HAILEYBURY, ON: Northern College is experiencing record enrolment growth in its renowned mining programs for the current year.

Despite the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, enrolment in mining programs has grown by 50 percent compared to this same time just one year ago in 2019.

“We’ve seen this level of success in our mining programs as a result of various factors, including a couple of different initiatives that we began in January of this year,” stated Jim Kendall, Northern College Mining Engineering professor. “Our major push came via the January Jump Start continuous enrolment program, giving students the opportunity to begin studying Mining when it worked best for them, rather than waiting until September to start their studies.”
Northern College is finding increased success in providing students with an accessible education that meets their career goals as well as industry needs. Through altering delivery methods that allow students to undertake their training from home outside of a traditional classroom schedule, Northern has found a significantly increased level of interest, especially during these unprecedented times.

“The thought process is hearing what works for students and matching those needs with requirements for successful course and program completion,” stated Aaron Klooster, Northern College’s Dean of Trades & Technology. “We’ve discovered that by spreading the course load out, we can create an education that works for students with a full time job, while still giving them a full course load, which also opens up a greater number of financial aid options that make earning a college education even more practical for a wider variety of prospective students.”

“The combination of distance learning options and flexible course load has made a Northern College education in mining-related fields accessible to people around the globe, a point proven by both enrolment numbers and the number of students studying from further afield,” stated Dr. Audrey Penner, President and CEO of Northern College. “We have students enrolled in our programs from all over the country as well as the world, including those from the Northwest Territories of Canada all the way to Madagascar,” she continued. “This is not only a testament to the power of digital education, it is a wonderful example of the quality of mining education we offer through Northern College.“

Another factor impacting the surge of enrolment is also occurring on a global scale. “Gold prices have begun to rise dramatically over the past year,” stated Christine Heavens, Northern College’s Executive Director of Community, Business Development, Employment Services and Northern Training Division. “As anyone who is familiar with the Mining and precious metals industry knows, the price of gold is the key to economic expansion, hiring blitzes and a more stable mining field. This is all great news for potential students and Northern College as a whole,” added Heavens.

Canada has long led the world in mining expertise and Northern College has always played a central role in developing that expertise. The Haileybury School of Mines, with a century-old history in the field of mining has contributed to Northern College’s strong foundation in leading the way in this field of work.

Northern College is proud of the enrolment growth it has seen with its suite of mining programs, driven by innovation and a dedicated focus on what works best for students. These student-first principles will continue to guide the institution forward in a new age.

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