| ular Second Career program in Ontario has been given | | | | quite another matter for the province’s private |
| somewhat of a reprieve with the announcement that | | | | career colleges. In Toronto alone, there has been a |
| the Canadian Federal Government has committed to | | | | marked and noticeable influx of advertising, by |
| staying the course and will fulfill the three-year | | | | competing private schools, for potential students. The |
| term in which the program was initially created (and | | | | transit systems in the Greater Toronto Area, from |
| intended) to run. | | | | Brampton to Oshawa, are awash in various display |
| Second Career is an Ontario government initiative, | | | | ads all promising contemplative students a bright new |
| started nearly two years ago (June 2008), designed to | | | | future. Even the daily newspapers (the free |
| financially assist Employment Insurance recipients (E.I.) | | | | publications as well as the major dailies) have become |
| in obtaining an education in a new career field. | | | | somewhat saturated on a day-to-day basis with |
| Launched by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and | | | | career ads that do little more than alert the |
| Universities, the program initially provided those who | | | | general public to a particular career college’s |
| had been laid-off from their jobs (due to downsizing, | | | | existence. Undoubtedly, many of those awaiting |
| closures, etc.) with a sizeable financial package | | | | approval on their Second Career applications enrolled |
| designed to offset the major costs of tuition, living | | | | in, and were pre-approved for study at, some of these |
| expenses, transportation and necessary textbooks. | | | | advertised schools — and well before a final |
| While the program was supposed to have | | | | decision was tendered to them by the Ministry. |
| government funds available to cover the initial | | | | One private career college in Mississauga, BizTech |
| three-year term of the program, the popularity of the | | | | Institute, made a somewhat risky decision to not |
| Second Career strategy proved to be overwhelming | | | | pre-approve students and allow them to start taking |
| — and potential crippling. The program burned | | | | classes until all of their Second Career paperwork |
| through its initial three-year budget within the first 16 | | | | — and funding — was in order. The |
| months. | | | | brain-trust at BizTech Institute felt it would be better for |
| This led to an immediate — and very quiet | | | | the career college (and for the students, for that |
| — moratorium placed on further awards within | | | | matter) if they resisted the rush to fill their classrooms |
| the program late in 2009. The official reason given for | | | | immediately by accepting not-yet-approved and |
| the award freeze was simply to give the Second | | | | fully-funded Second Career students. By doing so, |
| Career Administrators a chance to eliminate the | | | | BizTech Institute avoided the embarrassment of |
| backlog, according to a Toronto Star interview with | | | | having to inform some of these students that they |
| Ontario’s Minister for Training, Colleges and | | | | would not be permitted to continue, due to |
| Universities, John Milloy. | | | | non-payment of tuition fees. |
| The recession of 2009, obviously, is a big reason why | | | | The decision appears to have been the right one for |
| there was a backlog in the first place. Applications for | | | | BizTech Institute. The Federal Budget announcement |
| the Second Career program skyrocketed once the | | | | from Parliament on March 4th, 2010, was timely for the |
| criteria for eligibility had been modified to include those | | | | growing school. The career college has just finished |
| who had been laid off from a job as far back as | | | | major construction on a brand new, state-of-the-art |
| 2005. Quite frankly, it was beyond our | | | | facility in Mississauga, part of their efforts to provide a |
| expectations, said Minister John Milloy in The | | | | top-level education to each of their students. Now, |
| Toronto Star. | | | | BizTech Institute is fully and better prepared to accept |
| But with the announcement of the Federal Budget on | | | | those approved Second Career students, and has the |
| March 4, 2010 (and the expected approval from the | | | | ability to offer them career training in a variety of |
| Canadian House of Commons), potential students who | | | | disciplines (Business Administration, Healthcare and |
| had hoped to take advantage of this ground-breaking | | | | Information Technology) without having to face the |
| job-training and job-creation initiative can collectively | | | | prospect of informing them that they may be forced |
| breathe a sigh of relief — at least in the long | | | | to discontinue their studies due to cut-backs or |
| term. | | | | backlogs. |
| While new students (who may not have had an | | | | We did the right thing, a BizTech Institute |
| opportunity due to the massive influx of qualified | | | | spokesperson said, who declined to be identified. |
| applicants) can now apply for the program and begin | | | | We’re in a far better position to accept |
| the process of being trained in a new career, there are | | | | qualified and fully-supported Second Career students, |
| several already pre-approved students who were | | | | now. Our school came through this budgetary mess |
| adversely affected by the quiet moratorium late | | | | with absolute honour. |
| last year. Several dozen students, across a myriad of | | | | Other career colleges — including the bigger and |
| Ontario career colleges, had started attending classes | | | | more well-known public ones — still may face a |
| during the Fall semesters at their respective schools | | | | backlash from angry students who have already been |
| — only to languish in apprehension while awaiting | | | | informed they must drop out of school, due to the |
| final approval on their Second Career funding | | | | aforementioned Catch-22 within the Second |
| applications. The application and approval process was | | | | Career program enrolment rules. While the announced |
| intended to only take six weeks: instead, a large | | | | planned continuation and fulfillment of the Second |
| percentage of applicants were forced to wait as | | | | Career program by the Federal government is a |
| much as six months before being notified if | | | | welcome relief to colleges and potential students alike, |
| they’d been accepted into the program. | | | | it won’t solve the immediate crisis involving |
| Some students had even enrolled in career college | | | | those students who were accepted into studies prior |
| programs while their applications were still being | | | | to there being a firm commitment in place (from the |
| processed, only to be informed (after nearly a | | | | Second Career program). |
| semester of study had already passed) that they | | | | It also won’t alleviate the backlog of |
| weren’t eligible for the program. Why? Simply | | | | temporarily suspended previous applications. Some |
| because the Second Career Program isn’t | | | | 8,000 new potential enrolments were created when |
| available to those who are already students (as | | | | the Second Career program received an injection of |
| quoted in The Toronto Star, March 1, 2010). | | | | much-needed funds from the Government. Of those, |
| While Ontario’s public (and relatively | | | | and according to The Toronto Star, 6,000 of those |
| well-funded) college and university system will most | | | | spots have already been filled and accounted for. |
| likely never be at a loss for student enrolments, it is | | | | |