Golf, photography programs suspended at Holland College

Holland College will be suspending two programs and introducing two new programs next September.

The Golf Club Management and the Photography and Digital Imaging programs will be suspended because of low enrolments,said Holland College vice-president Sandy MacDonald. Current students will not be affected by the suspension of either program, as the second year of each program will resume in September as usual.

The program suspensions are part of Holland College's ongoing effort to ensure its programs meet the needs of industry and students, MacDonald said.

"Each year, we look at what programs should we add, what programs should we alter."

The golf management and photography courses have only had six to eight students the past few years, and the ideal number, MacDonald said, would be 10 to 14.

He said evolving technology has "dramatically" impacted the photography industry and is likely contributing to low enrolments.

"Everyone has a phone now with a camera so everyone becomes a photographer," he said.

MacDonald said the courses may return in some capacity in the future, or merge with another program as the plumbing and pipefitting programs have done.

The instructors of the first-year programs in golf management and photography programs two in total have been given layoff notices, MacDonald said.

Meanwhile, the college recently launched a one-year Occupational Health and Safety Technology program on the West Prince Campus in Alberton, and will launch a two-year Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant program in Charlottetown in September. The newly combined plumbing/pipefitting program also starts in September, at the Georgetown Centre.

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