‘I wish them all the best. Run it like a business,’ Ford says as Humber Polytechnic moves to trim workforce

Humber Polytechnic says it is offering voluntary exit packages for all full-time staff to help cope with budgetary and financial pressures.

Humber Polytechnic is offering “voluntary exit packages” to staff as it confronts mounting financial pressure, warning that deeper job cuts could follow if the uptake is too low.

In a letter to employees, which was viewed by CTV News Toronto, Humber’s president Ann Marie Vaughan said the college has reached a point where “more fundamental choices” are required to stabilize its finances.

The move comes as Ontario’s post-secondary sector grapples with years of frozen tuition, reduced international student enrolment, and what colleges describe as “years of constrained funding.”

Ontario colleges have cut $1.4 billion in costs, suspended more than 600 programs, and eliminated more than 8,000 staff positions in recent years in a bid to stay afloat.

Speaking to reporters following an unrelated news conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, “I wish them all the best... Run it like a business.”

The province, for its part, has lifted a seven-year tuition freeze and pledged a multi-billion-dollar funding boost, acknowledging severe financial strain.

But post-secondary institutions say caps on international students — who now pay much higher tuition than domestic students after a 10 per cent cut in 2019 — combined with inflation and years of constrained funding continue to squeeze budgets.

Here’s how Humber’s exit program works

Vaughan said the college has introduced a Voluntary Employee Exit Program (VEEP), open to all full-time employees, including the executive team.

The program offers a financial package to staff who choose to leave, recognizing their years of service. Employees have until March 9 to indicate interest.

“While we are taking every step to minimize impact on our people, the reality is that workforce reductions may be required,” she wrote.

“These choices are difficult, but necessary. They reflect the scope of our financial challenge, rather than the performance of our people.”

After the deadline, Humber, which is notably the province’s largest college, will assess uptake and determine whether further reductions are needed.

An update is expected following the March 9 cutoff.

Humber Polytechnic confirmed the exit program in a statement to CTV News, explaining it continues to face “extraordinary budgetary and financial pressures” despite recent provincial funding.

A closer look at a struggling sector

Ontario universities and colleges have long argued they operate with lower per-student public funding than counterparts in other provinces.

In 2019, tuition for domestic students was cut by 10 per cent and then was frozen for seven years. During that period, many colleges increasingly relied on international students — who pay significantly higher tuition — to offset stagnant domestic revenue.

Recent federal caps on international student permits, however, have sharply reduced enrolment projections, disrupting that model.

• How Ontario universities struggle with revenue losses

Last year, Centennial College announced it was cutting 49 programs in response to the new cap on international student admissions.

Humber says it has already moved to cut “discretionary spending” and find operational efficiencies. It has also suspended programs where demand has declined, while launching 45 new industry-aligned programs and expanding offerings in high-demand fields such as advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity.

The college says it has captured 55 per cent of domestic enrolment growth in the province.

Meanwhile, in an email to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Ontario government emphasized that their “record-high investment” of $6.4 billion towards the post-secondary sector will “ensure the sustainability and stability of the sector on the path forward.”

A student-first approach

In her letter, Vaughan said any workforce decisions will be guided by three principles: protecting the student experience, supporting employees with transparency and compassion, and focusing on sectors expected to drive Ontario’s economy, including STEM, skilled trades and digital innovation.

“We recognize the uncertainty that this creates,” she wrote, adding that Humber will communicate decisions once finalized and provide support for affected staff.

The college says it will evaluate the results of the voluntary program over the coming weeks before deciding on what next steps could look like.

For now, Humber joins a growing list of Ontario institutions (Fanshawe college, Sheridan College, and Georgian College) attempting to balance budgets in a sector still adjusting to a new funding reality.