Nunavut Arctic College sees fewer grads in 2014, but high satisfaction, employability

NAC’s new graduate survey shows that 43 per cent of the college’s graduates are based outside of the college’s three main campuses in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, opting to enroll in programs at their local community learning centres. (PHOTO COURTESY OF NAC)

Nunavut Arctic College saw its number of graduates drop by almost a third between 2013 and 2014, a new college-lead survey reveals.

In the spring and summer of 2014, 222 Nunavummiut completed a NAC degree, diploma, certificate or record of achievement program.

But that’s a decrease of 30 per cent from 2013, when 314 students graduated from the college.

It’s also the lowest number of grads seen by the college for five years — in 2013, NAC saw 305 graduates; 321 in 2011 and 296 in 2010.

But the college’s 2014 graduate survey, the results of which were released last week, shows the college is graduating highly satisfied students with employable skills.

The survey also finds that NAC is providing important programming for Nunavut students with families, who may not have the option of pursuing an education out of the territory.

Of the college’s 222 graduates, 102 of them — or 45 per cent — responded to the college’s survey this past summer by phone, email or mail.

The survey found that 99 per cent of respondents were satisfied with their programs.

Here’s the top reason: students said the program gave them the office skills they needed to get hired, from simple accounting to computer skills.

Sixty per cent of the college’s 2014 grads are now employed, the survey found, the vast majority of them full-time. Sixty-three per cent of employed grads had landed jobs with the Government of Nunavut.

And the majority of NAC graduates completed their studies while caring for families, the study found: 68 per cent of graduates had children.

“Given that a number of respondents have children and 66 per cent are married or in a common-law relationship, their ability to go away for post-secondary education is limited,” NAC noted in the survey’s findings.

“The better NAC is able to meet people’s education needs in their home communities, the more Nunavut residents will be able to develop their skills and learn new ones.”

The survey also suggests the college has done a good job of expanding its program offerings outside of the college’s three main campuses in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, because 43 per cent of grads completed programs at local community learning centres.

“This would also mean a reduction in travel expenses, and leave more money available for programs,” the survey concluded.

“It may be a better use of government money to upgrade CLC facilities and expand programs than to pay for the travel and accommodation of students at larger campuses.”

That’s a recommendation that will factor in to a feasibility study currently underway, commissioned by the GN, to look at the potential for a standalone university in the territory.

But the study will also consider the possibility of investing resources into the existing Nunavut Arctic College to offer more university-level courses or degrees.

Currently, the percentage of college graduates who earn a degree is still small overall. In 2014, 10 per cent of NAC grads earned a degree, 41 per cent graduated from certificate programs, 40 per cent earned a “Record of Achievement” and nine per cent left with diplomas.

“These findings need to be considered in the light of emerging demands for skills and education in Nunavut territory,” the college concluded.

“The existing needs for teachers and health care professionals with degree level education are obvious. The policy level implication would be how to attract more young people to degree programs.”

NAC calls its graduate survey “an important tool” that assists college develop plans for program delivery and improved services.

Some of the survey’s other findings include:

• 16 per cent of NAC’s 2014 graduates went on to pursue further post-secondary education, the majority of them in Nunavut;

• 64 per cent of graduates said they chose NAC for its program content and quality, while another 25 per cent said they wanted a program close to home;

• three quarters of all 2014 graduates had access to a computer and internet at home while they completed their studies;

• just over half of respondents were based in the Baffin region, compared to 21 per cent in the Kivalliq and 13 per cent in the Kitikmeot.

Almost all — 99 per cent — of survey respondents were Inuit.

“It’s a lot easier to understand the instructor if it is an Inuk, as they can explain from English to Inuktitut,” a respondent wrote in the survey.