At an announcement about Second Career on September 23, 2010, The Hon. John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities thanked the registered private career college sector for its significant contribution to the success of Second Career.

Since the launch of the program in 2008, Second Career has helped nearly 36,000 laid-off workers go to school and train for a new job. Registered private career colleges have been happy to help in the continued training on over 46,000 Ontarians annually.

Below are the results from the survey in which 13,000 Second Career participants were surveyed.

Second Career Graduate Survey Results:

- 93 per cent of Second Career students completed training

- 61 per cent of Second Career graduates found new jobs  

- 86 per cent of graduates were satisfied or very satisfied with the government’s Second Career program

- The average length of training was nine months with average funding approximately $17,500

- 61 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men were employed

- Average age of Second Career graduate was 43 for women and 42 for men

- Women represented 48 per cent of Second Career graduates

- Of respondents working full time, the average salary was $40,740

- Top training occupations chosen by Second Career students include bookkeeper, heavy equipment operator, truck driver, community and social service worker and gasfitter.

- Top sectors from which Second Career students were previously laid off include assemblers and inspectors, labourers in manufacturing and utilities, motor vehicle assemblers, inspectors and testers

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NOTE: OACC acts as a conduit in sharing information and does not endorse any particular entities that appear on this blog. If you have a job posting, property listing, equipment for sale or anything else you would like to circulate, please email laurabailey at oacc.on.ca .

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is now offering a $99 Post-Secondary Student Metropass – saving students $22 each month compared to the adult fare metropass. Since January of this year, the OACC has asked the TTC for information in regards to private career college students’ eligibility. The OACC consistent position has been that career college students should be eligible to access the passes.

However, OACC learned late last week from the Chair of the TTC Commission that students attending registered private career colleges in the City of Toronto would not be eligible for the new TTC Post-secondary Student Metropass. OACC believes that this policy is unfair and discriminatory, and voiced that firmly with the Toronto Star, resulting in an article on this inequity being published on August 31.

“Career-college students locked out of TTC post-secondary pass”

OACC is working with the TTC Commission and with City of Toronto Councillors in an effort to change this policy. However, we need support and assistance from all registered private career colleges with campuses located in the Toronto area. We also need support from our students who are being denied access to the post-secondary student passes.

In the following pages we have included steps for students as well as owners and administrators to take to make TTC Commissioners and City Councillors aware of the seriousness and scope of this issue for current and future students.

We have also included talking points to guide members and their students when discussing this unfair and inequitable policy.

Our goal is to have the policy amended to include career college students at the TTC Commission meeting on September 30, 2010 or sooner, if possible.

TTC $99 Post-secondary Student Metropass

Talking Points

• Approximately 15,000 post-secondary students in the City of Toronto make the choice to attend registered private career colleges annually, and over 46,000 students in Ontario make the same choice.

• The Toronto Transit Commission’s new $99 Post-Secondary Student Metropass is not available to post-secondary students at registered private career colleges in the City of Toronto.

• The discount Metropass saves students at public colleges and universities $22 per month, with an annual savings of $264.

• This is unfair and discriminatory

• The Ontario Association of Career Colleges (OACC) firmly believes its members and their students in the City of Toronto should be eligible for this new discounted metropass. All post-secondary students live on tight budgets regardless of where they attend class.

• A student attending a university or college while working full-time taking one or two courses is eligible for the $99 Post-Secondary Student Metropass, however full-time private career college students are not. This is unfair.

• OACC represents over 250 registered private career colleges in the province, about half of which are in the Greater Toronto Area. The number of registered private career colleges is approximately 230 (112 OACC members) in the City of Toronto alone.

• The costs for including the students of registered private career colleges would be small compared to the overall costs associated with the new $99 Post-secondary Student Metropass initiative

• The OACC is willing to work with the TTC in an effort to include students in diploma programs attending registered private career colleges in the coverage areas.

Students

• Students should contact their city councillor and make them aware of the issue and ask for their support.

• Send them an email and call them

• Tell them that this issue is very important to you

• Let them know you attend a registered private career college, which is regulated by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU). Make them aware that your diploma program is also approved by the Ministry.

• Tell them you live in their ward and attend a registered private career college and find the TTC policy grossly unfair.

• Ask your councillor to help get the OACC and the $99 Post-secondary Student Metropass issue on the agenda for the TTC Commission’s September 30th meeting.

• Go to http://app.toronto.ca/wards/findAddressForVotingPlace.do to find your ward and the name of your Toronto City Councillor.

• If contacting the councillor via e-mail, please CC your college so we can see how many students make their voices heard.

• Join our Facebook group Ontario Association of Career Colleges (and our TTC initiative group) and follow us on Twitter for regular updates @ontarioacc.

Owners/Administrators

• Owners and administrators of private career colleges should also contact their Toronto City Councillor and make them aware of the issue affecting your students. Inform them you live in their ward and own or work for a private career college and find the TTC policy for the post-secondary metropass unfair.

• Ask them to write a letter to the TTC Commissioners asking them to include post secondary students attending private career colleges in the Metropass discount program

• Ask your councillor to help get the OACC and the post-secondary metropass issue on the agenda for the TTC Commission’s September 30th meeting.

• Visit http://app.toronto.ca/wards/findAddressForVotingPlace.do to find your ward and the name of your Toronto City Councillor.

• Please let the OACC know about the contact you or your staff and students have with councillors so we may keep track of the effort.

• Join our Facebook group by searching “Ontario Association of Career Colleges” (and our TTC initiative group) and follow us on Twitter for regular updates @ontarioacc.

Links to share

Facebook Group: Include Private Career College Students in TTC Post-Secondary Metropass

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=150753031615197

Go to this link to determine the ward and the name of your City Councillor

http://app.toronto.ca/wards/findAddressForVotingPlace.do

This is the list of City Councillors

http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp

Statistics Canada recently released its quarterly labour force survey results. This labour force survey showed major growth in five particular sectors: retail and wholesale trade, business and support services, health care and social assistance, personal care business as well as construction. Small class sizes, intensive training and flexible learning at Ontario’s registered private career colleges will allow a greater number of people to train for these sectors, and enter the workforce sooner.

1. Retail and Wholesale Trade

There has been an increase of 69,000 workers in retail and wholesale trade in the past year, with 22,000 more jobs created in June 2010 alone. With opportunities in managerial, finance and administrative jobs within the sector, those trained in areas such as payroll and accounting can benefit from this growth.  Evergreen College in Toronto offers a unique Business Administration in International Trading Program, Kennedy College of Toronto offers fashion design; these are just two examples of programs available at many private career colleges.

2. Business and Support Services

This sector saw 20,000 new workers in June, and 86,000 since the beginning of 2010. This rise comes from the addition of new manager and administrative positions in the private sector. Victoria International College of Business & Technology in Toronto offers Business Administration,  and IBT College offers Business Management and Entrepreneurship diploma, while many career colleges offer diplomas for various business support roles.

3. Health Care and Social Assistance

The health care and social assistance sector added 20,000 workers in June. As the population of Ontario ages, the need for health care rises. With a shortage of health care professionals across Ontario and Canada, students at registered private career colleges benefit from intensive programs. Canadian Career College can train students for Long Term Care administration and Stafford College of Health Care, Business and Technology in Toronto offers a diploma in pharmacy assistant while many of Ontario’s career colleges, including Prestige Nursing Careers Centre, offer personal support worker diplomas.

4. Personal Care Business

The personal care service sector also increased, with 17,000 new jobs added in June. The retiring workforce has opened up doors to those looking for rewarding employment in the personal care service sector. The Salon & Spa Career College , Complections International Academy, and Body Pro Beauty & Aesthetics Academy and many more career colleges in Ontario offer diploma programs in esthetics, make-up for fashion, photography and bridal as well as spa management.

5. Construction

The construction sector has been the fastest growing industry since last July, according to the Statistics Canada labour survey.  There have been 94,000 more workers in that sector since this time last year. This growth requires highly skilled workers, and registered private career colleges such as Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute, HVAC Training Academy and Stanford International College of Business and Technology can help prepare you for a career in construction. Diploma programs such as Construction and Maintenance Electrician, Construction Technology, Gas Technician, Plumbing and Building services Engineering are offered at some of Ontario’s private career colleges.

The Ontario Association of Career Colleges represents over 250 registered private career colleges in Ontario. To find a career college or program in your area, visit ontariocollegesearch.ca or OACC.ca

OSAP Tools

No interest after Graduation

Students have six months before interest begins to accrue on their loans – encourage students, who can, to begin paying back loans before the six month period ends.

Ontario Student Opportunity Grant (OSOG)

This grant can limit yearly debt to a maximum of $7000 for two-term year, or $10,500 for three-term year

Interest Relief

Eligible students can suspend monthly loan payments if they cannot afford to make them.

Revision of Repayment Terms

Students can change his or her monthly payment by adjusting his or her loan repayment period.

Debt Reduction in Repayment

This program may help students reduce their debt if they are still having difficulty repaying five years after leaving their program of study.

Repayment Assistance Plan

This plan helps students through reasonable and affordable payments

Visit http://osap.gov.on.ca for more information about any of the above programs

Tools For Career Colleges

Admission Standards

Use admissions testing which not only meets ministry requirements but also those of the program – this will ensure student’s can handle the curriculum.

Entrance Counselling

Remind students during entrance interviews if they are applying for a loan it is their financial responsibility; arm your students with the information to make an informed decision before applying to OSAP.

Mid-program Counselling

Keep an eye on students who are falling behind, a withdrawn student still has to pay back loans and may lose out on grants.

Program quality, industry relevance and placements

Offer high quality programs that provide good value for money invested  in order to ensure that students feel good about their education and are more inclined to repay their loans.

Use program advisory committees for curriculum development and maintenance to ensure that the material being taught meets industry standards, and will lead to employment after graduation.”

Assist students with finding unpaid practicum placements to practice what they have learned, to gain real-world experience and begin networking before graduation, in an effort to increase their likelihood of becoming gainfully employed.

Exit interviews

Conduct exit interviews with students to remind them of their obligation to repay their loans, and the importance of keeping the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) informed of any address and contact information changes

Encourage graduates to read all correspondence received from NSLSC in a timely manner and offer to provide clarification about such correspondence, as needed.

Follow-up

Once the program of study has been completed, remind students of the responsibilities associated with OSAP, and the potential consequences of nonpayment such as garnishment of income tax refunds, and poor credit ratings that could negatively affect their ability to get car loans or mortgages in the future.

Student follow-up is an important step in reducing defaults.

Contact students after graduation to remind them of their obligation to repay their loans, through the use of a series of letters, emails and calls.

Contact OACC if you have any questions about helping your students keep their loans in good standing.