News

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, Ottawa is moving into the red-control zone on Ontario’s pandemic response framework as of Friday, March 19 at 12:01 a.m. (Pembroke and Perth Campuses continue to operate in the less restrictive yellow-protect zone.)

Ottawa’s status change, announced Thursday by the provincial government, increases various local restrictions relating to gatherings and capacity for a range of facilities. (You can review the full list of red zone restrictions here.) Continue reading →

Algonquin College’s Vice President Advancement, Mark Savenkoff, has been recognized with the 2021 ‘Professional of the Year Award’ by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

“This recognition acknowledges the generosity of our donors and the pride demonstrated by our graduates during an unprecedented year,” he said.

Savenkoff, who joined the College in 2019 as its first Vice President of Advancement, attributes his success to the hard work of his team and the vision and leadership of College President and Chief Executive Officer, Claude Brulé. Continue reading →

Algonquin College began accepting applications to Ontario’s new accelerated training program for Personal Support Workers this week. The program is part of the Ontario government’s $115 million investment to train up to 8,200 new personal support workers (PSWs) for high-demand jobs in Ontario’s health and long-term care sectors. In collaboration with Colleges Ontario, all 24 publicly assisted colleges will offer this innovative, fully funded program. This is part of the government’s Long-Term Care Staffing Plan, one of the largest recruitment and training drives in the province’s history.

This week, colleges across Ontario began accepting applications for this new program. This includes Algonquin College’s campus in Ottawa. Continue reading →

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Nearly one year ago, on March 13, 2020, the College temporarily suspended classes due to COVID-19 in order to give time for our faculty and staff to pivot and start delivering curriculum and services remotely. In those early days of the pandemic, we faced many unknowns, ever-evolving public health recommendations, and difficult decisions. In fact, the Prime Minister has designated today, March 11, a National Day of Observance to commemorate those who have died and the significant impacts we have all felt because of COVID-19.

While much has changed, those core challenges remain the same. Since last March, COVID-19 has had a major impact on our College community. In particular, Campus Services has been significantly impacted due to limited on-campus activity, and because the level of on-campus activity is anticipated to remain limited over the spring/summer term, we have made the difficult decision to close Food Services at the Ottawa campus as of May 1, 2021. This closure is indefinite until there is more clarity for planned campus activities. Food will be available at Students’ Association locations. Continue reading →

OTTAWA (March 4, 2020) – Algonquin College’s School of Advanced Technology received a generous donation of a Lincoln Corsair and Ford F-150 from Lincoln Heights Ford this week that will be used by Automotive Service Technician students learning their trade.

The vehicle donation also includes access to Ford Canada’s Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program for Algonquin faculty and students. ACE includes many online courses taken by Ford technicians to attain speciality certifications and will give students the opportunity to receive current industry-level training.

“Lincoln Heights Ford is delighted to partner with Ford of Canada to provide these vehicles to Algonquin College’s automotive program,” said Evan Bell, Operations Manager of Lincoln Heights Ford. “The Lincoln Corsair and Ford F-150 are equipped with some of the latest technology available, and will give students invaluable hands-on experience on their path to becoming certified automotive technicians.” Continue reading →

Cooperative Education work-terms at Algonquin College have surged to record levels and are ranking among the best in Canada, despite challenges posed by the pandemic. The news comes as National Co-op & Work Integrated Learning Month is launched today.

Fall 2020 co-op work-terms increased by 27 per cent at Algonquin compared to the same pre-pandemic time in 2019. The trend continues in the 2021 Winter term, with year-over-year growth pushing towards 30 per cent. The increases come as Canada celebrates National Co-op & Work Integrated Learning Month.

The good news is more remarkable considering work-terms across the rest of the country have been decreasing, according to recent statistics from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL). The organization’s November report indicated overall nation-wide placements were down by 14 per cent year-over-year. Continue reading →

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Let me first start by thanking you for the resiliency, creativity and flexibility you have continued to display each and every day as we navigated the recent province-wide shutdown and its impact through the Winter Term on the delivery of our programs and services.

As we mark the Winter Mid-Term Break period next week (for most programs of study; exceptions include AC Online and apprenticeships), I want to commend you for your hard work and spirit of collaboration in the face of the many unique challenges created by the pandemic. Continue reading →

The new accelerated training program for personal support workers (PSWs) announced today by the provincial government will produce a huge increase in the PSW training at Ontario’s colleges.

“This timely program supports learners and future patients by helping address the community demand for personal support workers,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “It’s an excellent opportunity for people interested in a new career in this crucial health care field.”

The Ontario government announced funding today for an accelerated program that will cover students’ tuition and other expenses. The accelerated program allows participants to graduate with full credentials within six months. Continue reading →

Dear Colleagues and Learners,

Following the February 12 announcement ending the Provincial shutdown, our campus communities have all transitioned to the Ontario’s revised COVID-19 response framework – a regionalized system of assessment and restrictions.

Ottawa and Perth returned to this regionalized COVID-19 response system Tuesday, February 16 – following Pembroke on February 10. Returning to this framework allows our campuses to operate largely as they have throughout the Fall term. Continue reading →