Technical programs are losing popularity in Quebec. Approaching 1er March, deadline to file an application for admission for the fall semester, everything must be done to attract customers, says the Fédération des cégeps.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
Enrollment in college technical programs is down across the province.
More than 92,600 students were enrolled in a technical training program in the fall of 2014, compared to only 88,100 in the fall of 2021, which represents a drop of 4.9%, according to data from the Ministry of Education of the Quebec (MEQ).
The number of students has been decreasing in all CEGEPs in recent years. But the disaffection concerns above all the techniques. And it contributes to the labor shortage, notes Bernard Tremblay, president and CEO of the Fédération des cégeps.
PHOTO IVANOH DEMERS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Bernard Tremblay, President and CEO of the Fédération des cégeps
If labor needs are so high, and if we have difficulty recruiting on the labor market, it is also because we are short of graduates.
Bernard Tremblay, President and CEO of the Fédération des cégeps
Young adults especially shun physical techniques, tourism and agri-food, according to the Federation. Mineral technology and metallurgical engineering techniques are the most unloved of the lot.
Conversely, nursing, police and business management techniques remain attractive. However, even the popular programs do not train enough candidates to meet the needs of the labor market, notes Mr. Tremblay. This is especially true for computer technology, he says.
“There is a huge gap between labor market needs and the number of graduates we train. And if we don’t train more, it’s precisely because there aren’t enough candidates. »
Technical programs suspended
In some cases, student desertion has led to the suspension – or even the closing down – of programs.
Due to a lack of registrations, the Cégep de Chicoutimi has decided to suspend its telecommunications technique. The program is maintained for students already in training, but the establishment has not started new cohorts for two years.
The director of studies, Christian Tremblay, notes a “constant and gradual decline” in the number of students in the techniques offered by the establishment for at least five years. For civil engineering and electronics techniques, the decline has been around 56 and 51% respectively since 2017.
In early February, the Trois-Rivières Stationery School, affiliated with the Cégep de Trois-Rivières, also closed its doors due to recruitment difficulties.
new scholarships
Glimmer of hope: the Perspective Québec scholarship program could arouse a new enthusiasm for techniques, believes the Fédération des cégeps.
As of next fall, students in six sectors targeted by Quebec (health, education, child services, engineering, information technology and construction) could obtain up to $9,000 to take technical training at college and $15,000 for a 3-year university program.
With this incentive, Quebec wants to attract more students to college, “especially in technical training in areas where there is a shortage of manpower,” says the MEQ by email.
Several CEGEPs have indicated to The Press hope to observe an increase in registrations next fall in the techniques targeted by the program, which moreover has not been exempt from criticism from players in the field. The exclusion of technology in social work, among others, was strongly denounced.
A global approach
But the college community must do more to attract – and retain – customers, believes Bernard Tremblay.
It should facilitate the transition from secondary vocational training, which is popular in well-paid sectors, to technical training.
We do not facilitate the prosecution of those who would like to continue.
Bernard Tremblay
Mr. Tremblay suggests “reviewing the conditions and prerequisites for creating this continuity”.
The situation of full employment in Quebec also diverts certain young adults from the school benches to enter the labor market directly or abandon their training halfway through. “It’s clear that the young person puts himself at enormous risk for the future,” warns Mr. Tremblay. Hence the need, according to him, to think about “agile models” of part-time training, adapted to workers.
Above all, we must multiply our efforts to encourage school perseverance, a constant challenge in the community. “Yes, scholarships are an element. But I remain convinced that it is not enough, that it takes global actions,” he concludes.