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Cambrian bucks trend, applications spike 10%

Cambrian College is leading the province in percentage year-over-year applicant growth, a press release from the college said.
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Applications to attend Cambrian College are up over last year. Supplied photo.
Cambrian College is leading the province in percentage year-over-year applicant growth, a press release from the college said.

The number of students applying to Cambrian has spiked over the past 12 months by more than 10 percent, while the provincial average has dropped by 0.9 percent.

Cambrian also ranks third in the province – and first in Northern Ontario – in terms of students who have confirmed their program choices for the fall, with an increase of 2.3 percent over last year.

“We’re drawing students from outside our historical catchment area; this is testament to Cambrian’s foresight,” said Bill Best, the college’s new president, in the press release.

“The secret’s out – our efforts to differentiate ourselves from other colleges and our ability to offer programs that respond to current and projected needs are paying off. We also have great faculty and learning spaces, which bolster our reputation. We hope to continue this trend.”

France Quirion, associate vice-president, student services, attributes the increase to aggressive marketing and recruitment campaigns in southern Ontario and the GTA, as well as collaborative partnerships.

“We’ve done a really good job at partnering with school boards in supporting at-risk students through school/college/work initiatives, which help them graduate from high school and then continue into college,” she said.

“Education is counter-cyclical to the economy, so when it slows down and there are fewer employment opportunities available, more people choose to return to school.”

While final enrolment numbers will not be available until the third week of September, early figures indicate that a number of programs, including Dental Assisting, Medical Laboratory Technology, and Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment, are seeing high enrolment.

“Almost all our Skilled Trades programs are up slightly, as well,” Quirion said.

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