Skip to content

Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer and council support decision to make RDC a Polytechnic

Red Deer College will be a polytechnic institution going forward and it has the support of mayor and council.
25060926_web1_201019-RDA-RDC-covid_1

Red Deer College will be a polytechnic institution going forward and it has the support of mayor and council.

In a statement Tuesday, Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer said the community has been waiting a long time for the decision on RDC’s status and they were happy to finally have a conclusion.

The Government of Alberta announced earlier Tuesday that RDC will be a polytechnic institution going forward. Just over a year ago, RDC was intent on becoming a university and offering degrees.

“While there are some expressed concerns within our community about the change in direction from RDC becoming a university to RDC as a polytechnic institution, including council’s own questions on behalf of Red Deerians expressed to the government,” Veer’s statement said.

“Ultimately I support a path forward that will protect RDC’s ability to stay true to its roots in trades, technology and the arts, with the ability to confer degrees for other academic pursuits and fields of study. RDC assures city council that the polytechnic accomplishes these objectives.”

Veer added in her statement that this decision will help Red Deer’s future growth.

“For our city and region to fulfill our potential, we need to not only retain our existing population, we need to become a competitive contender in keeping and attracting new population to our city,” she said.

“One of the most promising means of doing so is through the development of a skilled labour force, offering a broader spectrum of career options locally, and attracting population who will stay and strengthen our local economy through their future contributions in various sectors.”