North West College is one of eight colleges across Saskatchewan, who will receive a piece of the $24.2 million pie the provincial government has allocated to skills training programs. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Provincial Funding

North West College receives funding for skills training programs

Sep 21, 2020 | 2:15 PM

North West College has received $4.5 million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan to put toward skills training programs.

The college is one of eight around the province to receive some of the $24.2 million in total funding the provincial government has allocated annually.

The funding will allow the colleges to deliver a variety of education and skills training programs, including Adult Basic Education, Essential Skills for the Workplace, and Skills Training Allocation.

North West College features main campus locations in North Battleford and Meadow Lake. Additionally, they also deliver programs to a number of alternate communities within the region, including on-reserve programing, which offers students who live on reserve a chance to take various programs from the comfort of their community.

President and CEO of North West College, Jay Notay, said they are grateful to receive the funding again this year, and for the opportunities it helps to provide.

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“In our market, and I’m talking about the northwest specifically, this is critical given our student population,” he said. “It gives [students] the continued ability to gain access to those programs and allows them to gain that confidence to get the education they need, to get their foot in the door and move on with their careers. So it is very important funding that we’ve received.”

While the funding has nothing to do directly with the ongoing pandemic, Notay said the current situation does make the government allocation all the more vital to the college’s ability to continue to function as a valuable resource within the region.

“This is not COVID-related specifically, but having said that, the fact that COVID has hit, this still allows us to provide programing that is essential in our new world,” Notay said. “It allows us to still keep the doors open and provide programming for the students that need it, and especially for those vulnerable populations that we support too, so it is definitely essential.”

Notay added that with North West College being just one of several educational institutions across Saskatchewan to receive the funding, it goes to show the value the province has put on education.

“This is a good news story for everyone involved,” Notay said. “It is funding for colleges right across the province, so the province has recognized the importance of [education], not just in the northwest region but right across Saskatchewan. We’re thankful to them for continuing to recognize that and thankful to them for providing us the funding that is so, so important.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1