Access programs provide opportunities for under-served and underrepresented populations to access the education, training, and supports needed to be successful in postsecondary education and employment.
Mohawk College’s Access programs, situated within the Centre for Community Partnerships and Experiential Learning, include Academic Upgrading, City School, the Deaf Empowerment Program, and Programs for Newcomers.
Access Programs Research and Reports
Wellness Connect: Improving At-Risk Student Capabilities and Well-being to Access and Persist in Postsecondary Education (2020-2023).
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- Read the Research Snapshot (PDF)
- Wellness Connect Project - Slide Show
- Wellness Connect Final Research Report - August 2023
Status: Completed 2023
The goal of this SSHRC-funded research project is to understand the strengths, opportunities, and challenges in building inter-organizational capacity to support community college access student wellbeing and success. Following an applied action-research approach, this project aims to understand and foster connections between a community college and its health- and human-services sector partners to provide a seamless web of supports to shared participants, clients, and students.
City School is an innovative initiative for Mohawk College, which means our research is an important way to support our work.
City School Research and Reports
Study Title: Material Handling 4.0: Building Pathways to Employment
This study aims to explore the Material Handling 4.0 program as it was implemented at four Canadian community colleges. Researchers are seeking to understand the benefits and challenges involved for all participants, including employers, students, faculty, and staff.
This research is funded through the Future Skills Centre (FSC), a research centre that is testing new programs across Canada to help Canadians gain skills for a changing economy. Future Skills Centre is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which is part of the Government of Canada. Researchers from Blueprint (a non-profit research organization that is a partner of Future Skills Centre) will be leading this research in collaboration with Mohawk College and with the support of Nova Scotia Community College, Red River College and Polytechnic, and Vancouver Community College.
In conducting the research, we hope to learn about how the program helps address the challenges that employers face in recruiting entry-level personnel in the material handling sector, how students experience the program (strengths and opportunities for improvement), the impact of using employer-informed skills-based rubrics and micro-certifications, and how the program helps address barriers and challenges to employment for job seekers in underserved communities. Future Skills Centre will incorporate findings from this research into a broader initiative that supports a Pan-Canadian understanding of what types of programs work to prepare Canadians for the jobs of the future.
Check back in Spring 2024 for further updates.
Rethinking Postsecondary Access and Engagement for Low-income Adult Learners Through a Community Hub Partnership Approach
Status: Completed 2023
The City School Model: Researching the Impact of Employer-Designed Career Access Programs in Improving Outcomes for Underserved Communities. Student Interview Research Snapshot
Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Status: Completed 2024
The City School Model: Researching the Impact of Employer-Designed Career Access Programs in Improving Outcomes for Underserved Communities
Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Status: Completed 2021
The City School Mobile Classroom: Evaluating a Response Method to Improving Access to Education
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Status: Completed 2020
"Teaching is a learning experience": Exploring Faculty Engagement with Low-Income Adult Learners in a College-Community Partnership Program (2020)
Canadian Journal of Education
Read the Article (opens new window)
The City School Partnership: A Community-Built Response to Improving Access to Education
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Read the Final Report (opens PDF - 804 KB)
Status: Completed 2019
Bringing College Classrooms to the Community: Promoting Post-Secondary Access for Low-Income Adults Through Neighbourhood-Based College Courses (2019)
Canadian Journal of Higher Education
Read the Article (opens new window)
Jobs for Locals at the Hamilton Port: Building accessible, demand-led postsecondary pathways
Funded by the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation
Status: Completed 2018
Pathway Transfer to Postsecondary: Exploring the Connection between Tuition Free Credit Courses and Postsecondary Studies
Funded by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer
Status: Completed 2017
Community Reports
- Fall 2018 Community Report (opens PDF - 3.4 MB)
- Summer 2018 Community Report
- Winter 2018 Community Report (opens PDF - 875 KB)
- 2017 Annual Report (opens PDF - 685 KB)
- Fall 2017 Community Report (opens PDF - 856 KB)
- Fall 2016 Community Report (opens PDF - 221 KB)
Lead Researcher, Alan Bourke, Ph.D: Alan is a Professor in the School of Liberal Studies at Mohawk College where he teaches a variety of courses in the social sciences and humanities. He has an MA in sociology from the National University of Ireland (Cork) and a PhD in sociology from York University (Toronto). He has published work in international academic journals and with a Canadian Press in areas of community engagement, higher education, and social inequality.
Learn more about other members of our Research Team
City School in the News
- Breaking down barriers with mobile classrooms (opens new window)
- President Ron McKerlie launches Challenge 2025
- Mohawk College gets funding for second mobile classroom
- Mohawk College asks to partner again with Haldimand
- Finding a New Passion in Welding
- Mohawk College Mobile Classroom enrolls 100 students in its first year
- Mohawk College's City School program gets $600,000 funding boost
- Haldimand County to partner with Mohawk College for local post-secondary opportunities
- Mohawk to work with employers to develop City School courses
- Skilled trades training initiative in Hamilton gets provincial funding boost
- Construction course helps women build lives
- City School and Burlington Public Library
- International Women's Day
- Transgender job fair will help with barriers - from interviews to LinkedIn photos
- Province supporting women in skilled trades
- Mohawk Launches City School Mobile