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McGuinty Government Giving Students More Opportunities For Education And
Training
TORONTO, Nov. 1 /CNW/ - Students at private career colleges now have
assurances that they will get the education and training they were promised,
as sections of the Private Career Colleges Act take effect, Chris Bentley,
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, announced today.
"Private career colleges provide students with other options for
education and training," Bentley said. "That's why our government is committed
to protecting students who attend private career colleges by ensuring their
training can continue if a school closes, and providing more assurance that
their training will prepare them well for the workplace."
With the legislation, the government has established a framework for
improved quality and accountability within private career colleges, which are
independent businesses. Beginning today, new private career colleges can apply
to register under the new act.
The new act also establishes a Training Completion Assurance Fund which,
starting in 2009, will provide further training or refunds if a school closes
suddenly. The fund will be paid for by the private career college sector and
administered by the government. The new legislation also requires private
career colleges to offer training programs that meet new government-approved
standards, and to provide more information on key performance indicators,
which may include the percentage of graduates able to find work in their field
of study.
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In addition, under the new act:
- More private career colleges are required to register with the
province
- Applicants for a career college registration will come under more
rigorous scrutiny
- New provisions will protect international students before they begin
their program of study
- Improved information will be available on student rights and
responsibilities.
Proclaiming new legislation for the private career college sector is the
latest way the McGuinty government is working to provide increased opportunity
for Ontario's students. Other initiatives include:
- Investing $6.2 billion more in postsecondary education and training
by 2009-10 - the most significant multi-year investment in Ontario's
publicly funded higher education system in 40 years
- Implementing a new, integrated training and employment services
system to maintain the province's skills advantage and ensure more
opportunities for Ontarians to participate in the economy
- Providing new training opportunities to support high-skilled jobs and
economic prosperity.
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"Private career colleges fill a niche in our education system by
providing education and training that can respond quickly to market needs, and
often within a shorter timeframe than the traditional academic year," Bentley
added. "We recognize that the majority of private career colleges provide
students with the training they expect. By doing our part to improve the
accountability of private career colleges and to support high quality
programs, we are helping to prepare students for the rapidly changing demands
of today's global economy."
Disponible en français
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www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
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PRIVATE CAREER COLLEGES ACT
TO ENSURE STUDENTS GET PROMISED EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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The Private Career Colleges Act was proclaimed on Sept. 18, 2006, to
ensure students enrolled in private career colleges get the education and
training they were promised. Applications to register new private career
colleges will be accepted beginning November 1, 2006.
The new act was developed in consultation with students, private career
college owners, and the Ontario Association of Career Colleges. The new act
replaces 30-year-old legislation that did not address current government
priorities for quality and accountability in postsecondary education.
Ontario's more than 500 private career colleges are independent private
businesses, preparing about 38,000 students for the job market. Private career
colleges are located in almost 70 communities across Ontario and offer about
2,800 programs.
Private career colleges offer a wide variety of postsecondary training
options to students seeking practical skills, flexible schedules and/or rapid
entry or re-entry into the workforce.
New measures to protect students with improved quality and accountability
include:
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- The Training Completion Assurance Fund (TCAF) - to more effectively
ensure students can complete their training or receive refunds should
a private career college suddenly close. TCAF will be funded by the
private career college sector and will be administered by the
government, supported by an advisory board. The TCAF board will
reflect the sector's diversity with representation from private
career colleges, students and the public and will be appointed by the
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. All registered
schools must be members of TCAF. The fund will build up over the next
two years and will assume liabilities starting January 2009.
- More private career colleges offering vocational training to register
with the province - protecting the interests of more students by
bringing many more private career colleges under regulation, where
the previous legislation's broad registration exemptions left some
private colleges unregulated. New criteria for registration will more
rigorously scrutinize applicants with a view to protecting students
and the public.
- Better protection for international students - limiting private
career colleges to collecting no more than 25 per cent of the cost of
a program before students start their program and requiring certain
private career colleges to hold fees paid by international students
in a trust account until the students begin their programs. Private
career colleges falling into this category include those where more
than 50 per cent of the student body is comprised of international
students, those experiencing financial difficulties, or those that
have had complaints by international students.
- A credentials framework, program standards and performance indicators
- to set standard requirements for certificates, diplomas and other
credentials, improve the quality, consistency and transferability of
training, and create a better understanding of private career college
programs by students and employers. The credentials framework and
first set of program standards will be issued in spring 2007. The
process for all schools to collect and publish key performance
indicators will be established by fall 2007.
The new Private Career Colleges Act also:
- Establishes specific requirements for student contracts,
- Introduces a simplified refund policy more in line with public
institutions,
- Guarantees student access to their transcripts for 25 years,
- Provides a new Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities
outlining requirements under the act in a clear, user-friendly
fashion,
- Improves the complaints process for students with a formal Student
Complaint Procedure at all private career colleges,
- Updates advertising standards to protect students from
misinformation, and
- Strengthens enforcement with larger fines for serious violations and
the ability to establish new administrative monetary penalties.
Applications to register a new private career college are available by
contacting the Private Institutions Branch of the Ministry of Training,
Colleges and Universities at 416-314-0500 or toll free at 1-866-330-3395.
Disponible en français
www.edu.gov.on.ca
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For further information: Sheamus Murphy, Minister's Office, (416) 325-7215; Tanya Blazina, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2746; Public Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514; TTY: 1-800-263-2892
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