Navitas to build second Canadian college

Navitas Ltd has entered into a Recognition and Educational Services Agreement with The University of Manitoba to establish its second college in Canada.

To be called the International College of Manitoba, the new college will be located in Winnipeg, a province of Manitoba.

The Churchlands-based Navitas, formerly IBT Education Ltd, has seventeen colleges world wide including the Fraser International College, its first college in Canada.

The International College of Manitoba will offer pre-university and pathway programs for students seeking to gain admission into the University's academic programs.

Navitas chief executive Rod Jones said the agreement with the university represented a logical strategic expansion for teh company in Canada.

"With a large student base and a dedication to quality teaching, research and commercialisation of technology, we see The University of Manitoba as an ideal long-term partner."

"NVT believes that the International College of Manitoba will provide significant benefits to the University by facilitating increased student participation in university programs at a time of increasing word-wide focus on quality education and practical skills development for students."

"For NVT, this is also a major step forward for our international expansion as it further increases our footprint in the Canadian education market in a cost effective manner."

The agreement provides for the new college to operate on similar terms to NVT's existing colleges in Australia, Africa, Canada and the UK.

To be operated by NVT, the International College of Manitoba will develop and offer a range of educational courses and services approved by the University which will be transferable to programs offered by the university.

The university will provide NVT with access to its teaching and other facilities and equipment as well as accommodation for the administration of the new college.

The International College of Manitoba is expected to commence operation in the first half of 2008.

The announcement comes as the company reported growth of 17 per cent in equivalent full time student unit enrolments in its university programs for semester three 2007, compared with the same semester last year.

The company has had strong growth in enrolments at its Sydney Institute of Business and Technology and Fraser International College colleges.

However, Navitas reported a decrease in enrolments at its Curtin Sydney college, after about 200 students deferred their studies, while Macquarie City had a slower start up than anticipated.