Camosun College announced they are laying off employees due to a decline in international student enrolment B次元官网网址�  a direct result of the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 directives.

On Sept. 18, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  further cuts to study permits, a move that impacted Camosun College which saw fewer international students than budgeted for in fall 2024.

They had budgeted for around 2,200 international students, but this dropped to 1,800.

"We are disappointed with the sudden and dramatic changes introduced without any consultation by the federal government to the international student program," says Rodney Porter, college spokesperson."The reforms devalue a college education and have damaged Canada as a brand."

The college said the unexpected loss of international student tuition revenue in 2024/25 has been offset by essential spending and hiring, one-time funds and the use of budget contingencies.

Camosun has been forced to make the difficult decision of eliminating vacant positions and laying off employees, to address a projected deficit of at least $5 million in 2025/26.

After following the required process that included notifying the board and informing the unions, an all-staff email was shared on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Porter told Black Press Media layoffs will occur in positions across all employee groups.

"Layoffs are difficult and always a last resort. We want it to be as small a number as possible,B次元官网网址� he said.

The college will be working with the three union groups and following the terms and conditions of employment for exempt employees.

For now, Camosun is closely monitoring enrolment numbers and will continue to look for solutions and advocate for resources. They will also be sharing additional details of the labour adjustment strategies with the employees as the process unfolds.