College increases programs due to economic fallout

By Nicolina Leone

leon0080@algonquincollege.com

The economic crisis has made its way to Ottawa and many are feeling the pressure. Algonquin has become a safe haven for those looking to build new skills and re-enter the job market.

“Typically, tough economic times offer laid off workers a chance to return to school to upgrade their skills,” said communications officer David Hall.

College history shows an increase in numbers of applicants when there is an economic downturn “People are thinking, ‘Where am I going to get my next job?’” said MacDonald.

There are approximately 26,000 applications now - including those received after the equal consideration date. The problem is that only around 9,100 - or one-third - will be accepted “That’s not good enough,” said MacDonald.

To accommodate the increase and better serve students, the college will be offering more programs to start in January 2010 than there were in January 2009. Algonquin will also be extending its hours in hopes to free up space.

The only glitch in enrolment this year was a small number of students who did not return to school in January.

They were tracked down and sent surveys to find out their reasons. Some couldn’t come back because the bus strike made getting to school an issue, others could no longer afford tuition because of lost jobs due to the lack of transportation.

The college has been contacting those students to try and convince them to finish school. “(We’re) hoping they’ll realize that the diploma is very important,” said Kent MacDonald, vice president academic.