Conestoga continues to grow at a much faster rate than the Ontario college system average, which grew by 3.3 per cent for Fall 2012. Conestoga’s full-time enrolment growth from 2007 to 2012 is 61.1 per cent, the highest in the province and more than twice the system average of 30.3 per cent.
According to Alan Vaughan, Conestoga’s vice president, enrolment management and international education, the growth is spread across the college’s programs and faculties, with particularly large enrolment increases in engineering, information technology, and skilled trades programs.
“Increasingly, students are looking to career-focused education that will provide them with the skills and knowledge to enter today’s job market,” said Vaughan. “Conestoga provides a broad range of programs, many of them with co-op and experiential learning opportunities, that prepare students for professional success in areas of high labour-market demand.”
Conestoga’s efforts to attract students from across the world have resulted in a 74 per cent increase in international enrolment and attracted students from 56 countries. “Increasing international enrolment helps to instill a global perspective within the College’s programs and enriches the learning experience of all students,” Vaughan explained.
Other major areas of growth this year include Conestoga’s career-focused degree programs (increase of 15.8 per cent) as well as graduate certificate programs (up 33.8 per cent) that provide college and university graduates with job-ready skills in high-demand areas.
Despite rapid growth, however, studies show that that further expansion is required if Conestoga is to meet the needs of learners and employers in our rapidly growing community.
More information:
Alan Vaughan
Vice-President, Enrolment Management & International Education
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
avaughan@conestogac.on.ca
519-788-5220 ext. 2342
For media inquiries, contact Brenda Cassidy, bcassidy@conestogac.on.ca or 519-748-5220 ext 3336.