Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology to wind down operations due to enrolment drop

A post-secondary institute in Manitoba is winding down operations, blaming a federal cap on international student visas for making its “financial model unsustainable.”

The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology says it has seen an international enrolment drop of more than 55 per cent.

Ottawa has issued a cap on the number of international student visas it provides, which has prompted colleges and universities across the country to warn it has put them in a tighter financial bind.

Data from the school’s 2024 annual report says it has more than 4,600 students.

It provides certificates and diplomas in a range of fields, including culinary arts, carpentry and early childhood education, as well as high school courses.

A memo posted on the school’s website says that selected programs will be transferred to Red River College Polytech over the course of the next year.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives bemoaned the closure, calling it a blow to Manitoba’s “battered” economy.

“This is a sad day for our province to lose a school of this calibre,” said MLA Wayne Ewasko, the PC critic for education.

“This is an NDP government that is once again picking winners and losers, and it’s another job-killing NDP policy. First, the NDP rolled back the apprenticeship ratio from 2-to-1 to 1-to-1. Then, the Manitoba Jobs Agreement pitted unionized workers against non-unionized workers. Now this — reducing the number of skilled trades graduating into high-demand jobs.

“No wonder Manitoba’s economy is now ranked last in Canada.”

In a statement, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham offered his thoughts to students and staff dealing with uncertainty as a result of the closure.

“The winding down of MITT is a clear example of how sudden federal changes to immigration and international student rules can land hard at the local level,” the mayor wrote.

“We’re already experiencing the knock-on effects of the federal cap on international students. Fewer students means fewer people supporting local businesses, filling part-time jobs, and using city services. One place we’re seeing that is Winnipeg Transit, where ridership has been impacted because fewer newcomers and students are arriving in the city, and they have traditionally been strong transit users.”