As Alberta’s economy recovers and moves forward, provincial colleges say they are providing real world experience and cutting-edge research to support Albertans and their communities.
The efforts of Alberta’s 11 Comprehensive Community Colleges to engage students span far beyond the borders of their campuses. Work-integrated learning opportunities exist in the majority of programs offered by Alberta’s colleges, taking students to worksites throughout the province, including hospitals, farms, restaurant kitchens, environmentally-sensitive wildlife areas, automotive shops, hair salons and many other industry workplaces that align with college programming. Having students working alongside experienced industry members ensures they’re equipped with the skills, knowledge and competencies they need to succeed.
Medicine Hat, NorQuest, Red Deer, Grande Prairie and Lakeland are among the colleges launching new programs in fall, in areas as varied as health care, science, agriculture, accounting and humanities.
New technologies – such as Red Deer College’s High-Fidelity Simulation Lab, which creates complex and realistic scenarios for health care students, give students the skills needed to excel in industry.
In RDC’s Alternative Energy Lab, students learn the skills necessary to install, operate, and maintain alternative energy systems contributing to our province’s future sustainability.
“Red Deer College is proud to provide our students with work-integrated learning opportunities. This provides learners at RDC, and in all of Alberta’s colleges, with a competitive advantage as they graduate and find success in their chosen careers,” says RDC president Peter Nunoda.
In addition to training workers, Alberta’s colleges also play a key role in solving industry challenges through applied research and innovative partnerships. Lethbridge College, Olds College and Bow Valley College are all ranked among Canada’s top 50 research colleges, with Olds College’s Centre for Innovation and Smart Farm play a leadership role in industry-led agriculture technology applied research activities.