Niagara College News and Media

STATEMENT FROM NIAGARA COLLEGE ON FEDERAL BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUNDS FOR COLLEGE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADVANCED SKILLS RETRAINING

Niagara, Jan. 28, 2009 — The stimulus package announced in the federal budget tabled January 27, 2009 begins to address a key requirement for Canada’s future productivity and economic growth: more college graduates with advanced skills.

“We are very pleased with the up to $2 billion to support infrastructure investments at Canada’s colleges and universities, as well as the $1.5 billion in funding announced for training for those eligible for EI and those who do not traditionally qualify. Canada’s colleges will likely be called on to deliver the largest portion of this training.”

“Funding for retraining is key to helping Niagara College meet the needs of the Niagara economy for a highly skilled and employed workforce,“ says Dr. Dan Patterson, Niagara College President. “We are already experiencing record enrolment growth as the demand for Niagara College programs continues to grow, and we are at capacity in most of our facilities. We recently announced a $50 million campus enhancement and expansion plan, including the creation of 1,000 additional student spaces by 2010. This, however, is only a portion of what is required for us to meet the changing workforce and community needs in an advanced knowledge and skills economy, including urgent needs for technology training, research and development for local industry and expanded health care training.”

New infrastructure projects at colleges will strengthen their ability to deliver advanced knowledge and skills training, and can be used for repair, refurbishment and expansion projects.

“We are very pleased that the federal government has recognized the important role that the colleges play by identifying capital infrastructure dollars to support college programs and to help stimulate the economy. This investment of new funds will help retrofit, renovate, expand facilities and acquire new teaching technology,” added President Patterson. “This is particularly important now, when industry and business are desperately calling for graduates with the advanced skills colleges provide.”  

Even before the recession, colleges were turning away thousands of qualified students due to capacity limitations. With the downturn and rising unemployment, more students are returning to college to acquire the skills that continue to remain in demand and to secure their careers for the long-term. In addition, colleges are being called upon to retrain workers displaced in economic sectors that are performing poorly. More than 90 percent of college graduates find employment within six months of graduation. These skills enhance Canada’s competitiveness and productivity.

“Given the particularly difficult economic situation Niagara faces, Niagara College has a compelling case for support”, stated Patterson. “We recognize there will be a great deal of competition over these funds. However, we feel we have a responsibility to our community to work hard to ensure we receive a portion of those funds to help us meet the training and re-training needs in Niagara.”

Niagara College has several significant “shovel-ready” facility enhancement and expansion projects ready to be implemented, provided federal and provincial funding is available. The projects will improve learning environments, extend the lifespan of existing buildings, add capacity, and greatly improve energy efficiency, while at the same time immediately employing Niagara workers. 

“Partnerships, flexibility, and responsiveness characterize Niagara College”, added Dan Patterson, “These traits will enable us to move quickly in the retraining and re-employment of people in Niagara and Ontario, provided we have the facilities and equipment necessary to do so. We urge the province to follow Ottawa’s lead and invest in college infrastructure projects in this year’s provincial budget. This is a tremendous opportunity for Ontario to create new jobs immediately and to invest in the province’s economic strength over the longer term.”

“Investing in Niagara College’s shovel-ready projects will stimulate job growth and create new spaces to help us deliver quality education and training to our students.”

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For more information, contact: 

Sean Kennedy,
Vice President, Student and Community Relations
Niagara College
skennedy@niagaracollege.ca 

Dan Patterson,
President
Niagara College
dpatterson@niagaracollege.ca

Niagara College Event Management students are hosting “Crave,” a chocolate-themed fundraiser event, on Friday, Feb. 6, 2009 to support Habitat for Humanity Niagara.

The event will include an array of delectable chocolate-infused delights, chocolate cuisine, chocolate martinis, interactive and live entertainment, DJ and dancing, a Cake Walk, chocolate vendors, a silent auction, raffles, door prizes, giveaways and more.

The event takes place in the Starlight Room at Club Roma in St. Catharines beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person, or $240 for eight with a savings of $5 per person.

Proceeds from the event support Habitat for Humanity Niagara.

To purchase tickets, call 905-641-2252, ext 6468. For more information visit www.niagaracollege.ca/crave.

The Hospitality and Tourism Division of Niagara College offers Event Management as a one-year Graduate-Certificate program. Throughout the program students are prepared for careers in the planning, promotion and execution of special events in the public, corporate and non-profit sectors. Students are required to organize a number of events, such as the Many Hands project. To learn more about the Events Management Program visit www.niagaracollege.ca/em.

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For more information, contact:

Shelley Merlo
Event Management Program Coordinator
Niagara College
905-641-2252, ext. 4233
smerlo@niagaracollege.ca

After experiencing the largest enrolment jump among all Ontario colleges for Fall 2008, Niagara College is also experiencing a record increase in enrolments for Winter 2009.

As of January 5, enrolment for programs with January 2009 starts are up 28 percent over last year’s numbers. Applications for January start programs were up 34 percent over the previous year, compared to a 10 percent increase in applications province-wide. 

“This is a result of our growing reputation as well as a reflection of the current economic situation,” said Registrar Al Vaughan. “Our economy is in transition and clearly many people are turning to the many educational and retraining opportunities available at Niagara College.” 

In Fall 2008, Niagara College has a 12.4 percent increase in first-year enrolment compared to a system average of 5.6 percent, and a total enrolment increase of more than 10 percent versus a system average of 4.3 percent – making it the fastest-growing college in Ontario. 

To deal with its unprecedented growth, Niagara College has launched a $50 million campus redevelopment that will create 1,000 new spaces in programs that serve key industries in Niagara. Construction has begun, with a completion date of 2010. 

With 7,500 full-time students, Niagara College offers more than 90 diploma and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. Areas of specialization include hospitality and tourism, technology and community safety. The College is also home to the globally recognized Niagara Culinary Institute and to Canada’s first commercial teaching winery. 

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For more information, contact: 

Gordon Hunchak
Director, Marketing & Communications
905-735-2211, ext. 7567
905-650-7820 (cell)
ghunchak@niagaracollege.ca