St. Clair College graduates are excelling in the job market, with 87.5 per cent of the college’s newest graduates working within six months of graduation, according to Key Performance Indicators released Wednesday.
St. Clair’s graduate employment number exceeds the provincial average of 86.2 per cent.
The graduate employment rate is among the data included in the Key Performance Indicator survey that is independently administered on behalf of Ontario’s 24 colleges and the provincial government.
St. Clair exceeded provincial averages in nearly every category.
- Eighty-four per cent of St. Clair College graduates said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of the learning experiences in their programs, compared to the provincial average of 78.3 per cent.
- Eighty-nine per cent of St. Clair College graduates said they were satisfied or very satisfied their programs gave them the knowledge and skills that will be useful in their future careers.
- Graduates expressed a high level of satisfaction six months after graduating, with 82.8 per cent saying they were satisfied or very satisfied, compared to 79.9 per cent provincially.
- Nearly 78 per cent of students said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of the facilities in the college, compared to 74.8 per cent provincially.
- Overall, 79.8 per cent of students were satisfied or very satisfied with St. Clair College, while provincially the number stood at 75.7 per cent.
Eighty-four per cent of employers were either satisfied or very satisfied with St. Clair College graduates.
"I view our province-wide, top-eight results in the surveys dealing with academic satisfaction as a well-deserved recognition of our exceptional faculty and staff," said St. Clair College President Patti France. "I do want to draw attention, also, to our very high scores for the quality of our services, facilities and resources. Out-of-classroom support of our students is increasingly essential, because fostering their quality-of-life also contributes to their academic success.
"As for the positive opinion of employers about our grads, that demonstrates that Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent can continue to rely upon St. Clair for capable and talented new workers in all employment sectors for years to come," France said.
More than 12,000 full-time students are enrolled in St. Clair College programs that range from Business & IT, Community Studies, Engineering Technology, Fitness and Sport Management, Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism, Media, Art and Design, Skilled Trades, and Social Justice.
These programs include a four-year honours degree in Social Justice and Legal Studies, in-class training for apprentices, pathway agreements with universities and colleges around the globe, and Work Integrated Learning opportunities.
Since 1998, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the twenty-four Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology have been using the Key Performance Indicator survey to measure how well Ontario colleges are meeting the needs of students, graduates and employers. The KPI initiative is an attempt to ensure that college programs remain accountable, responsive, and effective in meeting the needs of its stakeholders.
The five indicators used to measure college performance include Graduate Employment, Graduate Satisfaction, Employer Satisfaction, Student Satisfaction and Graduation Rate.