WHAT IS A CÉGEP?
A NETWORK OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
The system, created in 1967, is made up of 48 CÉGEPs. These institutions, set up in every region of the province, are the first step in Quebec’s higher education system. Students can attend a CÉGEP after six years of primary school and five years of high school. CÉGEPs are public educational institutions with a single defining feature: they offer pre-university education as well as technical training that prepares students for the labour market. Whatever their chosen program, students take a series of general courses, some of which are common to both streams.
A LIFE ENVIRONMENT AND A DRIVER OF ECONOMIC GROWTH
CÉGEPs are also a hive of socio-cultural, athletic and community activities, all of which are part of the students’ education. By hosting these activities, some institutions have become a real cultural hub for their respective regions. CÉGEPs are active participants in their communities’ socio-economic life, especially through the suite of services they offer companies: training and technology support, as well as workforce retraining and continued training. Through the 48 college technology transfer centres they have created – each one operating in a key sector of Quebec’s economy – CÉGEPs carry out applied research and provide companies, including SMEs, with technical support. They also maintain ongoing relationships with the rest of the world, heading up a number of cooperation projects in some 50 countries located mostly in Africa, Latin America and Asia.