meet their personal objectives and the labor market needs of the state.' Colorado's effort comes at a critical moment when researchers are focused on how education systems need to adapt for longer lifespans. At Stanford University, Dr. Mitchell Stevens, professor of education and co-director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and a team of over two dozen Futures Fellows are developing a framework to address these challenges. Their work emphasizes that with lengthening lifespans, Americans will face multiple career transitions and need continual skill renewal. The traditional model of front-loading education, followed by a single career and retirement no longer serves us in an era where many will live into their 80s and 90s. 'What we see across the country is a general desire by state leaders in workforce, education and economic development to work together, but regulations, dedicated funding streams and competing metrics pull parties located in different offices in separate directions,' says Stevens. 'This is especially the case between colleges, universities and workforce agencies, whose leaders have often eyed each other with suspicion. A focus on talent development across the life course might reset both the structures and the stereotypes that keep otherwise well-meaning people from cooperating.' The Futures Project identifies five imperatives: reconfiguring education in the first quarter of life, growing talent for the future of work, democratizing economic mobility, sustaining prosperity over longer lives and supporting transitions across the life course. Their research concludes that the country needs systems that recognize the cumulative returns on investment in human capital from birth through adulthood. Implementing such systemic changes will require program modernization, new data systems, revised accountability frameworks and sustainable funding. Questions remain about breaking down longstanding silos, aligning funding streams and creating truly integrated experiences for learners. Other states are also recognizing the need to align education and workforce systems. According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) association, at least three other states have similar strategies to those proposed in the Colorado EO. Oregon has integrated their Workforce Development Board under their Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Utah moved its Talent Ready initiative from Economic Development to Higher Education and Missouri has implemented similar structural reforms that combine its higher education, workforce development and economic research efforts. What makes Colorado's approach noteworthy is its comprehensive vision that extends beyond administrative reorganization to fundamentally rethink how education and training are delivered throughout a person's life. William Gibson famously remarked that "the future is already here—it's just not evenly distributed." Colorado's EO recognizes that the future of education and work is already emerging in pockets across the state and nation. The challenge is making this future more accessible by creating systems that enable all learners to navigate seamlessly between learning and earning. As implementation proceeds, Colorado is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation in human capital development—creating a system designed not for the economy of yesterday, but for the ever-evolving demands of tomorrow. The traditional boundaries between student and worker, education and employment, are dissolving, and Colorado is embracing this change to build a system where learning and earning are concurrent, lifelong activities. The rest of the nation would be wise to watch closely.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
AI coming to classes around Canada
AI is now a daily tool for many but experts say it's still not widely understood. The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, AMii, is getting a $5 million gift from Google to shape artificial intelligence courses at 25 post-secondary institutions across Canada.
CBC
16-05-2025
- General
- CBC
How NAIT's program pauses will affect students
NAIT announced that 18 of its programs will be paused in September, meaning some people might have to change their post-secondary plans. CBC's Tristan Mottershead went to find out how students in or enrolled for these classes are impacted.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Why the federal cap on international students has hit Alberta — even though it still has room
Social Sharing Back in 2020, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology launched a five-year plan that centred largely around boosting its ranks of international students. "Our roots are in Calgary, our ambition is global: to bring more of the world to SAIT," the document reads. By that measure, the plan has been an overwhelming success. The 2023-24 school year saw a record number of international students attend SAIT, far outstripping even what the polytechnic institute had expected. The influx of international students — whose tuition is often double, triple or even quadruple that of Canadian students taking the same courses — brought with it a major revenue boost. International tuition at SAIT totalled $132 million for the year, marking an 81 per cent increase from the year before. (Domestic tuition was up as well, but by a relatively modest 12 per cent, to $78 million.) And while SAIT has seen the largest increase in international students, it's far from alone in this trend. There were nearly 30,000 more international students enrolled at Alberta post-secondary institutions in 2023-24 than there were a decade prior, according to provincial data. Community colleges and polytechnic institutions account for nearly three-quarters of that increase. (SAIT, alone, accounts for 20 per cent.) In early January 2024, however, things started to change. That's when the federal government announced a two-year cap on international study permits. The move was described as targeting "bad actors," particularly in Ontario, where the provincial minister responsible for colleges and universities expressed concern that some institutions were "taking advantage" of international students "with false promises of guaranteed employment, residency and Canadian citizenship." It also came amid concern over the effect international students were having on the housing market. These concerns were particularly acute in Ontario, which had nearly 10 times as many international study-permit holders as Alberta at the end of 2023, and in British Columbia, which had more than triple Alberta's numbers. Given the way the new federal rules allocated study permits to each province, however, Alberta was actually allowed to admit more international students in 2024 than it had in 2023, while the number of newly issued permits in Ontario and B.C. was curtailed. The allocation for Alberta was boosted again for 2025. In other words, while Ontario and B.C. are bumping up against the federal cap, Alberta still has room. Yet while it could welcome more international students than ever before, the number of new study permits that took effect in 2024 actually declined by about 10 per cent compared with the previous year. Leaders of Alberta post-secondary institutions say they've seen even bigger declines in study-permit applications in 2025, as they believe the new federal rules have discouraged many would-be international students from even applying. And, they say, the implications for institutions that have come to rely on these students could be significant. 'No longer welcoming' Pablo Ortiz, dean of students at Alberta University of the Arts, says international applications at his institution are down 26 per cent since the federal cap was announced, and actual admissions of international students are down 30 per cent. The university has not hit its cap and could admit more students — if it could find them — but he says the new federal rules have had a chilling effect on prospective applicants in other countries, who have interpreted them as a sea change in the way Canada views foreign students. "Basically, what we're saying [as a country] is that we're no longer welcoming of international students," he said. "That's the message that everybody, at least, is reading abroad." As a smaller institution, AUArts could be significantly affected by the loss of international students, according to Ortiz. "Some programs that relied heavily on international student enrolment might see reduced offerings or even discontinuation," he said. Calgary's Bow Valley College is much larger, with an international student body that measures in the thousands. But it, too, has been affected. Under the federal rules, it was allowed to provide roughly 2,400 provincial attestation letters last year, which are required documents for most study-permit applicants, confirming they have been assigned a place to study at a particular school. But Bow Valley wasn't able to meet that threshold, said Kara Sayers, dean of enrolment management and registrar, falling about 10 per cent short. "And we enrolled far fewer students than that at the end of the day, because you lose them at other points in time along the process," she said. The loss of tuition revenue can have far-reaching implications, she added. "When you're looking at the financial sustainability or viability of a program, and you don't have that international tuition to offset it, I think there are vulnerabilities that come in," she said. "And it isn't necessarily just programs that have a lot of international students, but all of this gets intertwined for an institution." 'Competitive environment' At The King's University, a small Christian institution in Edmonton, international applications are down 34 per cent. President Melanie Humphreys says it's a "competitive environment" in terms of global recruitment, and prospective students are looking elsewhere after the federal government introduced the cap, along with additional paperwork and rule changes that make coming to Canada more challenging. "If Australia or the U.K. or some other country replies sooner in terms of guaranteeing them of a visa, then that's where they go and that's where the talent goes," she said. Humphreys, who also serves as chair of the Alberta Post-Secondary Network, described the federal cap and associated changes as a "sledgehammer" policy that was largely aimed at a handful of Ontario institutions that were seen to be taking advantage of the study-permit system but is catching Alberta colleges and universities in its wake. "From the very beginning, Alberta actually has been a responsible player," she said. The two-year cap on study permits expires at the end of this year and she'd like to see "a far more surgical approach" from the federal government in 2026. Gabriel Miller, president and CEO of Universities Canada, had a similar view. "What we saw was a series of rapid-fire, blunt policy decisions by the previous federal government that sent a message to the world that Canada wasn't as interested in being a premier destination for the most talented people in the world," he said. "And the rest of the world got that message. And so we've seen a drop in the number of people applying to come here. And we've seen a drop in enrolments." 'There's education and there's edu-business' At SAIT, which has seen the largest growth in international students over the past decade in Alberta, teaching staff are now bracing for a decline. They're also anticipating job losses — particularly among those who aren't members of the full-time, permanent faculty. "We were notified that there was potentially some layoffs," said Blair Howes, president of the SAIT Academic Faculty Association. He said the union hasn't yet received official notice of specific layoffs from SAIT but it's expected some positions will be discontinued. "They have indicated that some of the casual positions and temporary salary ones were likely not to be renewed for the upcoming, next semester." SAIT president David Ross declined to be interviewed for this story. The Calgary-based institution recently informed teaching staff that its photojournalism major would be discontinued in September due to reduced international enrolment. Overall, however, Howes said there's not as much "doom and gloom" among SAIT faculty as perhaps there is at some Ontario institutions, where international student enrolment has seen much more drastic declines. He credited SAIT for handling its expansion of international student enrolment "fairly well," especially compared with how some other institutions in the country have approached it. "I do think that for some of the smaller organizations and institutions, it was pretty much a greed-motivated cash cow, for lack of better words," he said. At the same time, he also believes many institutions, including SAIT, have been forced to look for additional revenue streams due to years of government funding cuts, and boosting international student enrolment has provided an enticing solution. "There's education and there's edu-business, and the two sort of meld together," Howes said. "I would say that, in some cases, that was a forced initiative. I mean, if you're not going to fund post-secondary the way you funded it 10 years ago, but here's the opportunity: you can make up your shortfall by increasing foreign tuition."
