It’s been two years since Oluchi Ejikam packed up her life in Nigeria and moved to Canada alone with a dream – to make a difference. Part of that dream is to become a counsellor and support women overcoming abuse and trauma, so she enrolled in the Assaulted Women’s and Children’s Counsellor/Advocate (AWCCA) program at George Brown College.
But just last week, Ejikam learned that the program that helped shape her into a stronger counsellor and advocate for survivors has now been paused.
“I’m working with survivors already, and I know what that looks like and I know what it feels like to have someone there to not hear you and listen to you,” she tells CityNews. “Taking away this program is like turning your back on the community.”
The two-year diploma program has trained thousands of counsellors over a nearly 30-year period, specializing in issues related to gender-based violence and social justice while partnering with local organizations and shelters in need of support staff at a time when demand is increasing.
“We don’t know what is going to happen to our program and what’s going to happen to our community partners …we just don’t know what is happening, there’s no plan which is deeply disturbing,” said George Brown College professor M Mclean.
In a statement to CityNews, George Brown College says that new intakes will be paused for Fall 2025 “due to low enrollment and alignment with ministry priorities. Program reviews are an ongoing process, with decisions based on factors such as enrolment trends, financial sustainability, and labour market demand.”
The statement goes on to say that the program remains a priority for the school, and they are working on ways to review the curriculum to support a renewal of the program, but they didn’t provide a timeline.
CityNews also reached out to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for a comment but have yet to receive a response.