NSCC grads getting jobs in Nova Scotia, survey finds

The survey, which followed up on students who graduated from the college in 2005, found 91 per cent of them are employed and 83 per cent of those are working in their field of study.

The employment figures are the highest the graduate follow-up survey has ever found, according to Sue Drapeau, the college’s manager of institutional research and analysis, who says the numbers show the critical role the NSCC plays in the Nova Scotia economy.

“We can truly say that we are designing and delivering programs and skills that employers in the province require,� she said in an NSCC release. “We will continue our work with employers, industry and government to be both proactive and responsive in developing our programs to meet Nova Scotia’s future needs.�

Despite all the talk these days about Nova Scotians heading to Western Canada for work, she notes that few of the NSCC’s recent graduates are making the trip.

The latest survey found 93 per cent of employed graduates are living and working in Nova Scotia.

As for the lure of the booming Alberta economy, an NSCC official says while no formal study has been done, what the college is hearing is that while some of its grads have gone West, they tend to stay for short periods – dividing their time between here and there, perhaps sending their paycheques back home to support their family – or they find it’s not what they had expected and return home to stay.

Based on retirement and occupational trends, Drapeau says there will be many job opportunities for NSCC graduates over the next 10-to-15 years or so.

Meanwhile, as the percentage of NSCC grads who are working has never been higher, the same can be said about the number of people attending the college.

According to figures announced earlier this fall, enrolment in the college had reached 9,347 students, an increase of 369, or four per cent, over last year’s enrolment of 8,978.

Enrolment has been growing for the past decade, the number of students attending the college having increase by over 40 per cent since the 1997-98 academic year.

The NSCC has 13 campuses across the province.