Posted on May 23, 2013
For Immediate Release
Halifax, N.S. — The Halifax Index 2013, released yesterday by the Greater Halifax Partnership, found that workers aged 45 and older made up fully 97% of labour force growth between 2006 and 2012. These findings starkly illustrate the barriers younger adults are facing in trying to find jobs across Nova Scotia, at the same time as the local 18-29 year-old population is expected to shrink 25% between 2011 and 2031. More»
Posted on May 16, 2013
Halifax, N.S. —Nova Scotia’s universities must be funded more fairly based on students’ and the Province’s ability to pay, says a report released today by StudentsNS. The report, “Fairness in Nova Scotia University Funding: Who Pays and How Much?” recommends linking students’ tuition to their ability to find jobs and supporting education quality through stable and predictable university funding. More»
Posted on May 13, 2013
Today the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) released its annual enrolment digest. It showed that in the past ten years the number of Nova Scotia students at Nova Scotia universities has fallen 10.4% while International enrolment has risen 150%.
The news comes as little surprise to Students Nova Scotia. In a report it will release this Thursday, StudentsNS predicts that Nova Scotia universities will have to double their international enrolment over the next twenty years to simply maintain current enrolment totals, so that international students come to represent 28% of the student population in 2030-31.
“With our local and national demographic pressures, universities can no longer bank on major increases in enrolment to expand their budgets,” said Jonathan Williams, StudentsNS Executive Director. “Nova Scotia universities are already heavily reliant on students from overseas to counteract shrinking local and Canadian cohorts.”
Maritime universities’ out-of-province Canadian student numbers increased 40% over ten years, but StudentsNS predicts that the demographic aging trends affecting Nova Scotia are reaching the rest of Canada and will end this growth. Only international student populations are expected to continue growing significantly.
For StudentsNS, the growth in international student enrolment can be a positive change for our universities and most importantly the whole province. Supporting these students, integrating them, and encouraging them to settle here will require a comprehensive strategy though.
“Considering international students’ real and potential economic and cultural contributions and Nova Scotia’s demographics, these students represent a critical opportunity,” said Williams; “but we have to invest smartly in supporting their success and possible settlement.”
Over the coming month, StudentsNS is releasing multiple reports discussing these issues. Thursday’s report explores university system funding from student fees and the Province, recommending changes to enhance affordability, system stability and quality. A second report on international student financing and services will be released in two parts at the end of May and beginning of June.
Posted on April 25, 2013
Halifax- StudentsNS, which represents 37,471 Nova Scotia students, announced today that it is moving its accounts from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) to Credit Union Atlantic (CUA), following recent revelations that an RBC contractor misused the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program to outsource IT operations and replace 45 Canadian employees. At least one replacement foreign employee was brought into Canada with a TFW visa, on the pretense that no one in Canada had the required skills.
“Students are investing more in their education than ever before often because they want to work for companies like RBC, so it’s upsetting to hear a company claim they cannot find Canadians with the skills to fill these jobs,” said Jonathan Williams, StudentsNS Executive Director. “We had been thinking about a change, but with these revelations decided to act right away.” More»
Posted on April 4, 2013
Today, Nova Scotia students are very pleased as the Province has invested $4.6 million to improve the student assistance program for the third year in a row, bringing the government’s total new investments in student assistance to almost $23 million over the past three years. More»
Posted on April 2, 2013
Students Nova Scotia: For Immediate Release
The Dalhousie Faculty Association’s report last week revealed that in ten years Dalhousie diverted over $85 million in operating funds into capital spending and increased its debt 650% to $106 million. Students were dismayed by these findings, which show the institution has made significant cuts to academics and support services and raised fees on false pretenses. More»
Posted on March 28, 2013
Did you know that as of 2011-12 over 32% (apprx. 14,000 ) of Nova Scotia’s university students were “Out-Of-Province” (OOP); the highest percentage in Canada![i] And there’s a good reason why. More»
Posted on March 19, 2013
Students Nova Scotia is inviting student feedback on the draft version of our latest position paper on International Students in Nova Scotia.
This paper considers the importance of international students for Nova Scotia and the challenges they face in the Province. International students are critically important for Nova Scotia’s present and future because of the economic and cultural wealth they bring, and especially because with out significant aging trend we need these students to maintain enrolment at our universities and as a source of potential immigrants. More»
