CNA’s Class of 2007 having great success in the workforce
5/13/2009 3:51:49 PM
May 13, 2009 – A recent survey of 2007 graduates conducted by College of the North Atlantic (CNA) shows students completing public college programs in Newfoundland and Labrador are faring very well when it comes to finding employment.
The survey, conducted between February and May of 2008, discovered 95.5% of graduates from CNA were employed during the period between their graduation and the completion of the survey.
Of those employed during the reference period, 90% of them were in full-time positions. It also showed 87% were employed in fields directly or somewhat related to their program of study, and that 82% were employed right here at home.
In terms of salary, the survey shows the median wage for respondents was $16-$20 per hour. This means within a year and a half of graduating they were already earning from $29,000 to $42,000 per year.
Public college graduates indicated they are also very satisfied with the training they received at CNA.
The survey shows 98% would recommend College of the North Atlantic to others and 95% would recommend their program to others. There was also a high level of satisfaction with CNA programs as preparation for employment, with 85% of respondents saying they were very satisfied or satisfied with their readiness for the job market.
The provincial government’s Department of Education is currently finalizing their Career Search study, a bi-annual survey conducted of graduates from the public college (CNA) and university (MUN), and private career colleges. It is scheduled to be released later this year; however that study will be of graduates from 2006.
The 2006/07 Graduate Employment Survey and other related documents for College of the North Atlantic can be found on CNA’s website at www.cna.nl.ca/about/pubs.asp.
PUBLIC COLLEGE-PUBLIC OPINION
During the fall of 2008, CNA also commissioned a survey of Newfoundland and Labrador residents to see how they felt about their public college.
That study, conducted by Corporate Research Associates, showed that 80% of those surveyed agreed CNA had campuses that were accessible and conveniently located. The college operates 17 campuses throughout Newfoundland (15) and Labrador (2), with one international campus in the Middle East State of Qatar.
When asked if they would seriously consider College of the North Atlantic for their own children’s education 78% of respondents said yes. The same number agreed the college was a significant contributor to the social and economic development of regions where the college operates a campus.
Seventy-three percent and 66% of respondents respectively agreed the college does a good job of preparing students for the job market, and that graduates of CNA have high earning potential. However, when broken down by age group, respondents between the ages of 18-34, those numbers jump to 85% and 75% respectively. This would indicate the college still has some work to do to educate older residents of this province as to the value of an education from CNA.
Two other areas where the college needs to do some work is with informing residents of Newfoundland and Labrador about the low tuition rates at CNA, as well as the many options for transfer of credits from the college to various universities in Canada and abroad.
The survey showed only 40% of respondents knew that tuition at College of the North Atlantic (at $726 per semester) was among the lowest in Canada. Further, 44% indicated they did not know the answer to the tuition question.
CNA has many agreements with universities in Canada and abroad that allow graduates to transfer into degree programs with advanced standing, and many students take advantage of these every year. However, only 57% of respondents knew the college provided these transfer options for graduates. Another 36% indicated they were unaware these agreements existed (a full list of the college’s transfer agreements can be found on their website or on the Department of Education’s website – www.gov.nl.ca/edu).
There has been a tremendous amount of media attention regarding the current skills shortage and the need for more tradespeople in the workforce. As a result, CNA has expanded its offerings in the trades and technologies. Despite this, only 71% of people surveyed agreed that the programs offered by CNA were relevant to the job market. The employment rates of recent graduates would indicate that number is actually much higher than most residents of this province realize.
Overall, even with the lower percentages for the questions regarding tuition and transfer agreements, the survey indicates that public awareness for most indicators has gone up from the previous year.
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For more information contact:
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709-643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca