Traditionally, the role of colleges has been to serve the educational needs of their communities. They deliver a foundational core of knowledge in a variety of subjects and offer pertinent, applicable training in specific fields, usually technical or technological. Colleges are tasked with providing education to all segments of the population, including minorities, second career adults and international students. This charge is daunting enough, but colleges must also be responsive and flexible to meet ever-changing needs of the business world.

Colleges make education accessible to everyone

Over time, colleges have changed their policies to address societal concerns about the needs of minority groups. This was evident during the 1980s and 1990s when great emphasis was placed on making college education available and accessible to all populations. Colleges worked to include marginalized students in all aspects of college life.

Colleges also struggle with making education financially accessible to larger portions of the community. They continually nurture a variety of funding sources and opportunities to help more students enter college. Once in college, students can help pay for and enhance their education with “real world” internships and career development opportunities.

Colleges are responsive to community needs

Colleges develop flexible and responsive curricula to meet the needs of the local business community. As technological and economic needs within a given industry shift, college courses can be modified, added, or deleted. Ontario colleges have pushed decision-making authority down to lower levels allowing them to keep pace with changing needs of the community.

Colleges are micro communities

Colleges are micro communities operating within a larger community. With small student-to-faculty ratios, students reap the advantages. They receive more individualized attention from faculty and create a supportive social network with fellow students. Through shared experiences, students and faculty develop a camaraderie that enriches the quality of education.

Colleges adhere to quality standards

Colleges are held accountable for their performance by mandate of the Ontario government. They are measured on five criteria: student satisfaction, graduate satisfaction, employer satisfaction, graduation rates, and employment rate. Regular measurement of these five criteria guarantees that standards are met. In the most recent results from 2009-2010, 83% of graduates were employed within six months of graduation and over 93% of employers were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their college graduate hires.

Colleges provide additional support to international students

International students face other challenges, similar to those of recent immigrants. They may have language barriers, and they have to navigate new and different cultural norms. Finding housing, transportation, medical help and other necessities occupy an international student’s time and compete with time spent on studies.

Colleges supply all students with support through a centralized counseling services department. Since international students often have additional and different needs, colleges also have established an extra support system with dedicated offices such as the International Student Centre.

Two colleges that are leading the way

Two examples of Ontario colleges that are getting it right are Seneca College and Humber College. Both offer many scholarships to international students with strong academic backgrounds. They help students apply for off-campus work visas and provide valuable links between student and employer. Students receive a necessary knowledge base, training and skills so they can succeed in the working world and employers receive motivated, educated workers with relevant skill sets.

Ontario’s colleges are working diligently to improve the quality of education and satisfy stakeholders at every level. International students are attracted to Ontario colleges because of the help they receive from the time they enter the country to the time they graduate and get hired. Many international students remain in Canada after graduation and become successful, contributing members of society in large part because of the assistance and training they obtained in college. The Canadian government is making this possible through working with the Colleges’ and offering open work visas for up to three years upon graduating form a 3-year program and allowing qualified candidates to immigrate under the “Canadian Experience Class” immigration system. Admission policies, educational curricula and funding options will all continue to evolve as Ontario’s colleges seek out and serve students