Native enrollment increasing

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According to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, the number of First Nation students attending post-secondary institutions has increased dramatically.

We see this trend in action at Alberta Vocational College-Lac La Biche. Each year students attending the college complete a demographic survey. The results from these surveys show that during the past five years the proportion of students who identify themselves as having Aboriginal ancestry has increased from 57 per cent in 1993/94 to 67 per cent in 1997/98.

Women have been the main source of this increase. Almost 70 per cent of the Aboriginal students registered this year are female. Notably for the first time in five years, the average age of Aboriginal students is lower than that of the non-Aboriginal students attending Alberta Vocational College. This shift may continue as more young people take advantage of the adult learning system.

Almost all of the students at Alberta Vocational College-Lac La Biche view their education as a direct benefit for their career goals. Of the students who identified themselves as having Aboriginal ancestry, 99 per cent indicated that improving their job opportunities was an important reason for attending AVC.