Ontario Colleges Could Have New 3-Year Programs & Here's What You Need To Know
These programs are expected to open by 2023.
Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario.
If you're going to be graduating high school soon and have no clue what you want to do next, well, Ontario's colleges will be offering even more programs, and they're hoping to accept applications for 2023.
On Monday, the Ontario government announced that public colleges throughout the province can now start creating brand-new three-year degree programs as well as more four-year degree programs to bridge the labour gap.
The government suggests that the three-year applied degree programs could help address workforce shortages in skilled technology jobs in the health care, digital, data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and process automation sectors.
The Ford government is also hoping for more programs that will train future auto workers to build electric cars and work on Ontario's transit, road and infrastructure needs.
"We intend to offer labour market-focused, three-year degrees that will meet industry need for employees with the optimal mix of technical and advanced skills. It's an essential combination for continued success in today's highly competitive global marketplace," President and CEO of Centennial College Dr. Craig Stephenson said in a separate release on Monday.
The expanded programs are also set to provide more learning opportunities for students in rural areas and smaller communities.
In order to participate, Ontario's colleges will be need to create new three-year degree programs in career-oriented areas that are different from what students could get at university.
"Our government is taking action to ensure young people are graduating with the skills they need to earn bigger paycheques that are waiting for them," Ontario's Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton said.
"This is how we build back a stronger province and bring good jobs to every corner of Ontario."
To support this expansion of degree programs at colleges, publicly assisted colleges will see their degree cap limits raised by 5%, with Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning jumping to 20% and all other colleges raising to 10%.
Before this, colleges like George Brown, Humber, Seneca, Conestoga, and Sheridan could only have 15% of their programs served to degree programs.