NSCC Changes Program Offerings amid shifting priorities, demographics.

NSCC changes program offerings amid shifting priorities, demographics | CBC News

International student drop, labour market needs have dictated changes, college says

The Nova Scotia Community College saw a significant drop in international students over the past year — a change that has prompted it to bolster some programs and reduce resources in others.

Andrew Lafford, the college’s vice-president academic, said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada made changes in late 2024 to how it issues post-graduation work permits, which international students can use as a pathway to eventually getting Canadian citizenship.

The new rules focused on giving permits in fields the federal government identified as having labour shortages. The changes removed about 60 per cent of NSCC’s programs from eligibility for the work permits, and as a result, international student enrolment at NSCC dropped from about 1,100 students in late 2024 to 550 students today.

The college then examined its program offerings to see if they still made sense.“We looked at our funding envelope,” Lafford said. “We looked at what impact we can make to the province and get the best bang for the buck, and started to move some of our programming from these programs that were of high interest to international students to programs that were of high interest of domestic students.”Nursing, trades expanded

Lafford said some of the programs that traditionally draw a lot of interest from international students include culinary arts, tourism, business administration and continuing care.

The college has since suspended or reduced program offerings at specific campuses, including programs in horticulture, professional photography, baking and pastry arts, business administration, cosmetology and tourism hospitality, among others.

Meanwhile, other program areas are being expanded, including the trades, which has seen 260 seats added, and nursing, which saw 200 seats added.

"We're trying to steward the tax dollars the best that we can, and that's why we have to be so nimble," Lafford said." We can make a choice. Do we have, you know, three graduates come out of a program that's highly reliant on international after two years? Or do we have two classes of 20 graduates … from a one-year skilled trades program?

"Those are the types of questions that we ask ourselves."

Asked how much of the college’s programming changes are dictated by the provincial government — which has taken a heavier hand in overseeing the post-secondary sector over the past year — Lafford said the government doesn’t directly control its academic offerings, but it does ask the college to focus on areas of high labour market need.That said, Lafford said the college will continue to offer a broad suite of programs.

“We have to be a comprehensive college. We're the only publicly funded college in the province.… So we have to do everything.”

Union is following developments

Neil Cody is the president of the Atlantic Academic Union, which represents faculty (and Professional Support edited from original release) at the college.

He said he understands why the decisions to boost some areas and cut others are being made, but some faculty have expressed concern that the changes are not fully considering long-term consequences.

"We want to make sure that the decisions that are made in 2026 are keeping in mind the reality of, say, 2030 and we're not hurting the long term for the short term," Cody said.

Cody added that working more collaboratively with faculty could have led to some programs being saved, but with modifications, such as introducing microcredentials or blended learning.

The full-time business program in the Strait area, for instance, could have moved to a different model, or the photography program could have switched focus to in-demand applications.Government oversight switches departments

Last month, the province moved oversight of NSCC from the Advanced Education Department to the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration.

Labour Minister Nolan Young told reporters Thursday the change was made because NSCC plays a critical role in jobs and training, and the Labour Department has all the relevant statistics on labour market needs and skills development.

"It's just a better alignment, a better fit to serve the needs in Nova Scotia," Young said.Lafford said it's too early to say what, if any, impact the change will have on the college.

Cody said he's hopeful the move will benefit the college.

"Realistically, NSCC was a really small fish in a large pond when it comes to post-secondary education. And now when you're looking at Labour, Skills and Immigration, we're a much bigger fish," he said.

"So I'm optimistic for what that could mean and the resources that the province could allocate to strengthen and improve the delivery of what we have."