College students have their say
Survey results from 44 colleges in Ontario and B.C.
Ontario and B.C. have released the latest round of college surveys revealing what students think about their schools and the quality of education they received. Areas of focus include the usefulness of knowledge and skills obtained, as well as an assessment of the level of college facilities, resources and services. In both provinces the overall level of satisfaction among students was high. The B.C. survey found particularly high scores on the question of satisfaction with the quality of instruction. The Ontario survey also interviewed employers who hired college grads and asked them how well they felt the college had prepared its graduates to meet their needs as employers. Overall, 93 per cent of employers were satisfied with how Ontario colleges had prepared their graduates for the workforce.
Each year in Ontario, 24 colleges survey current students, recent graduates and their employers to collect data in five key areas: graduation rate, employment rate, graduate satisfaction, employer satisfaction and student satisfaction. The 2009 survey reflects the views of more than 122,000 college students, 40,000 graduates and almost 7,000 employers. In British Columbia, the annual B.C. Diploma, Associate Degree, and Certificate Student Outcomes (DACSO) Survey asks former students of 20 B.C. post-secondary institutions to evaluate their education and employment experiences. Last year, nearly 16,000 former students were interviewed after completing all, or a significant portion, of their educational program.
The B.C. survey posed a series of specific questions asking respondents how their program of study helped to develop skills in 10 areas, including the ability to write clearly and concisely, and to analyze and think critically. Another set of 10 questions asked about satisfaction with aspects of the program, including the quality of computers and software, and the availability of instructors outside class. In addition, respondents who had gone on to full-time employment were asked to rate the usefulness of their training in getting and performing their jobs.
In the Ontario survey, the graduation rate indicator tracked students from one-, two- and three-year programs who went on to graduate in 2008-2009. Rates ranged from 73.3 per cent to 56.6 per cent, with a provincial average of 65 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of Ontario college grads that were employed within six months of graduation was down for the second year in a row. The provincial average stood at 84.8 per cent—down from 90.5 per cent two years ago.
