Annual survey shows how northern colleges are performing
The latest results of Colleges Ontario’s annual survey, looking at 2020-2021 graduates, have been released.
It looks at graduation and employment rates, as well as graduate and employer satisfaction, allowing schools to gauge how they are doing and highlighting where improvement is needed.
Officials from Canadore College in North Bay and Collège Boréal in Greater Sudbury said they are happy with how their institutions ranked.
Both northern colleges ranked higher than the provincial average for the number of graduates who have found employment and are satisfied six months after graduation.
"It's a reflection of all the great work done here by our staff with our students and the work that they do. I'm happy with our results, we always strive to be better," said George Burton, president of Canadore College.
"It's always nice to come in above provincial average. But it's more for internal use so that we can continue to meet the needs of our students and employees."
Northern college graduate employment rate:
- Boreal 90.6 per cent
- Cambrian 88.6 per cent
- Canadore 89 per cent
- Northern 81.6 per cent
- Sault 79.5 per cent
Collège Boréal’s president, Daniel Giroux told CTV News he is glad that even with the challenges of the pandemic, students were able to be successful.
"When you see students when they're in class and some of the challenges they went through with COVID and all, and see them graduate and find employment and see them satisfied with the quality of education that they received at Collège Boréal, it's truly amazing," Giroux said.
The provincial average of 2020-2021 graduates who said they were "satisfied/very satisfied" six months after graduation is 75.4 per cent. All five of the northern Ontario colleges received above-average marks.
Northern college percentage of 'satisfied/very satisfied' grads
- Boréal 94 per cent
- Cambrian 78.9 per cent
- Canadore 78.5 per cent
- Northern 87.2 per cent
- Sault 76.8 per cent
Both Canadore and Sault Ste. Marie’s Sault College received a 100 per cent employer satisfaction rating.
"It's a great reflection of Canadore training people for the needs of the workforce. The skills that our students are acquiring are appreciated by their employers,” Burton said.
“This is direct feedback from those employers so we are happy with that result."
Northern college employer satisfaction rate:
- Boréal n/a
- Cambrian 85.7 per cent
- Canadore 100 per cent
- Northern n/a
- Sault 100 per cent
When it comes to graduation rates, Boreal and Sault College exceeded the provincial average of 65.2 per cent during the height of the pandemic.
Northern college graduation rate among 2020-2021 grads:
- Boréal 75.2 per cent
- Cambrian 63.5 per cent
- Canadore 64.2 per cent
- Northern 58.7 per cent
- Sault 66.5 per cent
College officials said putting out these key performance indicators every year is important as it allows colleges to continuously review and improve their programs.
"It's not quality of the classrooms and equipment, it's the quality of the faculty and all staff… We look at patterns. We're always trying to get better,” said Giroux.
"We want that student experience to be great. We want them to graduate, want them to find employment and we want them to be successful."
More than 1,600 employers and more than 37,000 students from across the province participated in the annual survey.
Correction
This story has been corrected to reflect Collège Boréal's graduate employment rate.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.