Legislative amendments introduced by the New Brunswick provincial government on May 7, 2024, aim to bolster student protections and accountability for private career colleges. Key points of the amendments to the Private Occupational Training Act include:
- Establishment of a formal complaint mechanism for students.
- Government authority to set programming and service standards.
- Regulation of student record retention and protection policies.
- Transition from annual to one-time registration for training organizations.
- Introduction of a compliance order system for issue resolution.
These changes seek to enhance transparency and accountability among entities governed by the act. The Private Occupational Training Act outlines minimum registration requirements for private occupational training organizations. New Brunswick has 51 registered organizations offering 240 programs to over 3,000 students, covering various fields such as business administration, cosmetology, engineering technology, massage therapy, and personal support services.
