MITT to close, administration blames crackdown on international students

The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology is closing its doors, citing the fallout of the federal government’s crackdown on international enrolment.

MITT administration announced Wednesday it will wind down operations — with a yet-to-be-announced list of programs relocated to Red River College Polytechnic — over the next year.

“This decision is about federal policy changes and the resulting financial and operational shocks that MITT could not reasonably absorb,” president Neil Cooke wrote in an internal memo that was sent to staff.

Cooke noted that international enrolment has dropped 55 per cent at the post-secondary institute.

The small school, known for its short-term vocational programs and close ties with industry leaders, has 368 staff members. Overall enrolment is 3,750, down from 4,663 in 2024-25.

International students accounted for 43 per cent of the population last year.

These registrants — who are charged more than twice the amount of tuition as their domestic peers — now represent under a quarter of all students.

Cooke said the province ultimately made the call to fold the school into RRC Polytech, but “many critical details” are unknown.

What is certain is that all current students will have the opportunity to complete their training, he said.

A comprehensive review is expected to determine which programs will continue to exist in some shape or form.

“We’re all feeling a bit sad and heartbroken and there’s a lot of uncertainty about what’s to come,” said Emelié Gillingham, a pharmacy technician who has taught at MITT since 2019.

Gillingham has already contacted Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara to urge the province to continue supporting a pharmacy technician program.

MITT is the only local post-secondary institute that offers training in this area.

Students in the two-year, accredited diploma program spend much of their time in labs honing technical skills, ranging from making IV bags to helping patients learn to use an inhaler.

“I hope it’s not an ending. That’s my biggest concern right now. If this is an ending, it’s going to have far-reaching implications for pharmaceutical care for Manitobans,” Gillingham said.

MITT has undergone multiple changes since its inception as the South Winnipeg Technical Centre in 1983.

The school, headquartered at 130 Henlow Bay in south Winnipeg, was renamed Winnipeg Technical College in 1999. It became MITT in 2014.

It offers cybersecurity, hairstyling, hospitality management, industrial welding, software developer and other hands-on programs.

Along with certificate, diploma and post-graduate programs, MITT offers English-language and adult education.

Trixie Ho, an international student from Vietnam, learned the school was closing when she showed up to pick up her hairstyling diploma Wednesday.

“I feel so sad,” the 30-year-old said, adding that MITT had become “a second home” to her.

Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable said there won’t be any programming changes or layoffs until the current academic year is over. The last day of summer classes is scheduled to be Aug. 14.

Cable also indicated the Fort Garry Childcare Coop and MITT high school, which combines traditional academics and skilled trades programming, will continue operating.

“The institution, as it is, status quo, it’s just not sustainable,” Cable said in an interview. “So we have Red River College and MITT and folks from the government working together to come up with a plan that will mitigate damage.”

The minister has been outspoken in her criticism of the federal government’s strict allocation of international students and how its tarnished Manitoba’s reputation in the sector in recent years.

The province has been unable to fill all of its allotted seats, she noted.

PC education critic Wayne Ewasko criticized the province for failing to take any accountability for MITT’s closure, which he called “a blow to Manitoba’s battered economy.”

“They saw the challenges coming. How long has Minister Cable known about this? And how long has this been on the chopping block?” Ewasko said.

Officials from the Manitoba Council for International Education also expressed disappointment about MITT’s future.

Executive director Cheryl Prokopanko said the school was particularly vulnerable to Ottawa’s policy changes because it relies heavily on tuition compared to other publicly funded campuses.

It’s unfortunate because so many of its international students brought “global perspectives” into the province and enriched education for local students, Prokopanko said.

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham issued a statement saying Winnipeg Transit ridership has also been impacted by a pivot in federal immigration policy because fewer newcomers and students are arriving in the city.

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada defended Ottawa’s international student caps on Wednesday.

“Canada is regaining control of its immigration system to restore balance and sustainability while continuing to honour its humanitarian commitments,” communications officer Jeffrey MacDonald said in an email.

MacDonald noted that Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab has met with her provincial counterparts to discuss the subject on five occasions since May 2025.

Retired MITT instructor Karen Dyck was not surprised to learn about the circumstances leading up to her former employer’s downfall.

Dyck, a registered nurse who taught in the health-care aide program, left the school in 2022.

The overwhelming majority of students she taught during her tenure hailed from outside Canada, Dyck said.

She recalled many registrants openly discussed how they’d only signed up for the post-secondary program as a pathway to permanent residency.

“Ethically and morally, it was difficult, as a nurse, to know that,” Dyck said.

“It made me feel like I was wasting my time. I’m very proud of the career that I worked very, very hard to be in. I was very dedicated to the health of Manitobans — and to know people were coming through the program and not being interested in doing the work, it was disheartening.”

MITT administration indicated more information about the transition will be made available on its website in the coming weeks.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca