Where Do Students Go? A Review of Educational Pathways for Students and Graduates in a Four-Year Degree Program in an Ontario College

Abstract

Ontario colleges were established in 1967 to offer technical and vocational programs that would lead to certificates and diplomas for students in preparation for employment and to provide greater access to postsecondary education. As students often move through various programs to obtain different credentials for their educational, professional and career needs, it is important to examine the educational pathways available for students in Ontario colleges. Since 2000, Ontario colleges have been given degree-granting opportunities and the Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership (HBECL) program was developed in consortium by three Ontario colleges and offered in 2010. Taking different educational pathways, students can enter the four-year bachelor’s degree program in Year One, or in Year Three (with an Early Childhood Education Diploma and a successful bridging term). Using a case study methodology, this study will review the HBECL program offered at one Ontario college and examine the data from student enrollment as well as the employment and educational data (such as Ontario’s key performance indicators (KPI)) for graduates over the last five years. The results will help understand the uniqueness of the college degree programs in response to the different educational and career needs of students who choose to study in Ontario colleges. The unique role that Ontario colleges play in the educational pathways for students and graduates will also be discussed.