The funding is part of the targeted enrolment expansion program and will support seats in high-demand programs, including nursing, practical nursing, health-care aide and the health-care aide employed student tutored education program.
This strategic investment is part of the Alberta at Work initiative and is designed to help support the labour market of today and tomorrow and provide more opportunities for students to pursue well-paying jobs in growing industries.
In northwestern Alberta, the targeted enrolment expansion program will invest in four programs at these post-secondary institutions:
- Northern Lakes College: $436,920
- Northwestern Polytechnic: $416,771
“Our government is proud to support high-quality education and training in every corner of the province. This investment in new seats for health-care programs will allow Northwestern Polytechnic and Northern Lakes College to continue to train and educate more nurses and aides. This is what Alberta at Work is all about: ensuring we have the workforce to support the labour market and our communities long into the future.”
“I am pleased to see the expansion of these high-demand programs that will give more Albertans in the region the opportunity to work in Alberta’s fast-growing economy while also filling important positions needed in our health-care system.”
“I am pleased to see this timely additional support for our northern students and health-care training at this critical time in our province. Alberta's government remains committed to the continuous improvement of our health care and this funding supports the training of local students right here in Grande Prairie in service to our northern communities.”
"This is amazing news for Northern Lakes College and for the constituency of Lesser Slave Lake. I am delighted to see an increase to the number of seats available for the Health Care Aid Certificate program, which will improve the quality of care for my constituents and all in northern Alberta.”
“Northern Lakes College is proud to help educate the next generation of health-care workers. With this funding, we can train more students to take care of the diverse population of northern Alberta.”
“This additional support from the Government of Alberta is perfectly timed. Not only has Northwestern Polytechnic been working to broaden health-care career pathways in Grande Prairie and Fairview, but we are also excited to welcome our first cohort of students into a collaborative training, research and teaching space in the recently opened Grande Prairie Regional Hospital. Added enrolment capacity means we will now be able to produce even more health-care graduates and better meet the needs of our communities for years to come.”
The majority of these programs are ready to start accepting more students this fall.
Alberta at Work is a more than $600-million investment over the next three years in new and existing initiatives to help Albertans gain in-demand skills that will support economic growth and attract investment now and in the future. It features investments that support Albertans from primary school to post-secondary skills training, as well as retraining for changing career paths and finding well-paying jobs.
