All Posts Tagged With: "Private Career Colleges"
Cracking down on private colleges?
The problem of unregulated colleges in Canada is widespread and elusive
The woman who answers the phone (in Cantonese) at the America Institute of Technology seems confused when I ask, in English, when classes start. “Who are you?” she asks. I tell her that I’m calling for a friend. “We’re not a school,” she replies. “We’re immigration consultants.” Now I’m surprised. The institute’s website, where I found this phone number, advertises one- and two-year diplomas in computer science and hospitality. Tuition ranges in the thousands. But, she insists, she’s never heard of the American Institute of Technology (AIT). She says her firm Yi-Jia Immigration Consultants Ltd. helps people (often from Hong Kong, she says) immigrate to Canada.
When I call again a week later (these phone calls occurred last year), whoever answers the phone is much less confused. “You want to register for classes?” she asks when I say I’m calling about AIT. She forwards me to another woman who says her name is Adelle, but won’t reveal her last name after I say that I am a journalist. She confirms that AIT catered to international students. She says it was associated with Yi-Jia Immigration but hasn’t offered classes since last year. “Do you realize the website is still advertising classes with the same address and phone number as your firm?” I ask. “That must be a mistake,” she says.
The America Institute of Technology is just one example of a unique Canadian gift to higher education: the barely-regulated private college. Some, like AIT, target overseas students, offering them a chance to get into Canada — but for a price, and often under dubious pretenses. Others promise diplomas and degrees to Canadian students that the school is not legally able to offer. They prey mostly off low-income people who may be unemployed and looking for new opportunities during hard economic times.
In a Toronto Star investigation published in September, undercover reporters enrolled in two unregistered schools; one reporter was promised a job as a security guard at Pearson Airport if he paid $262 for a one-day training course. The job never materialized. Another reporter enrolled in a two-week, $480 course and earned a diploma as a personal health care worker by watching DVD videos and reading Wikipedia handouts.
What’s so bad about these schools? For Canadian students, illegal colleges are taking advantage of people’s desire to better themselves and their economic circumstances by charging high fees in exchange for useless credentials and a disingenuous promise of employment. Schools that cater to foreign students are a whole different ballgame. They are not only duping students but also the federal government (which grants student visas) and the public (who trust that students entering Canada on visas are coming here to study at a legitimate institution).
Ontario Ombuds slams Ontario higher ed ministry
Andre Marin releases report showing Ministry “incompetence”
Andre Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario, released a report on the Ontario government’s handling of private career colleges and he held back nothing calling the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities “incompetent.”
Marin uploaded video of his news conference at Queen’s Park today which provides a good summary of the report.
A couple of things jump out at me that raise serious questions related to the Ministry, my thoughts after the video.
1) The complete lack of empathy and ability to think outside of the box to assist the victims of the Ministry’s “incompetence.” The Ministry hires intelligent people, so why do they lose this intelligence when they walk into the MTCU?
2) The complete unwillingness to protect students and fulfill the oversight role of the Ministry. This is not a problem limited to private colleges. We see this Ministry and Minister turning a blind eye to illegal fees at public colleges and universities. I often ask why the Minister’s title includes universities when he doesn’t seem to do anything beyond ribbon cuttings related to them.
3) The Ministry hired the owner of the illegal college after it went belly up. The Ministry was more than willing to assist her, but has done nothing for the students.
4) The most disturbing, for me at least, part of this fiasco is the initial criticism of the Ombudsman by Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities John Milloy. The fact that he criticized the Ombudsman prior to reading the report from Marin is a serious mistake of judgment. Milloy is one of the most intelligent and educated Ministers in the Ontario government. The time is long overdue for him to start showing better judgment and acting as Minister instead of a glorified ribbon-cutter.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities is lurching from slamming report to slamming report. Last year, it was the Auditor General. This year, it is the Ombudsman and Marin is not done investigating the domain of the Ministry.
NB career college closed by province without warning
New Brunswick government orders police investigation
Add another black eye to the reputation of Canadian private career colleges with the sudden closure of Miramichi Career College on May 26.
The college was closed under mysterious circumstances and is currently subject of a police investigation requested by the New Brunswick government. According to its not-up-to-date website, the New Brunswick college offered diplomas in numerous programs including administrative assistant, medical laboratory assistant, and veterinary technician.
Neither police nor the government have released details about the investigation or a list of possible offences they are looking for.
College spokeswoman Lisa Petrie told the Miramichi Leader the school is not getting it’s registration (to operate as a career college) renewed following an audit of student files.
The government is promising to assist students of the former college but no details have been released.
Miramichi is not the first private career college to be suddenly closed.
The British Columbia government was forced last year to investigate legislation governing private career colleges in the province following a series of scandals involves institutions. The latest private career college closing will not help Canada’s international reputation in higher education, a reputation that people have expressed concern about recently.
