Seneca Polytechnic has announced the temporary closure of its Markham campus at the end of the fall 2024 term. This decision comes as the institution anticipates a significant decline in international student enrolment due to recent federal policies capping study permits.
While Seneca has not explicitly stated whether this closure is a gesture against the government’s policy, Marketa Evans, president and CEO of Colleges Ontario, has voiced concerns about the implications of the new restrictions.
“These limitations will exacerbate an already critical crisis in Ontario’s labour market, Evans remarked, “Without college graduates, Ontario risks stagnation.”
Evans highlighted the province’s public college system cannot be undermined like this. “With declining international student numbers and the resulting budgetary pressures, colleges will have no choice but to reduce or even eliminate essential programs. This will limit domestic students' opportunities in fields that are crucial for addressing labour shortages.”
In January, Ottawa announced a cap on international study permits for 2024, further reducing the number of available spots by 10 per cent in September. This policy change limits international student permits to 437,000 for 2025 and 2026 and removes a total of 300,000 spaces.
At a recent news conference held at the Markham Civic Centre, Mayor Frank Scarpitti expressed regret regarding the closure. He emphasized the financial impact is just one aspect; the more significant concern lies in the disruption to education.
Evans echoed Scarpitti's sentiments and projected Ontario’s colleges could face a loss of at least $1.7 billion in revenue during the next two years due to these new limits. “What’s more critical is that these changes will affect programs in health care, technology and trades — fields that currently enrol a high number of international students and are vital to Ontario’s workforce.”
Currently, Ontario colleges face funding shortfalls for every domestic student they serve, which makes international student enrolment essential for sustaining critical programs.
“International students play a crucial role in addressing health-care shortages in Ontario,” Evans emphasized in her statement.
“Last year, 1,800 international students were enrolled in personal support worker (PSW) programs and nearly 1,000 were studying to become practical nurses. Additionally, with over 4,500 international students currently in early childhood education (ECE) programs, these federal changes threaten to exacerbate the province’s shortage of early childhood educators.
“We urge both the provincial and federal governments to collaborate and ensure that the high-demand programs essential to Ontario and its citizens do not collapse,” Evans concluded.
Scarlett Liu is a federally funded Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Markham Economist & Sun
