KITCHENER -- Major changes are coming to Conestoga College as the post-secondary school looks to get through the COVID-19 shut down and prepare for the future.

President and CEO John Tibbits says we're seeing a shift in how college education is offered, and even after the pandemic is behind us, some changes will be here to stay.

According to Tibbits, it could be a year or longer until a vaccine is produced, and post-secondary education won’t get back to normal before that.

“I don't understand how we could possibly think we could be up and running in this kind of institute without social distancing until there's a vaccine,” he says.

Tibbits believes even when the new normal arrives remote learning will be here to stay.

"We do have to make that transition to make digital learning more personalized learning, I think there's going to be more and more of that kind of learning and we want to be part of that.”

However, with courses that rely on hands-on lessons – like those in the trades – Tibbits says the answer is a larger number of smaller classes in the short-term.

“Let's say they had 24 in a lab, in a shop. It probably won't be able to have anywhere near 24. It might be 12, it might be eight, and we have to look at the spacing.”

In the long term, Tibbits says Conestoga is moving toward digital simulations and virtual reality to shift the trades and healthcare out of the classroom.

“Heavy equipment operator now has a major simulation, so you can be in the simulator and it’s as if you're operating heavy equipment. So we're gonna have to do more of that.”

He says it will not be an easy or cheap transition, but it will be necessary.

“I think it's going to cost us more,” Tibbits adds. “But we're not here to make big profits, we’re here to provide people a quality education and make sure they’re healthy.”

Adding another complicating factor to this situation, the college is forecasting a significant drop in enrolment.

This is being attributed to fewer international students due to travel restrictions, and Canadian students who may decide to wait a year before going to college.