A stronger job market could be the cause of a slight decrease in enrolment at College of New Caledonia this year.
"We've seen the unemployment rate drop. It was 10 per cent and now it's less than six [per cent], I think. Also there's a job market for students after they graduate high school. Young people will often prefer to work for a time, perhaps to save to money to go to school later. So I think we're seeing some of that now. We're talking a modest, slight decrease overall," said CNC president John Bowman.
According to a student head count after nine days of classes, the Prince George campus of the college has reported a program enrolment of 87 fewer students than the same point last year.
When large numbers of people are unemployed, that's when jobseekers tend to go back to school, Bowman said.
Lower enrolments were experienced in applied business technology, practical nursing, English language training and professional cook.
"We'd like to see the numbers go up every year, but it's not any great deterrent to us," Bowman added.
But the largest decline was seen in the business administration program, which dropped from 240 students to 193 students.
"It's something we're going to be looking at. We're planning to have a meeting in the next couple of weeks to look at that very issue," Bowman said. "I think the transferability of our business programs to universities is something that we're very focused on, particularly to UNBC."
But this is not a new phenomenon, the president added, explaining the decline has been a trend over several years with less demand resulting in fewer course offerings.
Ideally, he explained, students would complete a two-year diploma program and then go on to finish a degree in something such as commerce at university.
"We think that would help make the program more attractive," Bowman said.
This has also marked the first year where the practical nursing program wasn't filled to capacity, with only 28 out of 32 seats taken.
Bowman said this could be due to a couple of reasons.
"There are more practical nursing programs in British Columbia and there's going to be a big change to the program next year," he said.
Currently, students can complete the program in 12 months, but as of next September, the program requirements will change, as per the College of Practical Nursing, making the program 18 months long.
There is speculation some students are waiting for those changes to take effect before enrolling, Bowman said.
"Twenty-eight [students] is still a very healthy program," he said.
Enrolment capacities for new students were reached in carpentry, electrical, power engineering (fourth class), welding C level, computer network electronics, bachelor of nursing, dental assisting, dental hygiene and medical radiography.
