Province Green Lights More Public Private Partnerships for Colleges | St. Clair College
Thursday, November 14, 2019
St. Clair @ Acumen sign

St. Clair College President Patti France applauded the province's recent announcement to cut red tape and remove barriers so colleges can partner with the private sector to provide students with high-quality education and training that prepares them for Ontario's workforce.

"We are extremely pleased with the Ministry's announcement, as a reconfirmation of our long-standing relationship with the Ace Acumen Academy in Toronto," President France said. "We believe the liaison between public and private institutions is a win/win scenario for both parties – and definitely a win for the students who are obtaining convenient access to additional learning opportunities."

Ace Acumen Academy is a designated learning institution in Toronto that offers four full-time college programs through its partnership with St. Clair College. St. Clair is one of six colleges in Ontario that has a licence with a private college to jointly educate international students. St. Clair has licensed its curriculum to Ace Acumen Academy (AAA) to allow its international students to study academic programs in business, computer systems and social service work in Toronto.

With its announcement this week, the province said it will lift the previous government's moratorium on further agreements and add new criteria that will allow for more partnerships.

The Ontario government's new policy to expand partnership agreements between Ontario's colleges and private trainers will bolster the province's efforts to produce a more highly qualified workforce.

"This creates new opportunities for international students to acquire the professional expertise to pursue rewarding careers in Ontario," said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. "This strengthens our workforce and our economic prosperity."

The partnerships respond to demographic changes that make it more difficult for employers to find qualified people. As the number of young people in the province continues to drop, Ontario must attract more international students.

The partnership agreements address that challenge by providing more spaces for international students who want to acquire an Ontario college education. This is particularly important in filling labour shortages in communities outside the GTA.