The agreement creates dedicated learner spaces in high-demand programs. Photo Credit: Pexels.
Mohawk College and Niagara College recently announced a collaboration that will help to keep health-care students studying locally.
The agreement creates dedicated learner spaces in high-demand programs for each college’s Pre-Health Sciences graduates.
Under the agreement, Mohawk College will reserve spaces for Niagara College’s top Pre-Health Sciences graduates for several of its in-demand diploma programs including Cardiovascular Technology, Medical Radiation Sciences-Radiography, Medical Radiation Sciences-Ultrasonography, and Biotechnology.
In turn, Niagara College will provide guaranteed admission consideration to its in-demand Dental Hygiene and Paramedic programs for Mohawk’s graduates.
In addition, three Niagara College spaces will be automatically reserved annually for Mohawk’s top graduates.
A press release says that as both colleges develop and launch additional programs the agreement could even be expanded further.
A statement from both post-secondary institutions explains, “The focus of this new collaboration goes beyond academics; it ensures local impact by keeping talented students in their region throughout their programs and work placements.”
“Where possible, work placements will be strategically located in each institution’s region and prepare students to meet the needs of their communities and address growing demands for skilled healthcare professionals.”
Niagara Health, which serves the entire region of almost 500,000 residents across 12 municipalities, has a great need for diagnostic imaging employees, but launching new programs at Niagara College would reportedly take years.
Meanwhile, Hamilton Paramedic Service Chief Michael Sanderson says that they, like many ambulance services, have faced challenges with employee recruitment and retention.
“We have been advocating for greater access to paramedic training locally and see this agreement as a step in the right direction and one that will help build a stronger talent pipeline for our service,” he says.
Cebert Adamson, Vice President Academic at Mohawk College, adds that the agreement “shows how colleges can leverage each other’s strengths to address critical workforce needs in our communities.”
“This will help to address critical shortages in both communities while providing our Pre-Health Sciences students with more opportunities upon graduation from their program,” he continued.
Niagara College’s School of Allied Health and School of Nursing are located at its Welland Campus, which has a fully operational dental clinic and state-of-the-art lab facilities.
Mohawk College’s healthcare programs are available at their Fennell Campus.
The two colleges are about a 50-minute drive apart, but will now be connected in a very real way.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
