During 2006-7 the Council on Post-Secondary Education, Employment Manitoba (formerly Employment and Training Services), and the universities and colleges of Manitoba conducted a survey of early leavers from the post-secondary system in Manitoba. CHERD and the Office of Institutional Analysis were the University of Manitoba’s representatives to the advisory committee. The Executive summary of the report follows below:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Early Leavers Survey was a collaborative undertaking on the part of the Council on Post-Secondary Education, Employment Manitoba (formerly Employment and Training Services), and the universities and colleges of Manitoba. It was designed to understand the factors affecting students’ decisions to leave before completing their studies, whether they continued their studies elsewhere or entered the labour force. The information gathered will inform policy making for both the government and the institutions.

Findings
The major findings are:
Early leavers from college and university generally offer similar responses to many of the questions. Where there are differences on some questions, they are not surprising, given that college students are generally older than university students, and because of the differing nature of the two types of post-secondary programs.

The major reason for attending either type of post-secondary institution was career related. The choice of a particular institution was primarily related to its location and that it offered the desired program. Eight respondents in 10 said the institution they were attending was their first choice.

Most early leavers report a positive experience at their chosen institution, including being satisfied with the quality of teaching, the quality of their education overall, and their decision to attend the institution. Indeed, for 8 in 10 university early leavers and slightly fewer college early leavers say this was the case. They also report good social integration, for example, most report making friends and feeling that they were part of the institution. Overall, the level of positive experiences is similar for colleges and universities.

The most commonly reported reason for leaving was that the student decided “the program was not for me.” About 1 respondent in 4 says they had difficulty maintaining both a job and studies, but financial issues alone did not appear to be a major factor.

Although most rate themselves as having been academically well-prepared for their studies, 45% of university early leavers, and 59% of college early leavers had difficulty keeping up with their studies, or they found their programs too demanding. Many also indicate that their grades were not what they expected, and in retrospect, many felt that a remedial course may have assisted them.

In spite of having left their institution, nearly 60% of early leavers (58% university and 59% college) indicate they that plan to return to the university or college. Indeed, 18% of college leavers, and 40% of university leavers have attended or are currently attending another post-secondary institution. Most of these institutions are within Manitoba.

At the time of the survey, 7 respondents in 10 are working for pay, while others are looking for work or waiting to start a job. Some others are caring for family members, travelling, playing sports, or recovering from an illness. College early leavers are more likely to report caring for a family member, likely because college students are generally older.

Conclusions
Overall, students who leave post-secondary institutions in Manitoba do so for reasons not primarily related to the institution. The majority decide that the program is not what they wanted, with financial issues contributing to the decision in some cases. Most indicate that they intend to continue with their post-secondary education at some point. Indeed, about 40% of university early leavers are currently attending other post-secondary institutions, and two-thirds of those institutions are in the province of Manitoba.

The majority of all early leavers have a positive experience at their institution, which likely contributes to their high level of re-enrolment. However, there appears to be a disconnect between their self-assessed academic abilities at the time of enrolment, and their subsequent success at meeting the demands of their programs. In retrospect, early leavers acknowledge that remedial courses could have been helpful. Such leavers need assistance early on in the first year of their program; this is especially true for college students, as the programs are of shorter duration.