Ontario colleges have been given leave to develop new degree programs that will train people in industries with worker shortages, including the auto and engineering sectors.
On April 11, the province announced colleges will be invited to create three-year and four-year degree programs in “key sectors to address gaps in the province’s labour needs.”
Specifically it wants “highly skilled technology workers in the health care, digital, data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and process automation sectors,” as well as people who can build electric vehicles, roads, highways, hospitals, and long-term care homes.
The expansion in program offerings is also expected to increase access to education for students in small and rural communities.
Programs will be considered for eligibility if they are:
- in an applied area of study;
- career-oriented;
- distinct from university degrees; and
- reviewed by the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) and approved by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
Expansion of the Ontario college programming was first put forward in October with the Supporting People and Business Act, 2021.
The province expects the new three-year and four-year college degree program to be available to students starting in the fall of 2023.
