North West College has gathered public feedback as they eye a potential new campus in North Battleford. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff) : Tyler Marr

By Tyler Marr

College Growth

‘We are building the Northwest’: College gathers input as it eyes potential new campus

Mar 6, 2019 | 5:02 PM

Come 2020, shovels could be in the ground for a new North West College (NWC) campus in the Battlefords.

Board Chair Byron Merkosky said the organization wants to have a business case for a potential new campus in front of the Ministry of Advanced Education by the end of March. Talks with federal, provincial and municipal governments for funding have been ongoing.

Merkosky said there has been a concerted effort for some time for the college to have a separate footprint from its current location.

The post-secondary institution held a community engagement event Wednesday morning to allow various industry leaders in the Battlefords to weigh in on what they would like to see in a new campus from a structural and programming perspective.

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“We are not operating in a vacuum,” Merkosky said. “We want to make sure we have public support for what we are doing.”

Among the crowd gathered at the Dekker Centre was an array of ideas for the college, which currently operates programming in 21 communities, including 12 First Nations, with a student body of over 2,600.

While an expansion of the facility is possible, many stressed the need for a separate entity to convey a stronger sense of “college culture” and community pride in the city. Some attendees noted students hesitate to come to the college citing a perception of a high school, given it is beside the North Battleford Comprehensive High School.

Business leaders further maintained a need for greater partnerships with local operations to provide mentorship opportunities in the region to retain the highly skilled graduates. This, attendees noted, would help fuel economic growth and development.

Merkosky agreed.

“One of the big things is sustainability with respect to economic development,” he said. “Training people to remain local instead of sending them away and losing them forever. That is the basic idea. We are building the Northwest.”

The college employs 135 people and, according to a recent economic impact assessment, contributes a gross domestic product value of around $49 million to the region.

Some said there is a need to better integrate the student body within the community, while others stressed the importance of ensuring transferability opportunities to other post-secondaries.

Safe, affordable, quality accommodation for students further topped talks.

Starting post-secondary and career discussions among high school students in Grade 7 or 8 as opposed to Grade 10 to 12 was suggested as a way to highlight the education opportunities at home and better recruit youth stay in the region after graduating.

As for a new structure, building a facility that is modular, adaptable and able to stay flexible for the ever changing needs of industry was key among participants. Many further expressed a desire for restaurants, meeting space and other services on site.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr