Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent are on the radar screen of students from around the province. St. Clair College is reporting that applications are 16% higher than the college system as compared to 2011 as reported in the Ontario College Application Service Data Warehouse system. And much of that growth is coming from the south and central regions of the province including the GTA, Kitchener Waterloo and London markets. Applications from the GTA area are up 32.4% over 2011. The increases are being experienced in most of the schools of specialization including engineering technologies, media, art and design, business and IT, the health sciences as well as the programs at the Thames Campus in Chatham.

There are many factors that have contributed to this increase. The College has been extremely aggressive in the GTA market visiting more than 110 high schools in Mississauga, Brampton and Barrie alone. The College also attended what was once considered to be an exclusively university-driven education fair. The Student Life Expo runs in mid-October and last year it attracted more than 65,000 potential students and their parents. St. Clair College participated for the first time and students reacted well to the college's message.

Fuelling this increased interest in St. Clair College is the launch of a number of high-demand programs like Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Respiratory Therapy and Cardiovascular Technology, where applications are up 86% compared to 2011. These programs are housed in the recently opened state-of-the-art learning lab facility, the Centre for Applied Health Sciences. Other new offerings at the Windsor campus include Public Relations, Media Convergence, Community & Justice Services, Web & Interactive Advertising, and Truck & Coach Techniques. Five new programs were also introduced at the Chatham campus including Powerline Technician, Sustainable Energy Technician, Electromechanical Robotics Technician, Electrical Engineering Technician, and Electrical Techniques. These programs are also fuelling some of the increase.

Once a student applies, the College has an excellent track record of converting them to registered students. St. Clair has the highest applicant to registrant conversion rate in southern and central Ontario including the GTA. In 2011, St. Clair registered 53.9% of all applicants to the college compared to an average of about 32% at other colleges.

The College also recently announced that it would offer the maximum scholarship allowed by the OCAA for varsity athletes and that is a message that has been embraced by applicants. St. Clair College continues its focus on new program development with an eye to preparing students for the careers of the future. Health sciences, technology and skilled trades are areas of concentration as the trends for future employment show career growth in these sectors.