Quebec sees largest increase in CEGEP student numbers in 25 years

Students are shown at Dawson College in Montreal, Monday, Aug.23, 2021. Enrollment in Quebec CEGEPs is at its highest since 2015. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

The increase in the number of students enrolled in college education this autumn is "the largest in a quarter of a century," the CEGEP federation said on Friday.

And it's only just begun, warns the federation's new president and CEO, Marie Montpetit.

"This is very good news. It's the biggest increase in CEGEP enrolment in the last 25 years, but it's only the beginning of the curve because, over the next 10 years, we expect an increase of up to 20 per cent," she said in an interview.

According to preliminary figures, 184,709 students are enrolled in one of Quebec's 48 CEGEPs.

The growth can be explained by population growth, of course, but Montpetit also suggests that unemployment is on the rise among young people aged 15 to 24 -- which could encourage them to continue their studies.

Around 45 per cent are enrolled in pre-university education, while 49 per cent are in technical education.

The remainder enrolled in the Cheminement tremplin DEC, which provides training to enable students to enter or complete a program leading to a college diploma (DEC).

Some regions, such as Chaudière-Appalaches (+8.7 per cent) and Mauricie (+9.2 per cent), saw a more marked increase.

"A great deal of effort has been made by certain regions to attract young people from their region to college studies, in some cases to meet the economic needs of the region,' said Montpetit.

In the technical sector, the most popular programs were Administration and Management Techniques and Nursing.

In the pre-university sector, the most popular programs are Humanities and Natural Sciences.

However, CEGEP buildings are in need of renovation and expansion. A report by the Auditor General last spring revealed that two-thirds of college buildings were in poor condition.

"It's a twofold challenge: there's the maintenance of the college network's buildings, which are all a little over 50 years old, and there's also the addition of space to enable the CEGEPs to accommodate all the students who are arriving and who will be arriving for the next few years," said Montpetit.

Like the rest of the education network, the colleges also need staff. "Having enough staff and being attractive enough to attract teachers to the CEGEPs to meet this demand will be one of the challenges over the next few years," she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 23, 2024.