Manitoba government to review ‘rapidly evolving college landscape’

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This article was published 20/06/2017 (3318 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government will be reviewing college education in the province — the first one Manitoba has undertaken in the last 10 years.

Education Minister Ian Wishart announced the review on Monday, with the goal of identifying opportunities to strengthen the system, improve outcomes for students and focus programming on skills needed in the province’s labour market.

“With shifts in industry, labour market needs, emerging technologies and innovation, this review is timely in a rapidly evolving college landscape,” Wishart said in a statement.

“Improving co-ordination in the college education system will support institutions in adapting to this changing environment and building a high-skilled, job-ready labour force.”

The Manitoba College Education Review will partner with public post-secondary institutions such as Assiniboine Community College, Red River College, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, University College of the North and Université de Saint-Boniface.

“It is certainly welcome news to many of us in the sector — this is something that happens periodically in colleges in different jurisdictions and usually it’s quite helpful at advancing the agenda for education,” said Assiniboine Community College president Mark Frison.

There are a number of important issues in Manitoba that would benefit from being highlighted, Frison said.

“We have the lowest post-secondary educational attainment rate in the country, and so when you think about the government’s mantra of most improved province, there’s both a real opportunity and a real need to make sure that more folks are going to college and university in Manitoba if we want to keep the economy strong,” Frison said. “I expect that to figure prominently in the issues we’ll talk about through the review process.”

Manitoba also has the third-lowest percentage of college seats in the country, Frison said.

“I think the government can be helpful in terms of helping to rectify that imbalance,” Frison said.

“It certainly is my hope that this will lead to increased seats. We have wait lists for many of our programs, and so looking at ways to ensure that there’s better access for people who want to step up and avail themselves of a post-secondary education is an important piece for us.”

Frison is also hoping to see a better balance when it comes to provincial funding in Manitoba, he said.

“Eighty-five per cent of the money for post-secondary is currently spent in Winnipeg,” Frison said.

“When you look at the educational attainment across the province, it’s not evenly distributed and the government would be well served to look at a better balance inside and outside Winnipeg.”

The report, which will be compiled by Higher Education Strategy Associated, is expected to be completed in late 2017.

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