It won’t be long before Georgian College is buzzing with students, some have likely already started arriving.
Some of the students may already have plans to get their diploma and hit the road in search of a career, taking what they learned and applying it to helping other communities.
But what if they wanted to stay? What if they fell in love with our city and decided to help grow the economy here, maybe creating jobs for Simcoe County residents?
According to Avery Konda, Georgian College Student Association (GCSA) acting President, approximately 3,600 domestic and 650-700 international new students attending Georgian this year. The school does its best to help those new to the area find what they need to enjoy their time here, and Konda himself is a great promoter of the city having previously lived in Severn Bridge.
“Barrie is the perfect mix of small town meets big city,” said Konda. “It’s a very attractive area with the lake and forestry that surrounds it. A member of our council is from Brazil and said it was a great place to learn English and settle in to the Canadian way of life. I’ve always known how great Simcoe County is and I know others will see it to.”
Georgian College supplies info to students about what’s happening in Barrie and things to see and do, but generally it is up to the students to find their own interests.
Konda has seen many students graduate and make Barrie their home. A happy student will be excited to remain in the community after their college experience and the GCSA president feels that this will be important as Barrie continues to grow.
Kelly Pottage is the college’s Manager of Alumni and Community development and believes that many students who choose Georgian College, also end up choosing Simcoe County. Between 2012 and 2015, almost one in five Georgian graduates surveyed were employed in the city of Barrie.
“There are great numbers of graduates sticking around in Barrie with more working throughout the County of Simcoe and in and around our six other campus communities,” said Pottage. “We also know that there are graduates who choose to live here amongst their family and friends but commute to jobs throughout the Greater Toronto Area.”
Being located in such a great part of the province is a good thing for Georgian, said Pottage. Attracting the students it does may be due in part to the beauty of the city.
The folks at Georgian only hope the students are considering returning the favour by keeping their bright minds in the community.
Pottage also noted that ensuring each student has an exceptional learning and life experience while at Georgian is paramount to the college and community.
"We know if they have a positive experience they will be more inclined to stay local,” said Pottage.
Co-op and career opportunities created through many of the college's programs may lead to jobs within Simcoe County, said Pottage.
"Securing local employment, or employment within a commutable distance, is a driving factor to whether or not graduates stay in the community," he said.
The power to create economic and social change is a signature learning experience throughout the college, said Pottage.
"Graduates leave Georgian with entrepreneurial skills that they can use either within their workplace or to create a business of their own here. The fact that Georgian’s Barrie campus is located in an area of the province that offers incredible recreational opportunities, is driving distance to Toronto and cottage country, and has a reasonable cost of living, are also a key factors,” he said.
The impact of the annual influx of students can have a positive impact on local businesses.
Chris Sellers-McCaw, owner of the sports hub The Fan Cave, feels that Georgian College students are a great boost to the local economy.
The store is located in the Bayfield Mall and sells merchandise from every major team in all the major sports. Sellers-McCaw said that sports is a big part of everyday life and having a college that is very sports oriented can only help his store.
“I think it’s great that we’re a college town and that Georgian has so many successful sports teams,” said McCaw. “When you have thousands of young people coming in to Barrie and looking to support their favourite teams as a way of bantering with new friends and showing support to start conversation, it’s helpful to us. The college crowd is especially great as we carry a large amount of US college teams and NFL merchandise; which tend to sell to that demographic.”
Another aspect of extracurricular college life is the local bar scene. The Johnson’s Residence owner Dustin Leigh feels that students coming in from out-of-town often want to experience something different when heading off-campus. He feels that bar owners need to stay fresh in order to capitalize on the huge numbers of new clients they could potentially draw. The Johnson Residence promotes itself as a bar and nightclub that is designed to look like a mansion.
“It’s important for establishments to stay on their game and attract students,” said Leigh. “The Georgian crowds are the ones that predominantly fit the large demographic we would be trying to grab. They’re looking to have fun, looking to unwind from classes and looking to try something new. We’re in the entertainment business and need to entertain.”
As Barrie grows, so too do the options for the students and the potential for them becoming a permanent part of the city. “We are constantly growing as a community,” said Avery Konda. “Just the area around us by the 400 and Duckworth has dramatically changed in the last year. When out-of-towners see that, they see progress and a future for themselves.”
