Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...... 5 North Island College: Our region, our people, our communities ...... 5 Challenges ...... 5 Strengths ...... 6 Opportunities ...... 7
NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE REGIONAL SCAN ...... 8
NICR Snapshot: A Region in Transition ...... 8 Population: Historic Change ...... 8 Aboriginal Population ...... 10 Economic Activity...... 10 Historic Occupational Composition in the NICR Sub-Regions ...... 12 Unemployment, Income Assistance, and Employment Insurance ...... 14 Income ...... 14 Safety and Health...... 16 Educational Attainment ...... 16 High School Attainment: B.C. College Regions and NICR School Districts ...... 17 Post-Secondary Non-Completion: NICR Regional Districts ...... 18 Student Transitions ...... 18 NICR Projections: Looking forward ...... 23 Projected Population Change ...... 23 NICR Population Projections by Age Group ...... 24 Primary and Secondary School Enrolment Projections ...... 25 Enrolment by School District ...... 26 Employment and the Labour Market: Projected Change ...... 28 Vancouver Island / Coast Development Region: Overall Employment ...... 29 Labour Market Outlook for the NIC Region ...... 33
NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE INTERNAL SCAN ...... 35
Mission, Vision, and Values ...... 35 Our Mission ...... 35 Our Vision for the Future ...... 35 Our Values ...... 35 Organizational Structure...... 36
Campuses ...... 36 Comox Valley Campus ...... 37
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 2
Campbell River Campus ...... 37 Port Alberni Campus ...... 38 Mount Waddington Campus ...... 38 Ucluelet Centre ...... 38 Revenue, Expenditures and Funding ...... 38
Tuition Fees ...... 40
Employees ...... 41 Employee Groups and Status ...... 41 Location of Employees ...... 43 Age of Employees ...... 44 Programs and Pathways ...... 44 Access Pathway Programming ...... 45 Aboriginal Education ...... 45 International Education ...... 46 Continuing Education and Training ...... 47 Distributed Learning / Educational Technology ...... 48 Partnerships ...... 49 Secondary School Partnerships ...... 49 Dual and Guaranteed Admissions Post-Secondary Partnerships ...... 49 Vancouver Island Post-Secondary Alliance ...... 49 International Partnerships ...... 50 Community and Industry Partnerships ...... 50 Applied Research ...... 51 Students ...... 51 Enrolment ...... 55 Applications ...... 58 Aboriginal Students ...... 59 Aboriginal Student Profile ...... 59 Aboriginal Student Enrolment ...... 60 International Students ...... 62 International Student Profile ...... 62 International Student Enrolment ...... 64 Continuing Education Students ...... 65 Continuing Education Student Profile ...... 65 Continuing Education Student Enrolment ...... 66 Full-time Equivalent Enrolments (FTEs) ...... 68 Student Outcomes ...... 71 Accountability Performance Measures ...... 71
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Further Education ...... 73 Employment Outcomes ...... 74
APPENDICES ...... 76
Appendix A – Senior Leadership Team Organizational Structure ...... 76
Appendix B – Financial Information: Expenditures & Revenue ...... 77
Appendix C – Tuition Fees ...... 78
Appendix D – List of Programs ...... 80
Appendix E – List of Partnership Agreements ...... 81
Appendix F – Major Program Area Composition ...... 85
Appendix G – Maps ...... 87
Appendix H – International Student Growth in BC’s Public Post-Secondary Institutions ...... 92
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 4
INTRODUCTION
North Island College: Our region, our people, our communities
North Island College (NIC) is a comprehensive, publicly funded community college that focuses primarily on two-year programs. With 159,000 residents in its region, NIC serves the largest population of all of the rural colleges. This population, however, resides in many small communities spread across 80,000 km2 on northern Vancouver Island and central parts of the B.C. mainland coast (see Appendix G - Maps). Once solely a distance education institution, NIC now operates four campuses in Campbell River, Comox Valley, Port Alberni, and Mount Waddington, and a learning centre in Ucluelet. NIC is honored to acknowledge operations within the traditional territories of 35 First Nations inclusive of the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish traditions, many of whom live in remote areas only accessible by water or air. The College is distinguished by its commitment to serving its diverse and widely dispersed population through pathway programming, technology-enabled distance learning, and in-community programming. Our vision is to be “a premier community and destination college, in a spectacular west-coast environment, that inspires and prepares students for success in a rapidly changing world.”
This environmental scan provides regional and internal data that describe the social, economic, and demographic challenges of operating a rural post-secondary college on Vancouver Island. The data and information provided in this document also speak to NIC’s strengths and as a resilient and responsive provider of education and training to the learners and communities it serves. The College community is commencing its multi-year integrated planning to shape the direction of NIC from 2016 through 2020; key challenges, strengths and opportunities identified in this document are intended to increase stakeholders’ awareness of NIC’s external and internal environments.
Challenges
• Geography - The College serves a vast and diverse region made up of more than 35 First Nations, five regional districts, and six school districts spread over 80,000 km2 of B.C.’s coast. Each of the many small communities in NIC’s service area has important social, labour market, and educational needs that are not revealed through standard data sources such as Statistics Canada and BC Stats. The College must depend on its relationships with local stakeholders to identify the needs of residents, businesses, and organizations who sustain coastal communities. • Funding - NIC receives 72% of its revenue from the provincial government making it the second-most vulnerable public post-secondary institution in B.C. to flat or reduced
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 5
government funding. NIC also receives less per capita in base government funding (based on regional population) than any other rural B.C. college - a $12.4M shortfall in 2013/14. The province government’s base funding model does not provide the flexibility required to support labour-market focused, quick-response training needed for local communities. Targeted one-time funding initiatives from the government have uncertain mid- to long-term availability, making it difficult to sustain programs that have been developed and launched. • Shifting government mandates - B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint is a four-year plan that requires the province’s public post-secondary institutions to increasingly align programming with targeted occupations. Since there will be no new money to grow program and service capacity or to offset inflationary pressures, institutions will be required to shift available non- targeted government base funds into targeted programs. • Tuition - NIC has the lowest tuition on Vancouver Island and the Ministry of Advanced Education has limited tuition fee increases to 2% annually (approximately the rate of inflation) since 2005. As a result, similar programs at different institutions can have widely varying tuitions and there is no opportunity to make adjustments even though faculty costs are based on a provincial common grid. Tuition fees make up 15% of NIC’s revenue. • High school graduation rates - Almost 26% of 18 year olds across the region do not graduate from high school. There are substantial differences in high school graduation rates between the region’s school districts: approximately 20% in Comox Valley and Campbell River versus an average of 37% in Alberni and Vancouver Island North. • Post-secondary completion rates -The percentage of 25-64 year olds in the region with no post-secondary credential is 41% compared with 35% provincially. • Aging regional population - Between 2015 and 2020, it is expected that there will be 11.5% fewer 18-24 year olds in the region; by 2020, 23% of the region’s population is expected to be 65+ (versus 19% provincially). • Pending retirements - Well over half of all NIC employees are 50 or older; around 85% are over the age of 40.
Strengths
• Regional and responsive delivery model - NIC is meeting the needs of rural and remote communities through a regional delivery model that centres on in-community and rotational program delivery. • Distributed learning - NIC has been an innovator for more than 40 years in providing distributed learning to meet the needs of learners living in small, remote communities. Blended learning, high definition interactive television (ITV), and NIC’s Remote Web-Based Science Lab (RWSL) integrate rapidly evolving online tools and educational technologies to provide students with flexible, distance access to courses, labs and programs. • Community and industry relevance - As a rural college, NIC has embraced its role as a community capacity-builder and–through partnership and collaboration with First Nations, community and industry–works to grow local economic and social development. In 2013/14, more than 90 training programs were delivered across the region in response
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 6
to industry needs and over 400 remote learners were served across the North Island and Central Coast regions, extending as far north as Bella Coola and Bella Bella. • Student satisfaction - NIC program quality is given high ratings by former students surveyed each year by B.C. Student Outcomes. The College outperforms its rural college comparator group and the provincial averages on student satisfaction with education, assessment of quality of instruction, assessment of skill development, and assessment of usefulness of knowledge and skills in performing job (despite having the lowest per capita base funding of all of B.C.’s rural colleges). • High school transitions - NIC has captured an increasing share of Grade 12 students over the past five years, with 60% of graduates who attend a post-secondary institution immediately after high school choosing NIC in 2012/13 compared with 49% in 2008/09. • Full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs) - NIC generated the second highest number of FTEs in the history of the institution in 2013/14 (the highest was in 2010/11). The College has set a “new bar” over the past five fiscal years by generating an average of 2,600 FTEs per year versus 2,200 FTEs per year for the previous five-year period.
Opportunities
• Labour market outlook - The Vancouver Island / Coastal development region expects to see over 147,000 job openings by 2022; the five occupations forecasted to expand the fastest are health-related. Trades are expected to contribute over 14,000 job openings by 2020. • Educational partnerships - NIC is among the most active post-secondary institutions in B.C. seeking collaborations and partnerships with secondary and other post-secondary institutions. Our partnerships include regional, provincial, national and international agreements. The College is currently pursuing a range of domestic and international partnerships that will further strengthen our ability to attract and support students. • International education - 2013/14 international student enrolment (FTEs) grew 50% from 2012/13 and more than tripled since 2009/10. Revenue generated by international education has allowed NIC to offer an additional 48 sections of academic programming for domestic students. International education has potential to generate further significant enrolment and revenue growth for NIC. • Aboriginal education - 13% of NIC’s student population is of self-declared Aboriginal ancestry, which exceeds the proportion of Aboriginal people (12%) living in the College’s service area. Aboriginal peoples are one of the fastest growing segments in Canada’s population. • Applied research - Applied research at NIC advances industry engagement, obtains external funding, provides students with applied learning opportunities in the field, informs new program development and attracts highly qualified faculty. NIC has been eligible for grants from the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) since 2011 and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) since 2012.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 7
NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE REGIONAL SCAN
NICR Snapshot: A Region in Transition
A basket of demographic, socioeconomic, and labour market indicators provide a picture of the current state of the North Island College Region (NICR). This section begins by charting the slight decline in population of the NICR, tracks flux in economic activity, describes the occupational composition of the regional labour force and then presents a range of key socioeconomic and demographic indicators like unemployment, income, and educational attainment. The section closes with student transition data that provide insight into post-secondary participation trends and destinations of the region’s high school graduates.
Population: Historic Change
The population of the North Island College Region (NICR) has remained relatively stable, despite declining employment in historically important sectors like logging, pulp-and-paper production, and mining. The data in Table 1 below, which presents absolute population and year-over-year change between 2011 and 2013,1 indicate small overall decline in the population of the NICR while the province as a whole has grown slightly. This stability at the regional level is paralleled in some regional districts and communities, but others are experiencing more rapid decline. In particular, some pulp-and-paper and/or extractive dependent communities like Port Alberni and Zeballos have experienced relatively significant declines in their overall population. But the pattern is not uniform across natural-resource dependent communities and regions, with Port Hardy and Port McNeill growing modestly. Tofino and Ucluelet, key tourist destinations, continue to experience growth.
1 B.C. Stats (2014). Retrieved from http://bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx on September 17, 2014.
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Table 1, Change in Population, Regional District, NICR, & Province, 2011 - 2013
2011-12 2012-13 Name 2011 2012 2013 Change Change
Alberni-Clayoquot 31,290 31,090 30,712 -0.6% -1.2% Port Alberni 17,782 17,340 16,769 -2.5% -3.3% Tofino 1,964 2,003 2,049 2.0% 2.3% Ucluelet 1,630 1,675 1,703 2.8% 1.7% Unincorporated Areas 9,914 10,072 10,191 1.6% 1.2%
Central Coast 3,218 3,258 3,208 1.2% -1.5%
Comox 63,932 63,994 63,895 0.1% -0.2% Comox 13,658 13,524 13,541 -1.0% 0.1% Courtenay 24,394 24,450 24,314 0.2% -0.6% Cumberland 3,417 3,466 3,489 1.4% 0.7% Unincorporated Areas 22,463 22,554 22,551 0.4% 0.0%
Mount Waddington 11,688 11,452 11,546 -2.0% 0.8% Alert Bay 445 443 440 -0.4% -0.7% Port Alice 813 808 804 -0.6% -0.5% Port Hardy 4,128 3,960 4,023 -4.1% 1.6% Port McNeill 2,535 2,503 2,524 -1.3% 0.8% Unincorporated Areas 3,767 3,738 3,755 -0.8% 0.5%
Strathcona 43,609 43,619 43,685 0.0% 0.2% Campbell River 31,485 31,343 31,601 -0.5% 0.8% Gold River 1,269 1,252 1,251 -1.3% -0.1% Sayward 319 313 309 -1.9% -1.3% Tahsis 316 316 311 0.0% -1.6% Zeballos 125 120 115 -4.0% -4.2% Unincorporated Areas 10,095 10,275 10,098 1.8% -1.7%
North Island College Region 153,737 153,413 153,046 -0.2% -0.2%
British Columbia 4,499,139 4,543,308 4,581,978 1.0% 0.9%
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 9
Aboriginal Population
According to the 2011 National Household Survey, there are over 17,000 people who identify as Aboriginal living in the NIC Region (NICR), which includes over 14,000 First Nations and around 3,000 Métis.2 Aboriginal people account for about 12% of the NICR population, which is significantly higher than the provincial average of around 5%. Compared with other rural colleges, NIC is lower than Northwest (30%), about the same as Northern Lights (14%) and New Caledonia (13%), and higher than the Rockies (6%) and Selkirk (4%).3
Table 2, Aboriginal Population (On- and off-reserve), by Regional District 2011 Alberni-Clayoquot 5,125 Strathcona 4,655 Mount Waddington 3,050 Comox Valley 2,910 Central Coast 2,070 NICR Total 17,810
The Aboriginal population in the NICR is younger than the overall average as of 2011, with 18-24 year-olds making up around 11% of the Aboriginal population and 9% of the overall population. In relation to the regional districts (RD) within the NICR, the largest number of Aboriginal people live in the Alberni-Clayoquot RD (5,125) and then the Strathcona RD (4,655).
Economic Activity
The forestry industry and related industries have faced significant challenges over the last decade. Like the rest of the province, mill closures have had a strongly negative impact on forestry employment, dependent business services, and tax revenue. While many of the closures occurred more than five years ago (e.g., 2008 closure of Timberwest’s sawmill, 2008 restructuring of Myra Falls mine, 2010 closure of Elk Falls Mill),4 the economic and occupational consequences continue to reverberate.
2 Data for 2011 are based on the National Household Survey. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs- enm/index-eng.cfm on June 4, 2014. 3 BC Stats. (2012). College Region 11 – North Island: Statistical Profile. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on April 4, 2014. 4 Preston, D. & Baikie, S. (2010). Forestry in Transition. Campbell River: NIEFS. Retrieved from www.niefs.net/Transitioning_Forestry_Sector_%20Jan2011.pdf on October 14, 2014.
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One can see from Figure 1 below that the value of building related activity—an important indicator of regional economic health—remains significantly supressed in the NICR as of 2013.5 The NICR is no worse and no better than the Vancouver Island / Coast Development Region (VICR) since 2005, while the province has bounced back. Canada as a whole has continued a steady ascent despite a downturn during the last recession.
Figure 1, Change in Value ($) of Active Building Permits from 2005 Base, NICR, VICR, BC, & Canada, 2006-2013
50%
40% Canada, 33% 30%
20%
10% BC, -3% 0%
-10% VICR, -22% -20% NICR, -22% -30%
-40% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Canada British Columbia Vancouver Island/Coast DR NICR
2005 TOTALS: CANADA ($60.7M); BC ($10.2M); VICR ($1.5M); NICR ($.268M)
The regional disaggregation of value-of-building-projects within the NICR (Figure 2) illustrates the unevenness of recovery. The trajectory of the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) reflects the impact of a series of major projects begun in the Campbell River area, with the value of building permits spiking through 2012 and 2013. The rest of the RDs in the NICR continue to decline in relation to the 2005 base year, though there are a series of major projects in health, energy, and aquaculture that may reverse this trend (see “Labour Market Outlook for the NIC Region”).
5 BC Stats. (2014). B.C. Building Permits for Development Regions and Regional Districts. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Economy/BuildingPermitsHousingStartsandSales.aspx on May 14, 2014
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Figure 2, Change in Value ($) of Active Building Permits from 2005 Base Year, NICR Regional Districts,* 2006-2013
200% SRD, 157% 150%
100%
50% CSRD, 3% 0% CVRD, -29% MWRD, -50% -34% ACRD, -41% -100% 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Alberni-Clayoquot RD Comox-Strathcona RD Comox Valley RD Mount Waddington RD Strathcona RD
* 2005 TOTALS: ALBERNI-CLAYOQUOT RD ($43K); COMOX-STRATHCONA RD ($221K); MOUNT WADDINGTON RD ($3.5K) COMOX STRATHCONA RD SEPARATED INTO DISTINCT DISTRICTS IN 2008. 2009 TOTALS: COMOX VALLEY RD ($99K); STRATHCONA RD ($43.5K)
Historic Occupational Composition in the NICR Sub-Regions Occupational data are available for the five regional districts (RDs) within the NIC region for 2011 (see Table 3).6 Total employment is dominated by the Comox Valley RD (CVRD), with just under thirty thousand people in the labour force as of 2011. The Strathcona RD (SRD) includes almost twenty thousand people in the labour force. Alberni-Clayoquot RD (ACRD) has a labour force of just under thirteen thousand, Mount Waddington RD (MWRD) is just over five thousand, and the Central Coast RD (CCRD) is just over one thousand. Composition of the labour force is relatively similar across the regional districts. Sales and service occupations are largest in all RDs except Mount Waddington. Trades, transport and equipment operator occupations are under a fifth for all RDs. Management occupations and business, finance and administrative occupations are both just over a tenth in all RDs. Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services account for around a tenth of all jobs in ACRD, CVRD and SRD, but play a more major role in MWRD and CCRD. Health occupations, occupations in art, culture recreation and sport, natural and applied science occupations, natural resources and agriculture occupations, and occupations in manufacturing and utilities each make up less than a tenth of the labour market in all the RDs.
6 Data for 2011 are based on the National Household Survey. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs- enm/index-eng.cfm on May 14, 2014.
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Table 3, Occupational Distribution, Regional Districts & NIC Region, 2011* Alberni- Mount Central Coast Comox Valley Strathcona NICR TOTAL Clayoquot Waddington
Sales and service 25% 3,150 18% 235 24% 7,045 17% 925 24% 4,705 23% 16,060
Trades, transport and equipment 18% 2,290 15% 190 14% 3,975 18% 975 17% 3,390 16% 10,820 operators and related
Business, finance and administration 11% 1,360 13% 170 13% 3,845 12% 685 13% 2,630 13% 8,690
Education, law and social, community 10% 1,275 19% 245 14% 4,065 13% 730 10% 2,025 12% 8,340 and gov’t services
Management 11% 1,390 12% 155 11% 3,340 11% 615 10% 2,060 11% 7,560
Health 7% 905 7% 95 8% 2,430 4% 225 7% 1,310 7% 4,965
Natural resources, agriculture and 6% 735 4% 50 4% 1,285 11% 625 7% 1,405 6% 4,100 related prod. Natural and applied sciences and 5% 610 5% 70 6% 1,615 7% 400 6% 1,255 6% 3,950 related
Art, culture, recreation and sport 3% 350 4% 50 4% 1,040 1% 65 3% 540 3% 2,045
Manufacturing and utilities 5% 700 2% 25 2% 620 6% 315 3% 505 3% 2,165
Total 100% 12,765 100% 1,285 100% 29,260 100% 5,560 100% 19,825 100% 68,695
* RANKED BY NICR TOTAL.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 13
Unemployment, Income Assistance, and Employment Insurance
Current unemployment rates are uneven across the province. Recent Statistics Canada data finds unemployment in the Victoria region declined to just above 5% early 2014 but increased back to above 6% by spring 2014. For the “Southern Coastal” region7 unemployment rose from 8.3% at the beginning of 2013 to 9.9% at the beginning of 2014 and then returned to 8.2% as of spring 2014.8 Unemployment, income assistance and employment insurance are all important indicators for understanding decision-making of potential and current students, as well as career trajectories. As of 2012, the most recent year such data are available, the percentage of individuals in the NICR receiving income assistance (and who are employable) was 1.3% of the population (the B.C. average was 0.9%). The percentage of the population in the NIC region receiving employment insurance (EI) was 2.2%, above the provincial average of 1.5% but in the middle of college regions.9
Income
Income data from the 2011 National Household Survey shows the average family income in the NICR ($72,299) is below the provincial average of $91,967. Within the NICR there exists significant unevenness with regard to average family income. According to 2011 data in Figure 3 below,10 Mount Waddington, Comox Valley, and Strathcona have the highest average family income while Central Coast, at just over $60,000, has the lowest.
7 The “Southern Coastal” region includes Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, Capital Regional District, Comox- Strathcona Regional District, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District, Nanimo Regional District, Powell River Regional District, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and Sunshine Coast Regional District (see map in Appendix G – Maps). 8 Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (2014). Unemployment Rates for the EI Economic Regions. Retrieved from http://srv129.services.gc.ca/rbin/eng/rates.aspx?id=2013 on April 7, 2014. 9 BC Stats. (2011). College Region 11 – North Island: Statistical Profile. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on April 4, 2014. 10 Data for 2011 are based on the National Household Survey. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs- enm/index-eng.cfm on May 14, 2014.
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Figure 3, Average Income (Family), Regional Districts, NIC Region, & BC, 2011
Alberni-Clayoquot 68,162
Central Coast 60,556
Comox Valley 77,908
Mount Waddington 78,246
Strathcona 76,627
NICR Average 72,299
BC 91,967
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000
Individual income within the NICR’s regional districts follows a similar pattern, as shown in Figure 4 below.11
Figure 4, Average and Median Income (Individuals), Regional Districts, NICR, & Province, 2011
11 Data for 2011 are from the National Household Survey. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs- enm/index-eng.cfm on May 14, 2014.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 15
Safety and Health
Despite higher rates than the provincial average in the areas of unemployment, income assistance and EI, the NICR remains relatively safe, with nearly all measures of crime and change in crime below the provincial average as of 2011. Of note, serious crime (violent and/or property) fell by a third between the periods 2006-2008 and 2009-2011.12 People drink more than the provincial average in the NICR, but there appears to be lower use of drugs, at least based on non-cannabis drug charges. Health in the NICR is in the middle of the pack in relation to other college regions, but worse than the provincial average. In 2011/12, the NICR experienced 11.2 hospitalizations per 1,000 people for respiratory diseases (provincial average is 9.0) and 6.1 hospitalizations for injury and poisoning (provincial average is 4.4).13
Educational Attainment
Both high school graduation rates and post-secondary completion rates in NIC’s catchment area have historically been substantially lower than provincial rates. Recent data, however, suggest that a higher percentage of 18 year olds are graduating from high school in the NICR. Data from 2007/08 showed that 37% of 18 year olds did not graduate high school in the NICR versus 26% for the province. Newer data indicate that between 2009/10 and 2011/12 the NICR’s non-graduation rate fell to 26%, on par with the provincial rate.
Post-secondary completion rates, nonetheless, remain low in the NICR with 41% of 25-64 year olds having no post-secondary credentials compared with 35% provincially in 2011. 14 The following subsections provide further comparative data for high school attainment and post-secondary non- completion.
12 BC Stats. (2012). College Region 11 – North Island: Statistical Profile. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on April 4, 2014. 13 BC Stats. (2012). College Region 11 – North Island: Statistical Profile. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on April 4, 2014. 14 Data for 2011 is based on the National Household Survey. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs- enm/index-eng.cfm on June 4, 2014.
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High School Attainment: B.C. College Regions and NICR School Districts Compared with other rural colleges (see 4 below), the high school non-completion rate for the NICR is lower than the Northwest and Northern Lights regions, but higher than the Rockies and Selkirk regions.15 Within the NICR, secondary school non-completion tends to be greater in small, remote, and/or economically struggling communities. For example, among school districts, average non- completion rates for the 2009/10 to 2011/12 period were 20% for Comox Valley and 21% for Campbell River. These rates contrast with higher school non-completion in the other school districts in NIC region, including Alberni (38%), the Central Coast (49%), and Vancouver Island North (35%).16
Table 4, % of 18 year-olds who did not graduate from high school, College Regions, 2009-2012 % of 18 year-olds who did not College Region* graduate from HS Selkirk 16.4 Rockies 20.6 Okanagan 22.8 Fraser Valley 23.2 Malaspina 23.5 Douglas 23.8 Kwantlen 24.3 Capilano 24.8 North Island 25.9 BRITISH COLUMBIA 26.2 New Caledonia 29.3 Thompson Rivers 29.3 Vancouver 31.6 Camosun 31.6 Northwest 35.1 Northern Lights 40.8 * RURAL COLLEGES ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN LIGHT BLUE.
15 BC Stats. (2014). Socio-Economic Profiles. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on August 26, 2014. 16 BC Stats. (2012). School Districts 49, 70, 71, 72, 85. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on April 4, 2014. Note that no data are available for Vancouver Island West.
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Post-Secondary Non-Completion: NICR Regional Districts Social science research has firmly established that children of parents with post-secondary schooling are much more likely to both attend and graduate from post-secondary themselves,17 a fact important to recruitment, enrolment and long-term planning at NIC. Examining regional districts (RD) within the NIC region, levels of educational attainment are uneven. The 2011 National Household Survey found that the percentage of the 25-64 year-olds who have no post-secondary credential is over half in the Central Coast RD, around half in the Mt. Waddington RD and the Alberni-Clayoquot RD, over 40% in the Strathcona RD, and just over a third in the Comox Valley RD.18
Student Transitions The Student Transitions Project (STP) project is a collaborative effort of B.C.’s Ministries of Education, B.C.’s Ministry of Advanced Education, and B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions. The project tracks the transition of B.C. grade 12 graduates to the B.C. public post-secondary system. Data from this project are used to plan and manage access to higher education in B.C.
STP data shows that the majority of grade 12 graduates (51%) who enroll in the B.C. public post- secondary education system do so immediately after graduation (“immediate-entry” students). Within ten years of graduation, this proportion increases to 76% as “delayed-entry” students enter the post-secondary system. Figure 5 provides immediate- and delayed-entry transition rates for grade 12 graduates of B.C. college regions compared with the province overall.19 NIC’s immediate- entry transition rate was 48% for 2011/12 graduates, having risen from 43% in 2002/03. NIC’s cumulative ten-year transition rate for 2002/03, which includes graduates who delayed their entry into post-secondary education, was 77%. Transition rates for the NIC region generally fall in the middle compared with other college regions in the province. Compared with the provincial rates, NICR immediate-entry transition rates are lower and cumulative ten-year transition rates are slightly higher.
17 Statistics Canada. Intergenerational education mobility. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11- 008-x/2011002/article/11536-eng.htm on April 10, 2014. 18 Data for 2011 is based on the National Household Survey. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs- enm/index-eng.cfm on June 4, 2014. 19 Student Transitions Project. (2014). STP Fast Facts. Retrieved from http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/student_transitions/ on October 16, 2014.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 18
Figure 5, Regional Transition Rates from Grade 12 Graduation (in 2002/03) to B.C. Public Post- Secondary Education (by 2012/13)
For the past five years, an average of 677 grade 12 students from high schools in the NIC region made an immediate transition to B.C. public post-secondary education.20 Counter to a general trend of declining numbers of grade 12 graduates shown in Figure 6 below, the number of students transitioning to post-secondary steadily increased to 2011/12 before falling off in 2012/13.
20 Student Transitions Project. (April 2014). Pivot table: STP2013 First ANNUAL Transitions (2014-04-08) – No GPA.xlsx.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 19
Figure 6, NIC Region Public High School Graduates and Immediate Annual Transitions to B.C. Public Post-Secondary Education, 2008/09 to 2012/13
1,600 1,464 1,404 1,382 1,397 1,378 1,400
1,200
1,000 729 800 638 669 684 663 600
400
200
0 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 Transitions 638 669 684 729 663 Grade 12 Grads (Previous 1,464 1,404 1,382 1,397 1,378 Year)
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Immediate-entry student transition rates for the six school districts in the NIC region are provided in 5 below. Alberni school district had the highest transition rate (54%) in 2011/12 of the region’s four largest districts, exceeding the provincial rate (53%). Comox Valley had the second highest transition rate (49%), followed by Campbell River and Vancouver Island North (44% each). Transition rates for all four districts grew between 2007/08 and 2010/11 and then declined in 2011/12. The Vancouver Island West and Central Coast school districts produce an average of 15 graduates per year; therefore, transition rate data presented in the table below should be interpreted with caution since small year-over-year changes in student numbers produce wide swings in transition rates.
Table 5, Immediate-Entry Student Transition Rates by School District – Grade 12 Graduates of 2007/08 to 2010/11
* 5-YEAR CHANGE IS FROM GRAD YEAR 2006/07 TO 2011/12. THESE COLUMNS SHOW # TRANS (+/- CHANGE IN NUMBER OF IMMEDIATE-ENTRY STUDENTS) AND # GRADS (+/- CHANGE IN NUMBER OF GRADE 12 GRADUATES).
Most of the grade 12 graduates from NIC’s region who immediately transition to B.C. public post- secondary choose to enroll at NIC. The College has captured an increasing share of these students over the past five years, with 60% choosing to enroll at NIC in 2012/13 compared with 49% in 2008/09. Comparatively fewer students are choosing to enroll at other Vancouver Island institutions while numbers choosing mainland institutions have fluctuated. On average, 87% of grade 12 graduates from the NIC region who immediately transition to post-secondary choose a Vancouver Island institution. Figure 7 and Figure 8 below provide post-secondary destination trends by percent and number of students.
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Figure 7, Immediate Annual Post-Secondary Destinations of NIC Region Public High School Graduates – Percent of Students, 2008/09 to 2012/13 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013
North Island College Vancouver Island Institutions Mainland Institutions
Figure 8, Immediate Annual Post-Secondary Destinations of NIC Region Public High School Graduates – Number of Students, 2008/09 to 2012/13
500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 North Island College 312 368 398 439 395 Vancouver Island Institutions 235 219 206 193 178 Mainland Institutions 91 82 80 97 90
North Island College Vancouver Island Institutions Mainland Institutions
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 22
NICR Projections: Looking forward
The bulk of the projections presented in this section, while inherently uncertain, are based on rigorous, multidimensional statistical models co-created by government analysts, academics and other experts. The projections suggest a slow and steady 4% growth in population for the NICR between 2015 and 2020, but growth will be less than the provincial rate of 7%. Within this overall growth will be a change in composition due to an expected decline in the number and proportion of 18-24 year-olds who traditionally make up the almost half of NIC’s credit headcount enrolment. This trend is also seen in primary and secondary school (K-12) enrolments, where overall numbers are up but those in later grades is expected to fall.
Strong labour market demand is predicted for the Vancouver Island / Coastal development region (VICR) with approximately 147,000 job openings by 2022 (over 113,000 replacements and almost 34,000 new openings). Projections indicate that Trades in the VICR will contribute over 14,000 job openings by 2020 (over 1,400 new jobs and over 13,000 replacements).
Projected Population Change
Between 2015 and 2020 the population of the NICR21 is expected to increase by about 7,000 people (4%). Data in 6 below indicate that population growth is anticipated for all regional districts in the NICR. The Comox Valley and Strathcona regional districts (RDs) are expected to grow by approximately 4,000 and 1,700 people (6% and 4%), respectively. Alberni-Clayoquot RD is expected to grow by approximately 700 people and has the lowest projected rate of growth (2%). Mount Waddington RD is expected to grow by approximately 500 people (4%) and Central Coast RD is expected grow by approximately 200 people (6%).
Table 6, Projected Population Change, Regional District, NICR, & Province, 2015 to 2020 2015 2020 # Change % Change Comox Valley 65,709 69,645 3,936 6% Strathcona 44,524 46,203 1,679 4% Alberni-Clayoquot 31,181 31,912 731 2% Mount Waddington 11,704 12,172 468 4% Central Coast 3,342 3,529 187 6% NICR Total 156,460 163,461 7,001 4% BC Total 4,681,748 4,988,918 307,170 7% * RANKED BY # CHANGE.
21 BC Stats. Custom table from P.E.O.P.L.E. 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Demography/PopulationProjections.aspx.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 23
NICR Population Projections by Age Group Like the rest of the province, the population in the NICR is aging, with those 65+ growing as a proportion of the total population. As Figure 9 shows,22 youth (17 years-old and under) are expected to remain stable at about a fifth of the population of both the NICR and province while the proportion of 18-24 year-olds, the traditional demographic for post-secondary education, is expected to shrink very slightly. Overall, the NICR tends to be slightly older than the provincial average.
Figure 9, Population Projections by Age Group, NIC Region and BC, 2015-2020
100% 17% 90% 20% 23% 19% 80% 70% 60% 56% 65+ 50% 53% 52% 56% 25-64 40% 18-24 30% 0-17 20% 8% 9% 7% 8% 10% 18% 18% 18% 18% 0% NICR BC NICR BC 2015 2020
18-24 Age Group In the NICR the traditional post-secondary population of 18-24 year-olds is projected to decrease by approximately 1,600 people (12%) between 2015 and 2020 (see Table 7).23 The Comox Valley and Strathcona RDs are expected to decline by approximately 500 people each, Alberni-Clayoquot RD is expected to decline by approximately 400 people, or 16% (the largest percent decline of all RDs in the region), and Mount Waddington RD is expected to decline by approximately 140 people (13%).
22 Custom table created by BC Stats using P.E.O.P.L.E. 2012. 23 Custom table created by BC Stats using P.E.O.P.L.E. 2012.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 24
Table 7, 18-24 year-olds, NIC Region by Regional District, 2015-2020* 2015 2020 # Change % Change Comox Valley 5,625 5,108 -517 -9% Strathcona 3,910 3,432 -478 -12% Alberni-Clayoquot 2,599 2,187 -412 -16% Mt Waddington 1,118 975 -143 -13% Central Coast 275 266 -9 -3% NIC Region Total 13,555 11,994 -1,561 -12% BC Total 416,014 380,821 -35,193 -9% * RANKED BY # CHANGE.
Primary and Secondary School Enrolment Projections
The overall number of K-12 students in the NIC region is expected to remain relatively stable to the end of 2020.24 As Figure 10 suggests, however, uneven growth rates mean a compositional shift will occur toward younger students as K-7 enrolment grows fastest. Numbers of Grades K-7 students are expected to grow slowly but continuously through the 2015-2020 period, ending up about 6% larger than 2012 enrolment; this represents around 650 additional students for a total of 11,095. The decline in grades 8-12 enrolment is expected to end around 2016. By 2020, enrolment in grades 8-12 is predicted to have nearly recovered to the 2012 base year level at around 10,100 students. Overall, enrolment in grades K-12 will dip slightly until around 2017 and should, by 2020, be just over 2% above 2012 levels (approximately 21,200 students).
Figure 10, Projected Change in School District Enrolment in the NICR, 2013 – 2022*
8.0% 6.3% 6.0% 3.7% 4.0% 2.4% % Change from 2.0% -0.5% 2012 Base Year 0.0% -2.0% -1.6% -4.0% -4.7% -6.0% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Grades K-7 Grades 8-12 All grades
*2012 (NON-ADULT) BASE TOTALS: GRADES K-7 = 10,438; GRADES 8-12 = 10,261; GRADES K-12 = 20,709.
24 BC Ministry of Education (May 2011). Projection Report for Public School Headcount Enrolments: 2011/12. Retrieved May 27, 2013 from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/capitalplanning/resources/.
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Enrolment by School District NIC generally draws students from six school districts (SDs): Central Coast (SD 49), Alberni (SD 70), Comox Valley (SD 71), Campbell River (SD 72), Vancouver Island West (SD 84), and Vancouver Island North (SD 85). As Figure 11 below indicates,25 the districts vary significantly in size. Nearly half of all students in the NIC catchment area are enrolled in Comox Valley. About a quarter are enrolled in Campbell River, about a fifth are enrolled in Alberni, and much smaller numbers come from Vancouver Island West, Vancouver Island North, and Central Coast.
Figure 11, School District Enrolment in Grades K-12, NICR, 2012 Island North Central Coast 1,386 226 Island West 7% 1% 391 2% Alberni 3,801 18%
Campbell River 5,161 25%
Comox Valley 9,744 47%
Figure 12, Figure 13, and Figure 14,26 below, show growth rates for the individual districts, but it is important to keep in mind that small fluctuations in big districts like Comox Valley will often have a greater impact on the overall number of potential students than large fluctuations in a smaller district. It is equally important to note, of course, that any fluctuations, even in small districts, are important and can impact courses and programs in community-based initiatives and local campuses.
25 BC Stats (2013). Report 1558A Projection Report for Public School Headcount Enrolments. Retrieved from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/capitalplanning/resources/ on May 17, 2014. 26 BC Stats (2013). Report 1558A Projection Report for Public School Headcount Enrolments. Retrieved from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/capitalplanning/resources/ on May 17, 2014.
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Rates of growth and decline are uneven across the six school districts. As Figure 12 below suggests, among the bigger districts it is expected that only Comox Valley will experience significant growth. Campbell River is predicted to decline slightly but nearly recover by 2020 and Alberni is expected to decline slowly and then hold steady about 5% below 2012 enrolment levels. Among the smaller districts, Central Coast and Vancouver Island West are predicted to grow while Vancouver Island North is expected to decline significantly.
Figure 12, Projected Grades K-12 Enrolment by District in the NIC Region (2013 – 2022), % Change from 2012 Base Year* 15.0%
9.7% 10.0% 8.0% 5.0% 5.6% % Change from 2012 base year 0.0% -0.9%
-5.0% -5.0% -6.3% -10.0% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Alberni Comox Valley Campbell River Island West Island North Central Coast
* 2012 TOTALS: ALB= 3,801; CV=9,744; CR=5,161; VIW=391; VIN=1,386; CC=226.
When the data are disaggregated into elementary (K-7) and secondary (8-12) students, significant and important differences emerge in nearly every district. Vancouver Island West and Central Coast exhibit significant difference between elementary (Figure 13) and secondary (Figure 14), but they are the two smallest districts in the NICR and small changes in enrolment show up as major fluctuations. In Alberni and Campbell River secondary enrolment will be down more than elementary, which suggests enrolment decline may be more problematic than the overall K-12 projections show. The opposite is true for Vancouver Island North, which includes the Mt. Waddington campus; the precipitous decline highlighted in the K-12 data is softened somewhat by projections that enrolment at the secondary level will decline just 2% from 2012 levels by 2020, and just 5% by 2022. The seeming good news from Comox Valley, with overall growth of around 8% by 2020, must be tempered by projections that enrolment growth at the secondary level will be a more modest 3% above 2012 levels by 2020, and 7% by 2022.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 27
Figure 13, Projected Enrolment in Grades K-7 by School District, NIC Region (2013 – 2022), % Change from 2012 Base Year*
25.0% 20.0% 19.0% 15.0% 14.3% 10.0% % Change from 5.0% 4.1% 2012 Base Year 0.0% 2.4% -5.0% -2.5% -9.8% -10.0% -15.0% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Alberni Comox Valley Campbell River Island West Island North Central Coast
* 2012 TOTALS: ALB= 2,076; CV=4,355; CR=2,886; VIW=232; VIN=765; CC=124.
Figure 14, Projected Enrolment in Grades 8-12 by School District, NIC Region (2013 – 2022), % Change from 2012 Base Year*
25.0% 20.0% 18.6% 15.0% 10.0% % Change from 5.0% 2.8% 2012 Base Year 0.0% -1.9% -5.0% -7.2% -10.0% -8.1%
-15.0% -13.9% -20.0% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Alberni Comox Valley Campbell River Island West Island North Central Coast
* 2012 TOTALS: ALB= 1,725; CV=5,386; CR=2,269; VIW=158; VIN=621; CC=102.
Employment and the Labour Market: Projected Change
The Government of B.C. projects approximately one million job openings will occur in the province between 2012 and 2022. Around two-thirds will be replacement of retiring works and about one-
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 28
third will be new jobs created due to economic expansion.27 Anticipated investment and activity in the province’s Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) sector is projected to account for up to 100,000 jobs. It is projected that 78% of the one million or so jobs will demand post-secondary education (see Table 8 below). Currently, approximately 70% of the B.C. labour force has some post-secondary education.
Table 8, 2012-2022 B.C. Labour Market Outlook Highlights, 2022 Projections TOTAL JOB OPENINGS 1 MILLION Openings due to confirmed or planned economic activities 985,100 » Retirements (68%) 669,800 » Economic Growth (32%) 315,400 Additional LNG job openings Up to 100,000 Job openings requiring post-secondary training (78%) 763,400 SUPPLY NEEDS New entrants (45%) 425,320 Net in-migration (32%) 300,820 Other mobility (23%) 216,750
Labour demand is expected to grow faster than supply in B.C. between 2012 and 2022. Demand is projected to exceed supply beginning in 2019 when an overall shortage of workers will emerge and continue to grow annually to 2022. Over the 10-year period, demand for workers is expected to out- grow the labour force by 42,250 workers.
Vancouver Island / Coast Development Region: Overall Employment A long-term labour market outlook (through 2022) is available for the Vancouver Island / Coast development region (VICR).28 The VICR aggregates the NIC college region with the South-Central Coast and South Island, including Victoria and Nanaimo (see Appendix G – Maps), to form the second largest development region in B.C. by population. Not surprisingly, the number of projected job openings in the VICR is also second highest in the province, behind only the Mainland / Southwest development region (which includes Vancouver).
While the projected 0.8% demand growth rate in the VICR labour force is comparable with the rest of the province, the relatively large size of the labour force means that the VICR is expected to have more than 147,200 job openings by 2022; this includes 113,344 replacements (77%) and 33,856 new openings (23%). The relatively large proportion of replacements (i.e., compared with 68% for the
27 WorkBC (2011). British Columbia 2022 Labour Market Outlook. Retrieved from http://www.workbc.ca/WorkBC/files/5f/5fc26f16-3c0f-4884-ab99-b475ca7448b7.pdf on October 31, 2014. 28 Ibid.
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province) is reflective of the region’s older age profile. The five occupations forecasted to expand the fastest in the region are: • Optometrists, chiropractors and other health diagnosing and treating professionals (2.3 per cent per year on average); • Professional occupations in nursing (2.3 per cent); • Therapy and assessment professionals (2.2 per cent); • Managers in health care (2.2 per cent); and • Assisting occupations in support of health services (2.2 per cent). These five occupations are all health-related as the Health Care and Social Assistance industry is the top growth industry in the region.
Table 9 below shows expected job openings to 2022 (for occupational groups with the highest number of job openings) by educational skill level, including the 2013 median wage.
Table 9, Job Openings by Skill Level, Occupation, Type, and Wage, Vancouver Island / Coast Development Region, 2022 Projections* Skill Total Job Wage NOC Occupational Group Expansion Replacement Level Openings (Median) 301 Professional occupations in nursing 2,280 3,220 5,500 $36.50 062 Retail and wholesale trade managers 990 3,940 4,930 $25.00 A Secondary and elementary school 403 830 3,250 4,080 $33.00 teachers and educational counsellors Paraprofessional occupations in legal, 421 social, community and education 2,130 2,800 4,930 $20.70 services Administrative and regulatory B 122 820 4,000 4,820 $23.10 occupations Office administrative assistants – 124 650 2,700 3,350 $21.60 general, legal and medical 642 Retail salespersons 1,740 4,070 5,810 $14.00 141 General office workers 1,470 3,650 5,120 $18.00 C Assisting occupations in support of 341 2,070 2,690 4,760 $21.00 health services 673 Cleaners 840 3,730 4,570 $17.00 661 Cashiers 750 1,150 1,900 $11.80 D Food counter attendants, kitchen 671 860 540 1,400 $11.00 helpers and related support occupations * SKILL LEVEL A REQUIRES UNIVERSITY DEGREE; SKILL LEVEL B REQUIRES COLLEGE EDUCATION OR APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING; SKILL LEVEL C REQUIRES HIGH SCHOOL AND/OR OCCUPATION-SPECIFIC TRAINING; SKILL LEVEL D REQUIRES LESS THAN HIGH SCHOOL.
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Trades in the Vancouver Island / Coast Development Region The VICR has the second largest number of trades of all B.C.’s development regions, with nearly one- fifth of all trades in the province. The “B.C. Trades Occupation Outlook”29 predicts the VICR, while having a relatively low growth rate,30 will see a robust 14,480 trades job openings between 2010 and 2020. This includes 1,450 new jobs and 13,030 replacements of retiring trades workers. Figure 15 below shows the expected job openings for trades occupations by expansion and replacement. Growth in the VICR is expected to be dominated by chefs and cooks, technical jobs in personal services, and auto technicians. The greatest number of job opportunities will be found among these three, as well as among carpentry and cabinetmakers and occupations in electrical trades and telecommunications.
29 WorkBC (2011). British Columbia Trade Occupations Outlook 2010-2020. Retrieved from http://www.workbc.ca/Statistics/Reports-Guides/Trades-Outlook.aspx on May 17, 2014. 30 Growth of trades jobs is expected to be led by North Coast & Nechako (2.7%), Northeast (1.8%), and Mainland / Southwest (1.6%).
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Figure 15, Trades Job Openings, VICR, 2010-2020
1,350 Chefs and cooks 830 2180
Butchers and bakers, retail and 410 110 wholesale 520
Technical occupations in personal 700 600 service 1300
180 Machinists and related occupations 20 200
Electrical trades and 1,340 10 telecommunications occupations 1350
670 Plumbers, pipefitters and gas fitters -60 610
Metal forming, shaping and erecting 620 70 trades 690
2,400 Replacement Carpenters and cabinetmakers -490 1910 Expansion 660 Total Job Openings 2010-2020 Masonry and plastering trades -160 500
1,300 Other construction trades -280 1020
Machinery and transport equip. 1,120 150 mechanics (except vehicle) 1270
1,050 Automotive service technicians 590 1640
290 Other mechanics 100 390
140 Crane operators, drillers and blasters -10 130
800 Heavy equipment operators -40 760
-1,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 # of jobs
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 32
Labour Market Outlook for the NIC Region Any labour market prediction is subject to both macro-level and local-level effects. The NIC Region (NICR) is likely to be especially impacted by major industrial, commercial and residential projects over the next five years and beyond. Within the NICR, a range of public, private and public-private partnership (P3) projects are in various stages of construction, proposal, and review.
The NICR is still resource-oriented, even if the types of resources have shifted from logging and fishing to energy. Private-sector energy generation and/or transmission projects are most common and most expensive, with cost-per-project ranging from an estimated $20 million for a proposed wave energy project near Ucluelet to $30 billion for a proposed LNG facility southwest of Port Alberni. The bulk of proposed, energy-focused major projects are situated in the north and west regions of the Island, including the: • Discovery LNG ($2B) on the former Elk Falls Mill site near Campbell River; • Machmell River hydroelectric project ($900M) 180km northeast of Campbell River; • Wood residue power station ($105M) near Campbell River; • Songhees Creek run-of-river hydro project ($30M) north of Port Hardy; • Nahwitti Wind Farm ($400M) north of Port Hardy; • Pacific Coast wave energy ($20M) near Ucuelet; • Sarita Bay LNG facility ($30B) southwest of Port Alberni; and the • LNG export facility ($1B) that would expand existing facilities in Port Alberni.
The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training (and Responsible for Labour) maintains a “major project inventory” (MPI) for development regions in B.C.31 that includes details on all initiatives that are currently under-construction, on-hold or proposed. The list includes further information on the projects above as well as smaller commercial and residential projects across the NICR and the rest of the province. Plans for smaller projects (e.g., aquaculture facilities, port expansions, retirement residences) are usually omitted from the MPI but obviously have a strong, cumulative impact, especially for smaller communities and those without major projects nearby.
Major Projects and Economic Activity The three main proposed LNG projects—Discovery LNG in Campbell River, the Port Alberni LNG Export Facility (PALEF), and the Sarita Bay LNG facility near Port Alberni—have not yet broken
31 Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training (and Responsible for Labour). BC Major Project Inventory. Retrieved from http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/ministry/major_projects_inventory/pdfs/December%202013%20MPI.pdf on April 10, 2014.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 33
ground; however, if they proceed they will have a tremendous impact on the economy and on direct and indirect employment. The Discovery LNG project began a two year environmental review process late 2013. If approved, the Campbell River project will take approximately four years to build. The PALEF is, according to recent information, still waiting to confirm interest from investors. Once various regulatory hurdles are crossed, it is now estimated (contrary to the MPI info) that the PALEF will cost $12 billion to construct if it proceeds. The Port Alberni Port Authority estimates the facility, once up and running, would employ around 250 people.32 The Sarita Bay LNG facility, southwest of Port Alberni, is an initiative based on a development agreement between Steelhead LNG Corp. and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. Steelhead has applied to the National Energy Board and is waiting for a licence to be issued. The company predicts the project will run for 25 years and need 1,000 workers to build the facility and then 400 long-term employees for processing and shipping.33
There are two hospitals planned for the NIC region: a 153 bed, $334 million facility in the Comox Valley that is currently under construction and a 95 bed, $266 million facility in Campbell River. The purchase of the Comox Valley land from NIC includes a $2.75 million education-program development agreement. The construction phase will also bring in significant funds as families relocate, either temporarily or permanently. It remains unclear how many additional staff, above those transferring from the existing hospital in Comox, will be hired.
The NICR could, if all of these projects move forward, enjoy a significant surge in jobs and related, spinoff economic benefits. With the U.S. increasing its domestic output of oil and gas, the demand for B.C. LNG will potentially be curbed. Even with some of the projects moving forward, the story will very likely be one of overall stability in the NICR with variation among regional districts. It is equally difficult to predict occupational shifts and demand in smaller communities; indeed, acquiring labour market data on small communities—of which there are many in the NICR—is extremely challenging and the College must depend on its relationships with local stakeholders to identify the needs of residents, businesses, and other organizations who sustain coastal communities.
32 McKenzie, S. (January 20, 2014). “Port is still waiting on investors for LNG plant.” Alberni Valley Times. Retrieved from http://www.avtimes.net/news/local/port-is-still-waiting-on-investors-for-lng-plant-1.795052 on April 11, 2014. 33 Plummer, E. (September 19, 2014). “Huu-ay-aht decide in Nov. on Sarita Bay LNG lease.” Alberni Valley Times. Retrieved from http://www.avtimes.net/news/local/huu-ay-aht-decide-in-nov-on-sarita-bay-lng-lease- 1.1385491 on November 14, 2014.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 34
NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE INTERNAL SCAN
Mission, Vision, and Values
Our Mission
NIC is committed to meeting the education and training needs of adults within its service region by: providing high quality, affordable higher education and skills training, collaborating with our partners to create pathways to learning, and empowering individuals to achieve their full potential.
Our Vision for the Future
NIC holds a vision of being a premier community and destination college, in a spectacular west-coast environment, that inspires and prepares students for success in a rapidly changing world. NIC will fulfill its vision by being: • a vibrant community of learners – embracing their goals and shaping their worlds; • a gateway to education, work and life; • a central force in improving the cultural and socio-economic well-being of the communities we serve; and • a respectful steward of our unique natural setting. Together, we will create a workplace that inspires personal growth and delivers results to our students, partners, and citizens.
Our Values
At NIC, our values frame everything we do and express our commitment to our students, communities, residents of our region, and ourselves.
• Student success - We empower students to become self-reliant, lifelong learners capable of integrating what they learn with how they live and work. • Access – We ensure access to learning opportunities, regardless of geographic, technological, financial, social, educational, or historic barriers. • Accountability – Our individual and organizational performance fosters public trust and community confidence. • Quality – We are committed to continuous improvement and achieving the highest quality possible. • Relevance and responsiveness – We provide learning opportunities that are relevant to the lives and work of our students and delivered in a creative, flexible, timely, and collaborative manner.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 35
• Positive organizational culture – Ours is an organizational culture that operates in an open and honest manner, is based on mutual trust and respect, values creativity and risk taking, encourages innovative and strategic thinking, and affirms excellence. • Social and environmental responsibility – We are actively engaged in the economic and social development of our communities and are active stewards of the unique natural environment in which we reside.
Organizational Structure
North Island College is a provincially funded, board governed college who’s core mandate, operation, and governance is prescribed by legislation defined the College and Institute Act of British Columbia.
NIC’s Board of Governors is empowered by the College and Institute Act to manage, administer, and direct the affairs of the institution in the areas of property, revenue, expenditure, business, and other matters within the context of process and duties accorded it. The Board’s primary responsibility is to oversee the strategic direction and management of the College and ensure it carries out its mission. To that end, the primary functions and roles of the Board are to establish the institution’s purpose and direction; to ensure the institution is effectively and efficiently managed; to establish policies that have institution-wide application; and to provide effective communication with the community.
NIC’s Education Council, as required for colleges by the College and Institute Act, works to ensure educational quality. Education Council has two main functions in this regard: 1) to review and approve curriculum and policies that relate to academic standing, academic standards, and evaluation of student performance; and 2) to advise the Board of Governors on the development of educational policy.
The College’s Senior Leadership Team consists of the President and Chief Executive Officer, three Vice Presidents, one Assistant Vice President, one Executive Director and two Directors. John Bowman, formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer at the College of New Caledonia, was appointed NIC’s fifth President and CEO on August 1, 2013, succeeding Jan Lindsay after her four- year term. An organizational chart depicting the College’s senior administrative structure is provided in Appendix A – Senior Leadership Team Organizational Structure.
Campuses
NIC operates four campuses—Comox Valley, Campbell River, Port Alberni, and Mount Waddington— and a learning centre in Ucluelet.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 36
Comox Valley Campus
The Comox Valley (CV) campus, located in Courtenay, opened in 1992 and is NIC’s largest campus in terms of physical size (spanning approximately 25 hectares), range of programming, and number students served. Home to the College’s administrative centre, the CV campus also houses the largest share of College employees.
A 1,765 m2 Skills Development and Trades Training centre opened in 2011 funded via federal- provincial investment of $8.2M. Built to LEED gold standards, the facility uses 60 to 70 per cent less energy than typical buildings of its size. NIC has committed to preserving part of the surrounding woodland, equal to the footprint of the building, as part of their green initiative.
Construction of a $334M, 153-bed hospital, co-located with the campus and built on former College land, is scheduled to be completed in 2017.
Programs offered at the CV campus include Nursing, Practical Nurse, Health Care Assistant, Early Childhood Care & Education, Human Service Worker, University Studies, Business Administration, Tourism, Fine Arts, Interactive Media & Graphic Design, and Professional Photography. Upgrading offerings include Academic English Language and Settlement English Language programs as well as Adult Basic Education. Carpentry, Plumbing, and Landscape Horticulture trades and apprenticeship programs are also offered.
Campus amenities include a library, bookstore, cafeteria, and daycare. CV campus also houses the Comox Valley Aquatic Centre, a swimming pool and fitness facility operated by the Comox Valley Regional District.
Campbell River Campus
The Campbell River (CR) campus opened in 1997 in a shared facility with Timberline Secondary School and remains one of the few shared campuses in the province. The CR campus is NIC’s second largest campus and offers the bulk of the College’s trades and apprenticeship programming, including Automotive Mechanics, Electrician, Industrial Electronics, Metal Fabrication, Welding and Professional Cook. The Vigar Vocational Centre is home to the Aircraft Structures and Heavy Duty Mechanics programs. The CR campus also offers Adult Basic Education and University Studies programming as well as Early Childhood Care & Education and Practical Nurse programs.
Campus amenities include a First Nations gathering place, library, bookstore, cafeteria, student lounge, fitness room, and daycare facility.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 37
Port Alberni Campus
The Port Alberni (PA) campus was constructed in 1994 on 8.1 hectares of undeveloped land. NIC’s third largest campus offers a wide range of programming, including Adult Basic Education, University Studies, Health Care Assistant, Practical Nurse, Early Childhood Care & Education, and Human Service Worker. Professional Cook is offered from a new $1.35M state-of-the-art teaching kitchen that opened in 2012, winning the Community Excellence - New Construction Award from the Alberni Chamber of Commerce. A number of trades and apprenticeship programs are offered from the Tebo Vocational Centre, including Automotive Mechanics, Welding and Joinery/Cabinetmaking.
PA campus amenities include a First Nations gathering place, library, bookstore, and cafeteria.
Mount Waddington Campus
The Mount Waddington (MW) campus in Port Hardy was designated a campus in 2004, when many of the College’s programs and services in the north island were consolidated into one location. The MW campus currently offers Adult Basic Education and University Studies, as well as Aboriginal education and many continuing education offerings that are important to communities across the Mount Waddington region (see Appendix G – Maps). Distributed learning technologies are used to maximize student access and locally based programming is regularly added to meet current and emerging labour market needs.
Ucluelet Centre
Ucluelet centre provides vital service to the northwestern coastal region of Vancouver Island; the centre provides students in surrounding communities the opportunity to access a variety of Adult Basic Education, University Studies, and continuing education courses.
Revenue, Expenditures and Funding
In 2013/14, 72% of NIC’s revenue came from the provincial government and 15% came from tuition and student fees. The College’s operating grant from the Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) was $21.8 million to fund 2,198 student full-time equivalents (FTEs) and the Industry Training Authority (ITA) provided $2.83 million to fund 724 trades, technology and apprenticeship seats. Just over two- thirds of NIC’s expenditures in 2013/14 were directed toward salaries and benefits. A graphical summary of 2013/14 revenues and expenditures is provided in Figure 16 below; a table showing detailed figures is provided in Appendix B – Financial Information: Expenditures & Revenue, along with a link to audited financial statements for all of B.C.’s publicly funded post-secondary institutions.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 38
Figure 16, Financial Standing at end of Fiscal Year, March 31, 2014
Over the past four years, NIC, like other post-secondary institutions in the province, has had to work hard to achieve balanced budgets in the face of flat or reduced provincial base-funding and escalating costs. From fiscal years 2011/12 to 2014/15, NIC reallocated $2.82 million, or 7% of its operating revenue, in order to balance its budget. A base-funding reduction of 1.08% in 2014/15 led to a projected revenue shortfall of around $900K. To resolve the shortfall, administration and service costs were reduced by $1.49M and reductions to educational programming of $.63M were made. The balance of the budget shortfall ($0.7M) was covered by increased revenues from international education, continuing education, contract training and raised student fees.
A review of 2012/13 audited financial statements for B.C. public post-secondary institutions revealed that NIC’s dependence on provincial government funding was second only to Northwest Community College. Government grants represented 77% of NIC’s total revenues in 2012/13 and, as mentioned above, 72% of revenues in 2013/14. These figures are noteworthy because, in the absence of significant alternative revenue sources, when provincial funding does not increase or is reduced, relatively speaking, NIC is among the most impacted institutions in B.C.
A comparison of government base-funding provided to the province’s rural colleges in 2013/14 revealed that NIC received the lowest funding per capita. Serving the largest regional population of all B.C.’s rural colleges, NIC’s funding per capita was $139 (see Figure 17 below). This was $78 less
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 39
than the provincial rural college average of $217 and, when multiplied by the region’s 159,000 people, equates to a $12.4M shortfall.
Figure 17, B.C. Provincial Funding Per Capita to Rural Colleges (Regional Population), 2013/14 *
Selkirk College $314
Northwest Community College $236
Northern Lights College $231
College of the Rockies $217
College of New Caledonia $200
Average $217
North Island College $139
$0 $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 $350
* NWCC IS NORTHWEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE, NLC IS NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLEGE, COTR IS COLLEGE OF THE ROCKIES, AND CNC IS COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA.
The 2014/15 fiscal year budget of $38,196,587 has been approved by the NIC Board of Governors. The provincial government has indicated that B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint will not include any additional funding over the next four years, and it is expected that base-funding from the province will decline another 1.5% in 2015/16.
Tuition Fees
In March 2002, the provincial government lifted a six-year freeze on tuition fees at B.C. post- secondary institutions and returned powers for tuition fee decisions to each institution’s Board of Governors. All public post-secondary institutions have raised their tuition fees since 2002. However, since 2005 the Ministry of Advanced Education has limited tuition fee increases to the rate of inflation, which has meant a maximum increase of approximately 2% annually.
Comparative tuition data going back to 2008/09 are available for university studies arts programs offered at B.C. public post-secondary institutions (see Appendix C – Tuition Fees for data referenced in this section). The data show that, at $2,685 in 2013/14, NIC continued to offer considerably lower tuition than other Vancouver Island institutions (i.e., Camosun College, Vancouver Island University,
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 40
University of Victoria, and Royal Roads University) and was among 10 institutions (of 25) in the province that offered tuition under $3,000 per year for arts programs.
The data in Appendix C – Tuition Fees show that all institutions in the province increased tuition in 2013/14 by 2% above 2012/13 fees, except for 1.9% increases at the College of New Caledonia and Northern Lights College. More noticeable differences appear in tuition growth over a longer period between 2008/09 and 2013/14. Tuition increases for arts programs at rural colleges in B.C. were uniform at around 10.4%, except for the College of New Caledonia which only increased 7.9%. The institution with the lowest growth was Okanagan College, which increased tuition fees just 4.1% above 2008/09 levels. North Island College’s increases are at the provincial average for one-year growth and just above the average increase between 2008/09 and 2013/14.
NIC raised tuition for university studies arts programs by 2% in 2014/15 to $2,740; university sciences, business, interactive media, fine arts programs all have tuition set at this level. Like the rest of the province, Adult Basic Education is offered tuition free. NIC’s Employment Transition program, offered through the Access for Students with Disabilities department, is also tuition free. English as a Second Language (both the academic and settlement streams) remains tuition free for Canadians, permanent residents, live-in caregivers and refugees despite termination of federal funding in spring 2014. Uncertainty about the future of English as a Second Language funding is a concern for all B.C. pubic post-secondary institutions providing these programs.
Employees
Currently, there are three employee groups at NIC: primarily instructors represented by the North Island College Faculty Association; support staff represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 3479; and senior administrative staff who are “exempt” from CUPE and NICFA membership.
Employee Groups and Status
Figure 18 below shows that just over half of the 402 employees (irrespective of part-time or full-time status) are part of the faculty association. Just over a third are CUPE, and just over a tenth are administrators in exempt positions.
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Figure 18, Number and Percent of Employee Groups, NIC, 2013
Admin (exempt), 46, 11%
NICFA, 207, 52% CUPE, 149, 37%
Each employee group can be further broken out. NICFA includes employees that are sessionals (usually on course-by-course contract) and regular. CUPE includes employees that are temporary, teach courses as sessionals, and are regular. Exempt administrators include temporary and regular employees. All of these workers can be part-time or full-time.
According to Figure 19, almost half of all instructors (100) are regular and full-time. About one-sixth are regular part-time (29). Just over a third are sessionals, with most part-time (71). Just over half of CUPE employees are full-time and regular (81). The great majority (39) of exempt administrators are full-time.
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Figure 19, Number of Employees within NIC Employee Sub-Groups, Part-Time and Full-Time, 2013
71 NICFA Sessionals 7
29 NICFA Regulars 100
8 CUPE Temp 2
CUPE Sessionals 17 Part Time 3 Full Time 38 CUPE Regular 81
Admin Temp 3
4 Admin Regular 39
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 FTEs
Location of Employees
As Figure 20 shows, the bulk of NIC employees work at the Comox Valley campus, the College’s largest campus and administrative centre. About a fifth work at the Campbell River campus and around a tenth are employed in Port Alberni. Mount Waddington has less than a fifth of all NIC employees and Ucuelet has less than 1%.
Figure 20, Location of NIC Employees, 2013
Port Alberni, Ucluelet, 2, <1% 48, 12%
Campbell Mount River, 83, Waddington, 16, 21% 4%
Comox Valley, 253, 63%
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 43
Age of Employees
The proportion of College employees, like the broader population, is increasingly over the age of 50. Well over half of all employees are 50 or older, and over three-quarters are 40 or older. Instructors (NICFA) tend to be the oldest group, accounting for around two-thirds of all employees over the age of 60. Anticipated growth in retirements will increase pension expenditures, with activity related to finding replacement likely to increase workload and resource-demands for interviewers and departments like Human Resources.
Programs and Pathways
North Island College offers programming in the following major areas: access and upgrading, university studies, business and tourism, fine arts and design, nursing and health related, vocational education and training, trades, and apprenticeships.34 Approximately three-quarters of full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs) in 2013/14 were split evenly among trades and apprenticeships, university studies and business and tourism, and access and upgrading (see Figure 23 in “Students”). A significant range of sector-specific industry training programs and courses as well as a growing number of college-credit program offerings are offered each year through NIC’s School of Continuing Education and Training.
The majority of NIC’s programs are one- and two-year certificate and diploma offerings. A four-year Nursing degree has been offered in collaboration with Vancouver Island University (VIU) since 2004. VIU awards the credentials to students and captures fourth-year FTEs for reporting against Ministry funding targets. NIC has been authorized to provide four-year bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration since 2006, and currently offers majors in Accounting, Marketing & General Management. A number of post-degree diploma (PDD) options in business have been made available in recent years, garnering strong international student enrolment. Seven PDD program options are currently available, including one-year General Management, International Management, Marketing, Accounting and Finance, and Human Resource Management offerings and two-year Global Business Management, and Pre-Professional Accountant programs. Two-year associate degrees in University Studies Arts and Sciences are offered for students who wish to credential before completing a degree pathway. Co-operative Education is currently offered in Business Administration (diploma and degree programs), Tourism/Hospitality Management, and Adventure Tourism.
34 A detailed breakdown of the educational disciplines making up each major program area is provided in Appendix F – Major Program Area Composition.
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Access and upgrading programs form a large and integral part of NIC’s educational portfolio. The College’s Access for Students with Disabilities (ASD) department provides a number of tuition-free employment transition and access courses for students with documented physical, cognitive or mental health disabilities as well as a range of support services and learning accommodations. Tuition-free Adult Basic Education courses in English, mathematics and sciences provide academic upgrading to prepare and qualify students for the B.C. Adult Graduation Diploma and post-secondary education. NIC’s English as a Second Language (ESL) programs qualify students to achieve standardized Canadian Language Benchmark levels and are currently offered tuition free to Canadians, permanent residents, live-in caregivers, and refugees. The Academic English Language program prepares students for college and university programs, and the Settlement English Language program teaches the English language and life skills necessary for newcomers to function in Canadian society.
NIC’s program and course offerings have grown in recent years with approximately 100 credit programs and 1,000 individual courses now offered. Summarized lists of programs offered at each NIC campus can be found in the previous section, “Campuses”; a college-wide summary of programs currently offered can be found in Appendix D – List of Programs. Detailed descriptions of all NIC’s program offerings can be viewed online at: www.nic.bc.ca/programs.
Access Pathway Programming
Enabling access to post-secondary education and training through the provision of multiple entrance and exit points is a key objective in program development at NIC. Over the last few years, the College has dedicated resources to increase access pathways for students. These pathways facilitate the transition of adult learners to college-level credit programming by providing upgrading prerequisites via short, accessible course sections. Opportunities for students to continue their learning has also been increased with new bridging programs, laddering options and block transfers to programs at NIC and beyond. Recent examples include: Aboriginal focused foundation skills courses and the Bridge to Success program; trades oriented essential skills courses; and access programs such as the Construction Labourer (for students with disabilities) program and the Carpentry Access program.
Aboriginal Education
NIC has a well-established core of Aboriginal Education offerings, including an Indigenous Focus certificate in Education Assistant/Community Support, a First Nations Associate of Arts degree, a Cultural Heritage Resource Management certificate, and a First Nations Transition program. The College also works with First Nations communities to provide in-community access to educational programs and training. These offerings integrate cultural awareness and Indigenous ways of knowing and being with outcomes that are relevant to meeting local labour market needs and regional First
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Nations community needs. In partnership with nine First Nations bands, NIC delivered 10 upgrading and career programs in remote Aboriginal communities in 2013/14. The number of students enrolled in community-based programs has more than doubled over the past four years to over 200 students. In-community programming provides greater relevance and responsiveness to students, facilitating delivery of specialized programs designed to ensure that learners achieve all levels of required coursework.
NIC has full-time Aboriginal Education Advisors based at each of its four campuses. These Advisors provide support to students at all stages of their academic careers, from application through to graduation. As the College increases in-community programming, the Advisors have increased their outreach and now regularly provide services in seven communities. NIC has also created four half- time Elders in Residence positions. The Elders support student access, retention, transition and completion, faculty and staff professional development, and provision of courses and programs on campus. The Elders also enhance receptivity and relevance of Aboriginal Education programming through outreach to Aboriginal communities.
NIC’s goals and objectives for Aboriginal education are directly linked to provincial and Aboriginal- community priorities: 1) to increase access, retention, completion and transition opportunities for Aboriginal learners; 2) to increase the receptivity and relevance of NIC and our programs for Aboriginal learners; and 3) to strengthen partnerships and collaboration with Aboriginal community stakeholders in the College region.
International Education
International student enrolment at NIC has historically been concentrated in three main program areas: business, university studies, and English language training. In recent years international education has been a primary growth area for the College, both in terms of enrolment and revenue. Full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs) have more than doubled over the past three years and the proportion of international FTEs at NIC has grown from 3.0% in 2010/11 to 5.7% in 2013/14. Since 2010/11, revenue from international education has allowed the College to offer an additional 48 sections of academic programming for domestic students in areas of high student demand, including business, interactive media, sciences, and English. A 2012 report estimates that each international student at NIC contributes approximately $30,000 to the local economy through tuition fees,
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 46
academic supplies, accommodations, transport, and discretionary spending. The same report estimates that 100 international students at NIC generate around 36 local jobs, most at NIC.35
NIC International, in collaboration with the College community, pursues broad goals of internationalization and interculturalization. These twin goals are pursued via three primary strategies: 1) the creation of opportunities for local students to study abroad; 2) the development of processes, programming, and marketing that facilitate foreign students’ study at NIC; and 3) financial and organizational support for in-community activities that increase “intercultural intelligence.”
NIC will continue: to be a hub for Settlement English Language (i.e., English Language Services for Adults) programming, to pursue partnerships with foreign governments and educational institutions (see “Partnerships” below), and to carefully expand opportunities that will attract and meet the needs of both international students and local students seeking to study abroad. The new Global Learning Innovation Fund (GLIF) is an important, open-ended tool that will encourage creative initiatives by the College and communities. A new Global Learning Facilitator position will support GLIF and other projects related to internationalization.
Continuing Education and Training
Continuing education at NIC in 2013/14 included more than 340 short-term vocational and personal interest courses and 15 credit programs. Over the last two years NIC’s School of Continuing Education and Training has developed over 20 new programs and delivered over 150 contracts. In 2013/14, more than 90 training programs were delivered across the region in response to industry needs and over 400 remote learners were served across the North Island and Central Coast regions, extending as far north as Bella Coola and Bella Bella. Examples of training programs offered include: mine training, marine operator training, wildfire crew training, oil and gas certification, pulp and paper processing, manufacturing industry employment preparation, building service worker training, introductory trades training, campground operator training, and retail and hospitality customer service training. The School currently offers credentialed programming on a cost-recovery basis in Metal Jewelry Design, Coastal Log Scaling, Landscape Horticulture, Activity Assistant, Animal Care Aide and Hospital Unit Clerk. A broad range of non-credit, short-term vocational and personal interest courses form a large and important component of continuing education offerings, including
35 Vann Struth Consulting Group Inc. (2012). International Education in the Comox Valley: Current and Potential Economic Impacts. Retrieved from http://www.bccie.bc.ca/sites/bccie_society/files/EconomicImpactAnalysis_Comox%20Valley.pdf on February 5, 2015.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 47
first aid and CPR, driver training, and computer application training as well as a large number of ElderCollege general interest offerings for learners over 50 years old (55+ in the Comox Valley).
Continuing education programming priorities have been articulated through stakeholder consultations, participation in labour market forums, regional service organizations, and provincial industry organizations. Programming has involved industry partners, co-sponsorship programming with First Nations, and collaboration with continuing education and contract training divisions across B.C. The School continues to advance programming partnerships with community, service organizations, First Nations and industry specific to aquaculture, allied health, arts, creative industries, agriculture, non-profit and entrepreneurship development.
Distributed Learning / Educational Technology
NIC has used distributed learning for 40 years to meet the needs of students living in small communities across an expansive geographical area. Over the last decade and a half the College has moved beyond traditional correspondence and online delivery methods to implement sophisticated blended learning models that combine face-to-face, Interactive Television (ITV), and online learning. More recently, NIC developed a Remote Web-Based Science Laboratory (RWSL) to enable learners in distant locations to conduct laboratory experiments remotely over the internet.
To meet the growing demand for blended and distance learning, NIC has undertaken a number of initiatives related to internal processes, new technology, improved usage of existing tools, and support for students and faculty. Interactive Television was recently upgraded to full high-definition video, and regular ITV has been extended to Ucluelet on a pilot basis. Blackboard Learn has been upgraded and includes a range of new tools, including ePortfolios. This last feature is of particular interest to the Nursing program and other areas where the ability for students to demonstrate their learning to employers and receiving institutions is increasingly required. Improved video conferencing will reduce the number of face-to-face and phone meetings, saving time and money on travel while improving the quality of meetings that currently use only phones. Mature video conferencing also has the potential to: a) improve access to tutoring for students in remote areas and b) substantially increase the interactivity and collegiality of online courses. The College is moving to provide more services on-line for students at a distance; simultaneously, NIC also provides support for online and blended program and course development in a number of areas.
NIC’s Remote Web-Based Science Laboratory (RWSL) gives students and educators access to high quality, interactive labs online in real-time, both from home and in the classroom. The RWSL has evolved into a full suite of audio, video, hardware and software equipment and technologies that allow users to view, interact, control and collect real data from experiments using actual science lab equipment, in real-time, over the internet. The RWSL has garnered attention throughout North
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America for its innovative approach to distance and online learning. The RWSL is currently supported by both the North American Network of Science Lab Online (NANSLO) and the Consortium for Healthcare Education Online (CHEO) projects.
Partnerships
Partnerships are a means of achieving distinct educational offerings while increasing access to post- secondary education for students and better serving local communities. NIC is among the most active post-secondary institutions in B.C. seeking collaborations and partnerships with secondary and other post-secondary institutions to facilitate the transition of students from the K-12 system to post- secondary education and training. Additionally, the College has made it a key priority to expand domestic and international educational pathways and opportunities for students. Community and industry partnership development is ongoing and remains crucial to ensuring program access and relevance for remote learners and local economies. A snapshot of existing partnership agreements has been placed in Appendix E – List of Partnership Agreements. An online list that will be updated as partnerships continue to grow can be viewed at http://www.nic.bc.ca/about_us/Partnership_Agreements.
Secondary School Partnerships
NIC has developed partnerships with six school districts (SDs), including SD 69 Qualicum, SD 70 Port Alberni, SD 71 Comox Valley, SD 72 Campbell River, SD 84 Vancouver Island West, and SD 85 Vancouver Island North (see Appendix G – Maps). These partnerships enable delivery of post- secondary level, dual credit courses and ACE-IT programs to high school students in a wide variety of programs.
Dual and Guaranteed Admissions Post-Secondary Partnerships
The College currently offers 12 dual and guaranteed admission programs. College students are able to pay lower fees for first- and second-year courses while remaining at home for the first two years of their degrees, saving tens of thousands of dollars with a guarantee that they will not lose credit and have to repeat coursework. Universities with which NIC has a dual/guaranteed-admissions partnership include the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, the University of Northern British Columbia, Vancouver Island University, and Royal Roads University.
Vancouver Island Post-Secondary Alliance
In 2014, Vancouver Island’s five post-secondary institutions–Camosun College, NIC, Royal Roads University, Vancouver Island University and the University of Victoria–signed the Vancouver Island Post-Secondary Alliance agreement, re-affirming their commitment to work together to further support students and contribute to the social and economic prosperity of Vancouver Island and the
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 49
province of BC. The Alliance enables NIC, through partnership and collaboration, to offer greater educational opportunity to residents of the NIC region.
International Partnerships
Increasing partnership agreements with international universities and colleges to support student and employee exchange and development of joint curriculum and research projects is an ongoing priority for the College. In 2013/14, North Island College International (NICI) continued to build relationships with Developing Environmentally Sensitive Hospitality Managers partners, including Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan and Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua to support independent student exchange and with Kapi’olani Community College to explore innovative program opportunities. New long-term agreements were also established in Mexico with Universidad Madero, in Scotland with City of Glasgow College, and in Brazil with Instituto Federal de Educacao and Universidade Positivo. These relationships support exchange and recruitment of students, sharing of curriculum, and joint research activities. As well, NICI has successfully applied for Emerging Leaders of the Americas Program scholarships to bring two young scholars from Chile and Mexico to study at NIC for a term. Science Without Borders scholarship opportunities with CAPES in Brazil have come to fruition with 21 students coming to NIC for an 18 month study program. NIC continues to explore appropriate contract opportunities in China, Korea and Kenya.
Community and Industry Partnerships
Expansion of regional First Nations partnerships has allowed NIC to substantially increase in- community program offerings and ensure that programs are aligned with local economies. The College works with Aboriginal communities, organizations, funding agencies, and First Nations economic development entities to provide in-community access to educational programs and training.
NIC has engaged in a broad spectrum of collaborations and partnerships with industry to serve the educational needs of its residents, promote community stability and foster regional economic growth. Primarily through its School of Continuing Education and Training, the College has worked with industry to develop and deliver quick-response training aligned with local labour market demand. Industry-stakeholders partner with NIC by providing access to work experience opportunities as well as to stakeholders’ sites, equipment, and personnel.
NIC is currently working closely with Island Health to consider regional occupational forecasts and to develop new health care programing. In 2013, Island Health committed $2.75M over 10 years for the development of health-related programming at NIC. These activities coincide with the construction of a new hospital adjacent to NIC’s Comox Valley campus and a new hospital in Campbell River, positioning NIC to become a leader in rural and remote health-care.
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Applied Research
Applied research at community colleges advances industry engagement, obtains external funding, provides students with applied learning opportunities in the field, informs new program development and attracts highly qualified faculty. NIC’s applied research initiatives have grown in recent years with the formation of the Centre for Applied Research, Technology and Innovation (CARTI) and the Scholarly Activity and Research Committee.
The Centre for Applied Research, Technology and Innovation (CARTI) was created in 2012 to facilitate solutions to challenges confronting north island stakeholders. Key values include fostering community resilience, supporting sustainable projects and preparing graduates for emerging demands. National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) grants, such as NIC’s two-year, $199,464 Innovation Enhancement Grant and five-year $999,325 Industrial Research Chair Grant, fund essential research into sustainable aquaculture, guide business development and identify essential labour market skills that inform the development of training at NIC. In addition to achieving NSERC grant eligibility status, the College has also been awarded Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) eligibility.
NIC's Scholarly Activity and Research Committee explores research opportunities in the North Island region and evaluates the possibilities for community-based applied research. By partnering with businesses, community groups, government, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions, the Scholarly Activity and Research Committee strives to develop the region's social, economic, and scholarly contributions.
NIC is a part of the Vancouver Island Community Research Alliance (VICRA), an island-based research alliance between Vancouver Island's five public post-secondary institutions. The alliance works with community partners to provide quality research on areas of interest to Vancouver Island residents. Its goal is to mobilize the collective and diverse research, knowledge, skills, and capacities in service of the people of Vancouver Island. VICRA partners include: University of Victoria, Vancouver Island University, Camosun College, Royal Roads University, Vancouver Foundation, The United Way, Vancouver Island Economic Alliance, and Island Health.
Students
9,110 students took courses at NIC in the 2013/14 fiscal year, with 4,685 students enrolled in at least one credit courses and 4,425 students who only enrolled in non-credit, short-duration continuing
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 51
Figure 21, NIC Student Headcount by Location and Course Type, 2013/14
* STUDENTS OFTEN TAKE COURSES AT MULTIPLE CAMPUSES. “UNDUPLICATED HEADCOUNT” REMOVES ANY DUPLICATIONS, ENSURING THAT EACH STUDENT IS COUNTED ONLY ONCE COLLEGE-WIDE.
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education courses. Figure 21 disaggregates enrolment by mode of delivery (campus-based, in- community and distributed learning) 36 and type of course (credit or non-credit).
The median age of students in credit courses in 2013/14 was 26 and 60% were female. Students who only enrolled in non-credit courses had a median age of 40 with equal numbers of males and females. Almost half of students enrolled in credit courses (44%) in 2013/14 were in the 18-24 age group and 61% were under the age of 30. The age and sex characteristics of course takers at NIC have been relatively stable over the past five years.
Nearly all (90%) of NIC students are local residents of the College’s catchment area: the North Island and Central Coast (see Figure 22). Half of the remaining students come from other parts of Vancouver Island. A growing international student population is adding cultural diversity at NIC.
Figure 22, NIC Student Region of Origin, 2013/14
NIC students generated 2,670 full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs)37 in 2013/14, including 2,517 domestic student FTEs and 153 international student FTEs (see Figure 23). Students enrolled in trades
36 Includes distance, online and interactive television delivery. 37 Student FTEs represent the enrolment activity of students in a given instructional year. Each full-time student in a full-time program generates one FTE. Part-time student enrolments are converted into full-time
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 53
and apprenticeship courses accounted for approximately 25% of FTEs; students enrolled in university studies and business and tourism courses generated approximately 25% of FTEs; and, students enrolled in access and upgrading courses generated approximately 25% of FTEs. Remaining FTEs were split between vocational education and training, nursing and health related, continuing education and fine arts and design. It is noteworthy that, although continuing education and training only generated approximately 4% of total FTEs in 2013/14, approximately 60% of NIC students enrolled at least one continuing education course.
Figure 23, NIC FTEs by Program Area, 2013/14
Vocational Education and Trades Training, 11.1% Nursing and 11.0% Health Related 7.4%
Apprenticeships 11.6%
University Studies 17.3% Access and Upgrading 26.3% Business and Tourism 7.6%
equivalents based on their course registrations as a proportion of a full-time course load (e.g., a student taking 50% of a full course load generates 0.5 FTEs).
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Enrolment
An average of 9,500 students enrolled in courses annually at NIC for the past five years with an average of 4,600 who enrolled in credit courses each year. As shown in Figure 24 below, student headcount in credit courses declined modestly from 2009/10 to 2011/12 and then grew to 2013/14. Total student headcount peaked in 2010/11 and then declined by over 900 students by 2013/14. FTEs grew modestly over the period.
Figure 24, NIC Student Headcount and FTEs, 2009/10 – 2013/14
12,000 10,041 9,528 9,702 10,000 9,137 9,110
8,000
6,000
4,000 4,645 4,603 4,576 4,601 4,685
2,000 2,574 2,683 2,504 2,645 2,670
0 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Total Headcount 9,528 10,041 9,702 9,137 9,110 Credit Course Headcount 4,645 4,603 4,576 4,601 4,685 FTEs 2,574 2,683 2,504 2,645 2,670
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 55
below shows student headcount in credit courses for the past five years broken out by major program area (see Appendix F – Major Program Area Composition). Vocational education and training student headcount more than doubled over the period. Fine arts and design enrolment grew by 10%. Access and upgrading enrolment declined by 25% between 2009/10 and 2012/13 to recover modestly in 2013/14. Student headcount in trades declined by 26% while the number of students in apprenticeships grew by 5%. Nursing and health related enrolment peaked in 2010/11 while university studies enrolment and business and tourism enrolment both peaked in 2011/12.
Figure 25, NIC Student Headcount in Credit Courses by Program Area, 2009/10 – 2013/14
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0 Vocational Access and University Business and Fine Arts and Nursing and Education and Trades Apprenticeships Upgrading Studies Tourism Design Health Related Training 2009/10 1,967 1,496 670 210 346 321 396 226 2010/11 1,665 1,576 772 212 423 398 349 207 2011/12 1,545 1,655 778 212 368 482 365 188 2012/13 1,480 1,641 712 230 335 682 357 218 2013/14 1,618 1,565 737 231 337 698 292 252
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 56
Enrolment trends for NIC campuses between 2009/10 and 2013/14 are shown in Figure 26 below. Student headcount in credit courses at Comox Valley increased by 12% with consistent year-over- year growth. In-community credit enrolment more than doubled over the period. Enrolment at Campbell River declined sharply by 27%. Port Alberni declined by 17% between 2009/10 and 2012/13 to recover substantially in 2013/14. Mount Waddington peaked in 2009/10 and enrolment in Distributed learning (including distance, online and interactive television delivery courses) peaked in 2011/12.
Figure 26, NIC Student Headcount in Credit Courses by Location, 2009/10 – 2013/14
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0 Mount Distributed Comox Valley Campbell River Port Alberni In-Community Waddington Learning 2009/10 2,004 1,305 749 170 91 1,127 2010/11 2,125 1,126 729 215 67 1,232 2011/12 2,173 1,025 680 188 68 1,268 2012/13 2,209 1,023 623 162 185 1,235 2013/14 2,249 957 702 162 204 1,178
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 57
Applications
Student applications to programs at NIC are an important indicator of student demand and provide important context for interpreting enrolment patterns.38 With the exception of access and upgrading and trades, applications to NIC’s major program areas show patterns of growth between 2009 and 2013 fall terms (see Figure 27). Access and upgrading applications declined by 28% over the period and trades applications declined by 17%. Business and tourism applications grew by 53%, university studies applications grew by 20%, nursing and health related applications grew by 20%, vocational education and training applications grew by 17%, fine arts and design grew by 11%, and apprenticeships grew by 81%.
Figure 27, NIC Student Applications by Program Area, 2009 – 2013 Fall Terms
1,200
1,000
800
600 2009FA 400 2010FA 2011FA 200 2012FA 2013FA 0 Vocational Access and University Business and Fine Arts and Nursing and Education and Trades Apprenticeships Upgrading Studies Tourism Design Health Related Training 2009FA 1,080 670 348 122 511 250 478 86 2010FA 959 771 383 129 500 267 389 76 2011FA 841 834 409 122 559 274 392 91 2012FA 760 806 463 130 594 361 386 74 2013FA 780 806 526 135 614 293 439 113
38 Application data in this section include total applications to fall terms (i.e., all application statuses from “applied” to “qualified/ready to register”, excluding “withdrawn”)
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 58
Student applications to NIC’s four campuses for 2009 through 2013 fall terms (see Figure 28) generally parallel the credit course enrolment trends shown in the previous subsection (“Enrolment”). Applications to Comox Valley campus demonstrated strong year-over-year growth while applications to Campbell River declined sharply. Applications to Port Alberni and Mount Waddington declined moderately.
Figure 28, NIC Student Applications by Location, 2009 Fall Term – 2013 Fall Term
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0 Campbell River Comox Valley Port Alberni Mount Waddington 2009FA 1017 1717 625 196 2010FA 820 1807 657 170 2011FA 904 1854 571 166 2012FA 817 2087 539 126 2013FA 735 2201 599 151
Aboriginal Students
Aboriginal Student Profile 1,200 students of self-declared Aboriginal ancestry took courses at NIC in 2013/14, making up 13% of the College’s student population. Aboriginal student representation has consistently been at or above this level for the past five years. The proportion of Aboriginal students at NIC exceeds the proportion of Aboriginal people (12%) living in the College’s service area.39 As the map of First Nations and traditional territories in Appendix G – Maps makes clear, First Nations are widely distributed throughout the NIC region.
39 BC Stats. (2012). College Region 11 – North Island: Statistical Profile. Retrieved from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/SocioEconomicProfilesIndices/Profiles.aspx on May 27, 2014.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 59
Over half of Aboriginal students enrolled in credit courses in 2013/14 took courses at the Port Alberni and Comox Valley campuses (approximately 26% at each campus). Approximately 17% of NIC’s Aboriginal students took programs offered in-community, exceeding representation at Campbell River and Mount Waddington (15% and 12%, respectively). Almost half of Aboriginal students took access and upgrading courses in 2013/14. Vocational education and training was the second most popular program area (27%) followed by university studies (23%).
Aboriginal students enrolled in credit courses in 2013/14 had a similar age profile to non-Aboriginal students; both groups had a median age of 26. A smaller proportion of Aboriginal students were in the 18-24 age group (41% versus 45%) but 60% of both groups were under the age of 30. Aboriginal students enrolled in non-credit courses were substantially younger than non-Aboriginal students, with median ages of 29 and 39, respectively; 31% of Aboriginal students were in the 18-24 age group compared with 21% of non-Aboriginal students. A higher proportion of Aboriginal students who enrolled in credit courses were female than non-Aboriginal students (65% versus 60%); for students enrolled in non-credit courses, female representation was 55% for both groups.
Aboriginal Student Enrolment Total Aboriginal headcount at NIC declined by 18% between 2010/11 and 2013/14 while enrolment in credit courses increased by almost 4% over the same period (see Figure 29). Full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs) declined from 501 FTEs in 2010/11 to 426 in 2013/14; an average of 446 FTEs were generated annually for the period.
Figure 29, NIC Aboriginal Student Headcount and FTEs, 2009/10 - 2013/14
1,600 1,471 1,444 1,400 1,356 1,257 1,201 1,200
1,000
800 891 819 820 812 849 600
400 501 480 412 411 426 200
0 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Total Headcount 1,257 1,471 1,444 1,356 1,201 Credit Course Headcount 819 820 812 891 849 FTEs 412 501 411 480 426
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 60
Figure 30 below shows Aboriginal credit student headcount by program area for the past five years. The number of Aboriginal students enrolled in access and upgrading courses decreased by 17% over the period; these students are primarily enrolled in Adult Basic Education courses. Enrolment in vocational education and training grew by well over 300%. Trades enrolment grew by 50% between 2009/10 and 2012/13 and then sharply declined in 2013/14. Nursing and health related headcount grew by 20% between 2009/10 and 2013/14. University studies and business and tourism enrolments both peaked in 2011/12. Relatively small numbers of students (18 or fewer) took Fine arts and design and apprenticeship courses in any given year.
Figure 30, NIC Aboriginal Student Headcount in Credit Courses by Program Area, 2009/10-2013/14
600
500
400
300
200
100
0 Vocational Access and University Business and Fine Arts and Nursing and Education and Trades Apprenticeships Upgrading Studies Tourism Design Health Related Training 2009/10 505 187 66 16 52 52 59 14 2010/11 414 229 75 16 68 130 42 16 2011/12 383 246 85 12 61 127 57 18 2012/13 397 225 76 18 50 247 82 15 2013/14 420 194 62 15 61 232 26 12
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 61
Aboriginal credit student headcount by location for the past five years is shown in Figure 31 below. The number of Aboriginal students taking credit courses at Comox Valley and Campbell River campuses declined by 9% and 41%, respectively, over the period. Increases of just over 20% occurred at Port Alberni and Mount Waddington, and in-community student headcount grew by 150%. Distributed learning headcount peaked in 2011/12.
Figure 31, NIC Aboriginal Student Headcount in Credit Courses by Location, 2009/10 - 2013/14
300
250
200
150
100
50
0 Mount Distributed Comox Valley Campbell River Port Alberni In-Community Waddington Learning 2009/10 240 209 189 82 55 176 2010/11 225 218 200 118 26 176 2011/12 237 197 180 96 38 205 2012/13 248 169 195 95 142 202 2013/14 219 124 229 100 138 165
International Students
International Student Profile NIC hosted over 200 international students from over 30 countries in 2013/14. Over half of international students originated from three countries: 32% from India, 14% from China, and 10% from Japan (see Figure 32 below). International students made up 4.5% of NIC’s total student population enrolled in credit courses and 5.7% of total full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs). Almost all of NIC’s international student enrolment activity took place at the Comox Valley campus; however, small numbers of students also took courses at Campbell River campus and by distance education. A very small number of students took courses at Port Alberni campus.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 62
Figure 32, NIC International Student Citizenship, 2013/14
International students at NIC are typically younger than domestic students and, proportionately, more are male. The median age of international students enrolled in credit courses in 2013/14 was 22 versus 26 for domestic students; 63% of international students were male versus 38% for domestic students. The age and sex characteristics of international students at NIC have been consistent for the past five years.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 63
International Student Enrolment International student enrolment at NIC grew substantially between 2009/10 and 2013/14 (see Figure 33). Full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs) grew by almost 50% from 2012/13 and more than tripled since 2009/10. Student headcount numbers have increased by an average of 32 students per year since 2009/10.
Figure 33, NIC International Student Headcount in Credit Courses and FTEs, 2009/10 – 2013/14
250 203 200 147 150 118 152.5 101 100 75 104.1 85.1 75.7 50 49.6
0 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
Credit Course Headcount FTEs
International student enrolment has been concentrated in three main program areas for the past five years: business and tourism, university studies, and access and upgrading. In 2013/14, over half of international students took courses in business and tourism (see Figure 34). More than half also took courses in university studies, over 40% took courses in access and upgrading (mostly English as a Second Language), and 7% took courses in fine arts and design. Figure 34 also shows that it is typical to see a few students enrolled in vocational education and training, apprenticeships, and trades in a given year.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 64
Figure 34, NIC International Student Headcount in Credit Courses by Program Area, 2009/10 – 2013/14
120
100
80
60
40
20
0 Vocational Access and University Business and Fine Arts and Education and Trades Upgrading Studies Tourism Design Training 2009/10 44 31 21 16 5 3 2010/11 52 56 42 12 4 3 2011/12 52 62 51 7 5 3 2012/13 66 83 70 9 4 3 2013/14 85 109 111 15 0 2
Comparatively, the number of international students at NIC (by headcount) remains in the lower half of rural colleges, and well below the provincial average. However, the number of international students at NIC grew over 180% by 2012/13 (over the 2007/08 base year). This growth was fastest among the rural colleges, third fastest among all public post-secondary institutions, and triple the provincial average (see Appendix H for further details).
Continuing Education Students
Continuing Education Student Profile 5,340 students at NIC took at least one course offered through NIC’s School of Continuing Education and Training in 2013/14. This means that nearly 3 out of 5 NIC students are accessing continuing education and training courses, many of whom are enrolled in other programs. The vast majority of students enrolled in non-credit general interest, Elder College and first aid courses. Just over 400 students were enrolled in credit programs such as Animal Care Aide, Hospital Unit Clerk, Log Scaling, Metal Jewellery Design, and occupational skills programs. Examples of occupational skills programs offered in 2013/14 include Campground Operator, Early Childhood Education Assistant, Foundation in First Nations Leadership and Capacity Building, Introduction to Trades, Manufacturing Industry Employment Preparation Program, Marine Operator Training, Retail and Hospitality Customer Service, Underground Mining, and Woodland Harvesting.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 65
Continuing Education students generated 298 full-time equivalent enrolments (FTEs) in 2013/14 (see Figure 35). Approximately 50% of FTEs were generated by students taking short-term vocational courses, approximately 30% by students enrolled in credit and occupational skills programs, and approximately 20% by students taking general interest and Elder College courses.
Figure 35, NIC Continuing Education FTEs by Program Area, 2013/14
Continuing Education students enrolled in credit courses in 2013/14 were younger and proportionately more were male than students enrolled in non-credit courses. Students enrolled in credit courses had a median age of 31 and 54% were male; those enrolled in non-credit courses had a median age of 38 and 45% were male.
Continuing Education Student Enrolment Total Continuing Education student headcount has been steadily declining at NIC for the past three years, declining by 14% since the 2010/11 peak shown in Figure 36 below. During this time student headcount in credit programs grew by 170%, mostly due to increased enrolment in occupational skills programming. FTEs have fluctuated from year to year, averaging 276 FTEs per year.
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 66
Figure 36, NIC Continuing Education Headcount and FTEs, 2009/10 - 2013/14
7,000 6,187 5,851 6,000 5,517 5,467 5,340 5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000 210 323 221 325 298 0 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Total CE 5,517 6,187 5,851 5,467 5,340 Credit CE 61 155 203 431 419 FTEs 210 323 221 325 298
Consistent with the pattern of decline in total student headcount seen over the past three years, headcount has declined (see Figure 37) at each of NIC’s four campuses: Comox valley by 6%, Campbell River by 4%, Port Alberni by 23%, and Mount Waddington by 48%. Distributed learning and in-community headcounts also declined by 14% and 21%, respectively, over the period.
Figure 37, NIC Total Continuing Education Headcount by Location, 2009/10 - 2013/14
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0 Mount Distributed Comox Valley Campbell River Port Alberni In-Community Waddington Learning 2009/10 2136 1385 811 612 470 316 2010/11 2204 1562 1039 710 583 390 2011/12 2076 1716 856 600 512 397 2012/13 2008 1652 928 351 366 489 2013/14 2067 1496 803 371 504 308
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Full-time Equivalent Enrolments (FTEs)
Student FTEs represent the enrolment activity of students in a given instructional year. Each full-time student in a full-time program generates one FTE. Part-time student enrolments are converted to full-time equivalents based on their course registrations as a proportion of a full-time course load (e.g., a student taking 50% of a full course load generates 0.5 FTEs). FTEs are the required metric for reporting student enrolment against Ministry of Advanced Education funding targets.
Figure 38 shows total FTEs produced by NIC over the past 10 fiscal years; domestic and international FTEs have been broken out to show their relative contribution. A robust pattern of growth is obvious from 2004/05 to the 2010/11 peak of 2,683 FTEs, which is the highest number of FTEs produced in the history of the College. Over the past five fiscal years NIC produced an average of 2,600 FTEs per year (as shown by the black line) from an average of 9,500 students. This represents the setting of a new “bar” for FTE production when compared with the preceding five fiscal years where an average of 2,200 FTEs were produced annually (as shown by the red line). International FTEs have grown by more than 200% (from 50 FTEs to 153 FTEs) since 2009/10.
Figure 38, NIC Total, Domestic, and International FTEs, 2004/05 - 2013/14
3,000 2,683 2,645 2,670 2,574 2,504 2,500 2,381 2,277 2,113 2,048 2,050 2,000
1,500 FTEs
1,000
500
0 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 International FTEs 31 27 47 51 46 50 85 76 104 153 Domestic FTEs 2,017 2,023 2,067 2,226 2,335 2,524 2,598 2,429 2,541 2,517 Total FTEs 2,048 2,050 2,113 2,277 2,381 2,574 2,683 2,504 2,645 2,670
Domestic FTEs International FTEs Total FTEs
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Domestic student FTEs, exclusive of Industry Training Authority funded trades and apprenticeship FTEs, are reported annually to the Ministry against funded targets. FTE utilization is calculated by dividing the actual number of FTEs produced in a given year by the Ministry target. A key metric for Ministry reporting, FTE utilization is used to measure the efficiency of FTE production: below 100% means that fewer FTEs were produced than were funded. NIC’s FTE utilization rate in 2013/14 was 89%, second highest among the six rural colleges in B.C.40
Figure 39 below shows NIC’s annual overall FTE utilization over the past 10 fiscal years. Similar to the FTE chart in Figure 38 above, a higher level has clearly been achieved and sustained for the most recent five fiscal years. FTE utilization averaged 87% between 2009/10 and 2013/14 compared with 76% between 2004/05 and 2008/09. It is noteworthy that higher utilization is not always a result of increased FTE generation. Domestic student FTEs countable toward Ministry targets actually decreased between 2010/11 and 2013/14 (see Figure 38 above) but relatively high utilization rates were achieved due to lower targets.
Figure 39, NIC FTE Targets and Ministry Utilization Rates, 2004/05 - 2013/14
2,500 100%
90%
2,000 80%
70%
1,500 60%
50% FTEs
1,000 40% Utilization Rate
30%
500 20%
10%
0 0% 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 FTE Target 2112 2136 2181 2188 2215 2214 2268 2224 2208 2198 Ministry Utilization Rate 80% 76% 75% 76% 73% 85% 87% 85% 89% 89%
FTE Target Ministry Utilization Rate
40 B.C.’s rural colleges include College of New Caledonia, College of the Rockies, Northwest Community College, North Island College, Northern Lights College, and Selkirk College.
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Table 10 below provides a detailed breakdown of all FTEs produced at NIC in 2013/14 (“Actual FTEs”) as well as FTE targets (“Funded FTEs”) and utilization for priority programs funded by the Ministry. Data for Ministry funded FTEs are presented in the top section of the table. The bottom section of the table shows FTEs not funded by the Ministry and, therefore, not countable toward Ministry targets. These include international student FTEs and Industry Training Authority funded trades and apprenticeship FTEs. In addition to what is shown below, 40 collaborative program FTEs were produced at NIC using NIC equipment, facilities and/or instructors; these were counted by partner institutions Emily Carr (Bachelor of Fine Arts program) and VIU (Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Liberal Arts).
Table 10, NIC Funded FTEs, Actual FTEs, and Utilization, 2013/14 Program Name Funded FTEs Actual FTEs Utilization Base-Funded Health Programs Bachelor of Science in Nursing 87.00 100.20 115.2% Practical Nursing 32.00 33.62 105.1% Health Care Assistant 40.00 49.86 124.7% Allied Health Programs N/A 14.15 N/A Ministry One-Time Funded Health Programs Funded Health Care Assistant 10.00 5.73 57.3% Developmental Programs Developmental Programs 572.00 649.24 113.5% Ministry Funded Balance Non-Targeted Non-Targeted 1,457.00 1,094.27 75.1% Ministry Funded Programs Total 2,198.00 1,947.07 88.6%
Industry Training Authority Funded Programs Foundation Trades N/A 160.28 N/A Non- Apprenticeship Technical Training N/A 409.61 N/A Ministry Industry Training Authority Funded Programs Total 569.89 Funded International Education N/A 152.54 N/A
Non-Ministry Funded Programs Total N/A 722.43 N/A
NIC Total N/A 2,669.50 N/A
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Student Outcomes
In cooperation with the B.C. Student Outcomes Research Forum, participating colleges, universities and institutes partake in annual surveys of former students nine to twenty months after completing all, or a significant portion, of their program. Former students are asked questions about their employment and any further education they have taken since leaving their post-secondary programs. They are also asked for specific feedback on many aspects of the programs and courses they took and to assess their level of satisfaction with their overall educational experience. Survey results are used: by participating institutions for program evaluation and improvement, by the Ministry of Advanced Education for accountability performance measure reporting, by prospective and existing students for making knowledgeable choices about post-secondary education, and by counsellors and advisors to help students plan their education and careers. NIC currently participates in three surveys each year: the Diploma, Associate degree and Certificate Student Outcomes Survey (DACSO), the Apprenticeship Student Outcomes Survey (APPSO), and the Baccalaureate Graduate Survey (BGS).41
Accountability Performance Measures
As mentioned above, Outcomes data are used by the Ministry of Advanced Education for accountability performance measure reporting. Five years data for are presented below in Table 11 for the DACSO, APPSO and BGS survey results. North Island College’s performance in a range of indicator areas is compared to the provincial and rural college averages. The data tell a general story of improvement at NIC, with 2013 showing broad gains both in absolute and, especially, in relative terms. Notably, recent graduates from apprenticeship programs (APPSO) at NIC report greater satisfaction, particularly as it relates to skill development and quality of instruction. DACSO participants’ satisfaction and assessment of usefulness has regularly been above the rural college average, but the last three years have seen assessments of skill development and quality of instruction also rise consistently above the rural college average. BGS participants (NIC’s nursing and business degree students) have traditionally provided very high ratings in all categories, exceeding provincial averages.
41 The Developmental Student Outcomes Survey (DEVSO) ran from 2009 through 2014 and has now been terminated.
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Table 11, Accountability Performance Measures Results, 2009 – 2013 *
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 NIC Rural BC NIC Rural BC NIC Rural BC NIC Rural BC NIC Rural BC Student satisfaction with education Former diploma, associate degree and 95.7% 94.8% 94.0% 93.3% 93.9% 93.8% 95.1% 94.9% 93.2% 92.4% 92.3% 92.9% 94.1% 93.6% 93.2% certificate students Apprenticeship graduates 89.5% 92.2% 92.9% 88.6% 92.7% 94.6% 95.1% 95.4% 93.4% 97.3% 95.8% 94.6% 97.0% 96.0% 95.1% Bachelor degree graduates ** 94.4% n/a 96.0% 100.0% n/a 97.1% 100.0% n/a 95.9% 100.0% n/a 93.2% 97.0% n/a 92.9% Student assessment of skill development Former diploma, associate degree and 80.7% 81.6% 78.3% 76.2% 80.2% 77.4% 81.1% 80.6% 76.6% 80.2% 79.8% 77.0% 81.3% 81.2% 78.3% certificate students Apprenticeship graduates 80.9% 76.7% 78.4% n/a n/a n/a 74.4% 82.8% 77.9% 81.7% 83.1% 79.6% 84.7% 82.3% 79.6% Bachelor degree graduates ** 91.3% n/a 86.6% 90.4% n/a 85.5% 95.8% n/a 85.3% 89.4% n/a 83.3% 90.7% n/a 83.2% Student assessment of quality of instruction Former diploma, associate degree and 95.7% 95.4% 96.1% 94.7% 95.1% 96.0% 96.2% 95.6% 95.2% 93.7% 93.6% 96.4% 95.9% 93.9% 95.2% certificate students Apprenticeship graduates 89.3% 93.3% 95.0% 94.3% 95.0% 95.7% 93.1% 94.8% 95.7% 95.9% 97.0% 95.9% 99.0% 96.4% 96.1% Bachelor degree graduates ** 90.9% n/a 96.2% 94.4% n/a 95.8% 100.0% n/a 96.3% 100.0% n/a 94.3% 100.0% n/a 94.2% Student assessment of usefulness of knowledge and skills in performing job Diploma, associate degree and certificate 85.0% 83.8% 85.1% 82.8% 81.1% 80.6% 83.6% 82.0% 82.2% 84.7% 79.4% 78.3% 84.2% 81.8% 79.1% graduates Apprenticeship graduates 93.8% 93.0% 96.4% 94.4% 95.0% 96.0% 96.2% 93.1% 93.5% 91.5% 97.1% 94.3% 93.8% 91.4% 92.8% Bachelor degree graduates ** 100.0% n/a 91.2% 100.0% n/a 91.1% 100.0% n/a 89.6% 100.0% n/a 83.6% 100.0% n/a 84.6% * CELLS SHADED LIGHT BLUE WITH BOLD TEXT INDICATE WHERE NIC’S RESULT WAS ABOVE THE AVERAGE FOR RURAL COLLEGES. ** NIC IS THE ONLY RURAL COLLEGE THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE BACCALAUREATE GRADUATE SURVEY (BGS).
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 72
Further Education
Figure 40 below indicates that around 40% of NIC students who responded to the DACSO survey go on to other schooling. The percentage going on to further studies declined slightly after 2009 but then recovered by 2013. Figure 41 suggests that, for those who continue on, NIC served as a springboard to further education that built upon learning at the College.
Figure 40, NIC Student Outcomes – Taken Further Studies, 2009 - 2013
SOURCE: BC STATS STUDENT OUTCOMES REPORTING SYSTEM, DACSO SURVEY RESULTS Figure 41, NIC Student Outcomes - Relatedness of Programs to Further Studies, 2009 - 2013
SOURCE: BC STATS STUDENT OUTCOMES REPORTING SYSTEM, DACSO SURVEY RESULTS
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Former students feel the quality of the springboard—their preparedness for further learning based on studies at NIC—is quite high. Data in Figure 42 indicates that over half of those who go on to further studies indicate that they felt “very” prepared by their NIC studies. Another third feel somewhat prepared.
Figure 42, NIC Student Outcomes - Former Student Preparedness in Further Studies, 2009 - 2013
SOURCE: BC STATS STUDENT OUTCOMES REPORTING SYSTEM, DACSO SURVEY RESULTS
Employment Outcomes
Outcomes for Diploma, Associate Degree, and Certificate students (DACSO) are broken out by arts and sciences and applied in order to not confuse and conflate what are quite different post- completion trajectories. The applied group consists mostly of students who have completed one- and two-year certificate and diploma programs including trades and health programs. Arts and sciences students are typically in four-year university studies degree pathways and have only completed two years of study when they are surveyed after leaving NIC.
2013 survey results (see Table 12) indicate that 81% of students in applied programs were currently employed and 75% were successful in finding jobs related to their education and training at NIC. Arts and science students are much more likely to continue with their studies and, therefore, report themselves as not in the labour force (40%); for those who are working, they are much less likely to be in a training related job (29%). Not surprisingly, a relatively low percentage of arts and sciences students also reported that their education was useful in getting a job (45%) while 81% of applied students indicated that education was useful (see Table 12 and Figure 43).
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 74
Table 12, Employment Outcomes, Arts & Sciences and Applied Students, 2009-2013
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Arts & Arts & Arts & Arts & Arts & Employment Outcome Sciences Applied Sciences Applied Sciences Applied Sciences Applied Sciences Applied
Currently Employed 53% 79% 50% 77% 63% 76% 56% 78% 54% 81%
Currently in Training 30% 74% 23% 77% 24% 70% 33% 75% 29% 75% Related Job Unemployment Rate of those in the 13% 10% 14% 11% 4% 12% 12% 13% 9% 11% Labour Force
Not in Labour Force 37% 12% 42% 13% 32% 13% 37% 9% 40% 9%
Rated Education "Very/Somewhat 46% 85% 20% 79% 45% 86% 33% 84% 45% 81% Useful" in Getting Job SOURCE: BC STATS STUDENT OUTCOMES REPORTING SYSTEM, DACSO SURVEY RESULTS Figure 43, NIC Student Outcomes - Obtaining Training Related Job and Usefulness of Education in Getting Job, 2009 – 2013
SOURCE: BC STATS STUDENT OUTCOMES REPORTING SYSTEM, DACSO SURVEY RESULTS
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 75
APPENDICES
Appendix A – Senior Leadership Team Organizational Structure
Figure 44, North Island College Senior Leadership Team Organizational Structure
PRESIDENT John Bowman Executive Assistant to the Board of Executive Assistant to the Governors President Rachel Reid Sue Bate
Vice President, Vice President, Finance & Facilities Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives Carol Baert Director, Human Resources & International Education Vice President, Learning & Randall Heidt Organizational Development Mark Herringer Students Ken Crewe Lisa Domae
Assistant Vice President Director, Community & College Relations / Access & Regions Executive Director Foundation Tony Bellavia Susan Auchterlonie
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 76
Appendix B – Financial Information: Expenditures & Revenue
Revenues and expenses from NIC’s Statement of Operations and Accumulated Surplus for the year ended March 31, 2014 with comparative information for 2013 are presented in the table below. NIC’s audited financial statements as well as those for other B.C. public post-secondary institutions may be viewed on the Ministry of Advanced Education’s website: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/gre/financial.htm.
Table 13, North Island College Expenditures and Revenues, 2013 - 2014 Expenditures Budget 2014 2014 2013 Salaries and benefits $ 27,655,746 $ 27,683,014 $ 26,493,389 Other personnel costs 793,370 761,522 1,566,111 Advertising and promotion 498,907 529,359 546,906 Books and periodicals 331,777 243,265 278,787 Cost of goods sold 1,049,870 1,041,036 1,087,342 Equipment costs 712,953 1,483,271 1,498,516 Facility costs 2,204,210 2,791,772 2,937,461 Financial service charges 173,753 169,499 142,998 General fees and services 1,184,600 1,484,765 1,539,088 Student awards 402,180 374,844 413,732 Supplies and general expenses 776,727 643,872 680,035 Travel 575,833 555,765 531,940 Grant transfers 325,000 316,093 331,419 Donations to NIC Foundation - 60,000 60,000 Amortization of tangible capital assets 2,949,209 2,851,252 2,614,632 39,634,135 40,989,329 40,722,356
Revenue Budget 2014 2014 2013 Province of British Columbia $ 28,528,851 $ 29,537,410 $ 30,031,530 Government of Canada grants 120,41 188,542 45,927 Tuition and student fees 6,386,82 6,314,134 6,164,589 Contract services 300,00 492,370 408,404 Sales of goods and services 1,437,20 1,404,038 1,448,630 Investment income 458,35 597,490 402,209 Other income 365,52 483,639 490,704 Revenue recognized from deferred capital 2,036,96 1,975,081 1,788,284 39,634,13 40,992,704 40,780,277
North Island College: Environmental Scan for Strategic Planning 2016 – 2020 77
Appendix C – Tuition Fees
Historical tuition fee data for university studies arts programs offered by B.C. public post-secondary institutions are presented here grouped by economic development region; rows highlighted in light blue contain data for B.C.’s rural colleges.
Table 14, Annual Tuition Fees for Arts Programs, Post-Secondary Institutions by Economic Development Region, Academic Years 2008/09 to 2013/14 2012/13 to 2008/09 to Economic Dev;p Region Institution 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2013/14 2013/14 increase increase Mainland/Southwest BCIT $4,659 $4,753 $4,848 $4,945 $5,043 $5,144 2.0% 10.4% Capilano University $3,180 $3,270 $3,335 $3,402 $3,470 $3,539 2.0% 11.3% Douglas College $2,556 $2,607 $2,658 $2,712 $2,766 $2,820 2.0% 10.3% Emily Carr University of Art + Design $3,366 $3,434 $3,503 $3,572 $3,642 $3,714 2.0% 10.3% Justice Institute of British Columbia $4,376 $4,463 2.0% n/a Kwantlen Polytechnic University $3,495 $3,564 $3,635 $3,707 $3,780 $3,855 2.0% 10.3% Langara College $2,400 $2,448 $2,498 $2,547 $2,598 $2,649 2.0% 10.4% Simon Fraser University $4,626 $4,719 $4,815 $4,914 $5,013 $5,115 2.0% 10.6% University of British Columbia $4,343 $4,430 $4,518 $4,608 $4,700 $4,794 2.0% 10.4% University of the Fraser Valley $3,569 $3,641 $3,713 $3,788 $3,864 $3,941 2.0% 10.4% Vancouver Community College $2,222 $2,265 $2,288 $2,333 $2,381 $2,428 2.0% 9.3% Vancouver Island/Coast Camosun College $2,802 $2,858 $2,915 $2,973 $3,033 $3,093 2.0% 10.4% North Island College $2,433 $2,481 $2,531 $2,581 $2,633 $2,685 2.0% 10.4% Royal Roads University $5,925 $6,040 $6,160 $6,280 $6,405 $6,530 2.0% 10.2% University of Victoria $4,581 $4,673 $4,766 $4,862 $4,959 $5,058 2.0% 10.4% Vancouver Island University $3,637 $3,710 $3,784 $3,859 $3,936 $4,015 2.0% 10.4% Kootenay College of the Rockies $2,256 $2,302 $2,348 $2,394 $2,442 $2,491 2.0% 10.4% Selkirk College $2,227 $2,271 $2,317 $2,363 $2,410 $2,458 2.0% 10.4% Cariboo College of New Caledonia $2,286 $2,331 $2,376 $2,376 $2,421 $2,466 1.9% 7.9% University of Northern BC $4,362 $4,449 $4,538 $4,629 $4,722 $4,816 2.0% 10.4% North Northern Lights College $2,669 $2,723 $2,777 $2,831 $2,887 $2,943 1.9% 10.3%
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2012/13 to 2008/09 to Economic Dev;p Region Institution 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2013/14 2013/14 increase increase Northwest Community College $2,292 $2,338 $2,385 $2,432 $2,481 $2,531 2.0% 10.4% Thompson Okanagan Nicola Valley Institute of Technology $2,110 $2,152 $2,195 $2,239 $2,284 $2,329 2.0% 10.4% Okanagan College $3,078 $3,078 $3,078 $3,078 $3,140 $3,203 2.0% 4.1% Thompson Rivers University $3,470 $3,539 $3,610 $3,682 $3,755 $3,830 2.0% 10.4% Provincial Average $3,273 $3,337 $3,400 $3,463 $3,714 $3,788 2.00% 10.0%
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Appendix D – List of Programs
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Appendix E – List of Partnership Agreements
A snapshot of current NIC partnership agreements is provided for current and future reference.
Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions • BCcampus AND Camosun College/Vancouver Island University and NIC • Memorandum of Understanding - Vancouver Island Early Learning Care/Early Childhood Education and Care Online Collaborative Program • BCIT, Camosun and VIU • Memorandum of Understanding between BCIT, Camosun, VIU & NIC for Shipbuilding and Repair Entry Level Training Program • Camosun College • Memorandum of Understanding on Exercise and Wellness • Memorandum of Understanding on Teaching & Learning • Camosun College, University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, Vancouver Island University • Vancouver Island Public Post-Secondary Alliance Agreement • Emily Carr University of Art & Design • Articulation Agreement, Bachelor of Fine Arts • Justice Institute of British Columbia • Memorandum of Understanding • Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences • Memorandum of Agreement for Workplace Health Sciences • Royal Roads University • Dual Admission Agreement between Royal Roads College and NIC • Simon Fraser University • Memorandum of Understanding • University of Manitoba • Memorandum of Understanding • Supplementary Student Mobility Agreement between the University of Manitoba & NIC • University of Northern British Columbia • Dual Admission Agreement • University of Victoria • Dual Admission Agreement • Guaranteed Admission Agreement for Transfer Students • Transfer Agreement, Engineering • Vancouver Island University • Bi-Lateral Agreement • Collaboration Agreement, Bachelor of Science in Nursing • Guaranteed Admission for International Students
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• Institutional Agreement for MBA.MScIB Guaranteed Admission • Letter of Agreement for Priority Registration • Letter of Agreement for Recreation and Tourism • Letter of Understanding, Pre-Education Program for Teachers in Training at North Island College-Port Alberni/Vancouver Island University • Pathways for Teachers in Training Agreement Community Agreements • Assiniboine Community College, Canadore College, Loyalist College, Nova Scotia CC, Portage College, Red River College, Winnipeg Technical College, Algonquin College • Memorandum of Understanding, College Transferability Network • Campbell River Community Accord • Campbell River Community Accord in Support of Workforce Development • Campbell River Community Literacy Association • Memorandum of Understanding • Cegep de Sherbrooke (Quebec) • General Agreement of Cooperation • Comox Valley Learning and Literacy Society • Memorandum of Agreement • Department of Defence • Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Arrangements regarding Membership in the Canadian Forces Continuing Education Program • Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda Nation • Memorandum of Understanding • Literacy Alberni Society • Memorandum of Understanding • Multicultural Immigrant Services Association of North Vancouver Island (MISA) • Memorandum of Understanding • Namgis First Nation • Memorandum of Understanding for the Delivery of Adult Education Resources and Programming on Coromorant Island International Agreements • Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology • General Agreement of Cooperation • Canada Silver Maple Education & Investment and Chengdu Polytechnic • Memorandum of Understanding • Canada Silver Maple Education & Investment and Sichuan University • Memorandum of Understanding • City of Glasgow College • General Agreement of Cooperation
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• DUOC UC, Santiago Chile • Memorandum of Understanding • Enshi Qingjiang Foreign Languages School • Strategic Cooperative Frame Agreement • Foundation College of China Scholarship Council • General Agreement of Cooperation • Fukuoka Futaba Junior and Senior High School • General Agreement of Cooperation • Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University Tianhe College • General Agreement of Cooperation • Guangdong Teachers College of Foreign Language and Arts • General Agreement of Cooperation • Hainan College of Economics & Business (Haikou, Hainan, China) • General Agreement of Cooperation • Instituto Federal de Educacao • General Agreement of Cooperation • International School of Management Gemeinnutzige gmbh (Dortmund, Germany) • General Agreement of Cooperation • Kapiolani Community College (Hawaii), Mount Saint Vincent University (Canada), North Island College (Canada), Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (Mexico), Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan (Mexico) and Utah Valley University (USA) • General Agreement of Cooperation among Kapiolani Community College, Mount Saint Vincent University, North Island College, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan and Utah Valley University • Polytechnic School of Shenyang Ligong University (Fushun, Liaoning, China) • General Agreement of Cooperation • Portland State University • Educational Collaboration for Associate of Art and Associate of Science • Universidade Positivo (Brazil) • General Agreement of Cooperation • University College Sjaelland (Denmark) • General Agreement of Cooperation • University Madero (UMAD) • General Agreement of Cooperation • University of California Riverside • Memorandum of Understanding • University of California, Berkeley, Extension • Memorandum of Understanding • Warsaw School of Economics, Poland
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• Memorandum of Understanding • Wuxi Institute of Commerce • General Agreement of Cooperation • Xatu (Xi'an Technological University) • Agreement on Academic Cooperation and Exchanges • Xinxiang Vocational & Technical College • General Agreement of Cooperation • Yantai University, School of Education in English • Memorandum of Understanding School Districts • School District 69 (Qualicum) • Letter of Understanding for Adventure Guiding Dual Credit Pilot • SD 71 and 72 (Comox Valley & Campbell River) • Letter of Understanding for Professional Cook 1
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Appendix F – Major Program Area Composition
NIC student data in this document have been presented by the major program-area groupings described here.
Access and Upgrading • Adult Basic Education (ABE) • Access for Students with Disabilities (ASD) • English Language Program (ESLA) • English Language Services for Adults (ELSA) University Studies • English • Humanities & Social Science • Information Technology & Computer Science • Mathematics & Science Business and Tourism • Adventure Tourism • Applied Business Technology • Business Administration • Hospitality Distance Learning • Tourism & Hospitality Management Fine Arts and Design • Fine Arts • Interactive Media & Graphic Design • Metal Jewellery Design • Professional Photography Nursing and Health Related • Bachelor of Science in Nursing • Health Care Assistant • Hospital Unit Clerk • Practical Nursing Access, Certificate, and Diploma Vocational Education and Training • Activity Assistant • Animal Care Aide • Career Development Certificate • Early Childhood Care & Education • Exercise And Wellness • First Aid • Greenhouse Management • Hairdressing, Esthetics, and Nail Technician • Human Services • Log Scaling • Marine Training • Occupational Skills
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• Professional Driver Training • Short Entry-Level Tourism • Welding Upgrading & Testing Trades • Access Education Construction Labourer • Aircraft Structures Mechanic • Automotive Service Technician Foundation • Carpentry Foundation • Drafting • Electrical Foundation • Electronics Technician • Heavy Duty & Commercial Transport Mechanics Foundation • Heavy Equipment Operator • Joinery/Cabinetmaking Foundation • Landscape Horticulture Fundamentals • Metal Fabrication Foundation • Plumbing & Piping Foundation • Professional Cook • Welding Levels A, B, and C Apprenticeships • Carpentry Apprenticeship • Construction Electrician Apprenticeship • Heavy Duty Mechanic Apprenticeship • Landscape Horticulture Apprenticeship • Millwright Apprenticeship • Plumbing Apprenticeship • Welding Apprenticeship Continuing Education • General Interest Courses • Elder College
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Appendix G – Maps
Maps of the NIC region, sub-regions, and provincial economic development regions discussed in this document are provided here.
Figure 45, North Island College Region
SOURCE: NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE
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Figure 46, First Nations and Traditional Territories of the NIC Region
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Figure 47, School Districts in the NIC Region
SOURCE: MARKETING, NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE
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Figure 48, B.C. Development Regions
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Figure 49, B.C. Employment Insurance (EI) Economic Regions
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Appendix H – International Student Growth in BC’s Public Post-Secondary Institutions
Growth in international student are grouped by economic development region; rows highlighted in light blue contain data for B.C.’s rural colleges.
Table 15, International Student Growth, Post-Secondary Institutions by Economic Development Region, Academic Years 2007/08 to 2012/13
Econ Dev’p Int’l Student Headcount Int’l Student Growth From 2007/8 Base Year Institution Region 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 Mainland/ UBC - Vancouver 5,555 5,920 6,580 7,025 7,875 8,685 6.6% 18.5% 26.5% 41.8% 56.3% Southwest Simon Fraser University 3,415 3,780 4,705 5,670 6,420 6,385 10.7% 37.8% 66.0% 88.0% 87.0% BCIT 1,270 1,720 1,980 2,315 1,975 2,060 35.4% 55.9% 82.3% 55.5% 62.2% Langara College 1,290 1,505 1,730 1,710 1,645 1,760 16.7% 34.1% 32.6% 27.5% 36.4% Kwantlen Polytechnic Univ. 815 935 1,190 1,340 1,435 1,715 14.7% 46.0% 64.4% 76.1% 110.4% Douglas College 695 835 965 1,195 1,425 1,685 20.1% 38.8% 71.9% 105.0% 142.4% University of the Fraser Valley 680 710 820 890 895 1,055 4.4% 20.6% 30.9% 31.6% 55.1% Capilano University 725 690 790 780 765 805 -4.8% 9.0% 7.6% 5.5% 11.0% Vancouver Community College 1,065 605 640 650 530 560 -43.2% -39.9% -39.0% -50.2% -47.4% Emily Carr Univ. of Art + Design 220 265 275 305 300 345 20.5% 25.0% 38.6% 36.4% 56.8% Justice Institute of BC 125 155 200 245 320 280 24.0% 60.0% 96.0% 156.0% 124.0% Mainland/Southwest Total 15,855 17,120 19,875 22,125 23,585 25,335 8.0% 25.4% 39.5% 48.8% 59.8% Vancouver University of Victoria 1,830 1,800 1,845 1,995 2,285 2,665 -1.6% 0.8% 9.0% 24.9% 45.6% Island/Coast Vancouver Island University 1,120 1,245 1,575 1,610 1,625 1,840 11.2% 40.6% 43.8% 45.1% 64.3% Camosun College 650 695 705 645 655 805 6.9% 8.5% -0.8% 0.8% 23.8% Royal Roads University 70 55 75 80 160 290 -21.4% 7.1% 14.3% 128.6% 314.3% North Island College7 55 60 80 105 110 155 9.1% 45.5% 90.9% 100.0% 181.8% Vancouver Island/Coast Total 3,725 3,855 4,280 4,435 4,835 5,755 3.5% 14.9% 19.1% 29.8% 54.5% Thompson Thompson Rivers University 1,620 1,990 2,070 2,170 2,260 2,185 22.8% 27.8% 34.0% 39.5% 34.9% Okanagan UBC - Okanagan 180 250 345 495 590 740 38.9% 91.7% 175.0% 227.8% 311.1% Okanagan College 550 940 990 990 925 715 70.9% 80.0% 80.0% 68.2% 30.0% Nicola Valley Institute of Tech. 15 5 -66.7% -100.0% -100.0% -100.0% -100.0%
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Econ Dev’p Int’l Student Headcount Int’l Student Growth From 2007/8 Base Year Institution Region 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 Thompson Okanagan Total 2,365 3,185 3,405 3,655 3,775 3,640 34.7% 44.0% 54.5% 59.6% 53.9% Cariboo UNBC 265 310 345 395 460 470 17.0% 30.2% 49.1% 73.6% 77.4% College of New Caledonia 230 245 255 285 350 390 6.5% 10.9% 23.9% 52.2% 69.6% Cariboo Total 495 555 600 680 810 860 12.1% 21.2% 37.4% 63.6% 73.7% Kootenay Selkirk College 300 290 310 290 255 260 -3.3% 3.3% -3.3% -15.0% -13.3% College of the Rockies 165 155 170 195 200 215 -6.1% 3.0% 18.2% 21.2% 30.3% Kootenay Total 465 445 480 485 455 475 -4.3% 3.2% 4.3% -2.2% 2.2% 5 North Northern Lights College 75 100 125 125 110 180 33.3% 66.7% 66.7% 46.7% 140.0% Northwest CC 10 5 5 5 5 10 -50.0% -50.0% -50.0% -50.0% 0.0% North Total 85 105 130 130 115 190 23.5% 52.9% 52.9% 35.3% 123.5%
Total6 22,990 25,265 28,770 31,510 33,575 36,255 9.9% 25.1% 37.1% 46.0% 57.7% Unique Total6 22,250 24,515 28,050 30,845 32,885 35,555 10.2% 26.1% 38.6% 47.8% 59.8%
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Source: Student Transitions Project, Fall 2013 submission.
1. Data exclude offshore students. At colleges, institutes and teaching-intensive universities, international students include students who have paid an international fee for at least one course in the period. At research-intensive universities, international students are defined as those who have obtained a visa of some kind (student visa, work permit, diplomatic visa, or minister's permit). Students whose visa status was not identified are included with domestic students. 2. Each number has been rounded to the nearest five. The effects of rounding may result in totals in different reports not matching exactly when they would be expected to match.
3. Institutions have been grouped into economic development regions based on the location of the main campuses. 4. Academic Year (AY) is from September 1 to August 31.
5. 'North' includes the Northeast, North Coast, and Nechako economic development regions.
6. In any given year, some students attend more than one institution. Since these students are included in the headcount of each institution they attend, the sum of all institutions' headcounts will include some students more than once, producing an overstated institution headcount total. In the unique headcount, students who are identified as attending more than one institution are only counted once. This number represents the number of students served by the participating institutions as a whole.
7. Institutions highlighted in light green are commonly grouped as the “rural” colleges.
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