ACOA gives nearly $3 million to college
3/27/2002 4:14:46 PM
March 27, 2002 – The College of the North Atlantic will receive more than $2.94 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) to purchase state-of-the art equipment and offer new programs to keep pace with emerging demands for skilled labour in the marketplace. The announcement was made by the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for ACOA at a news conference at the College’s headquarters in Stephenville today.
The funding encompasses the following initiatives:
1. Technology upgrades to enhance the quality of student services across the province through the Student Services Division (Province-wide);
2. Equipment upgrades for programs offered in the School of Engineering and Information Technology (St. Anthony, St. John’s, Port aux Basques);
3. Purchase of equipment to allow for new program offerings in Manufacturing Operations Technology, Welding and Millwright (Corner Brook);
4. Purchase of equipment to modernize and enhance program offerings at the Industrial Training Centre (Placentia);
5. Purchase of equipment to offer a Mechanized Forest Equipment Program (Happy Valley – Goose Bay);
6. Equipment upgrades for programs offered in the School of Industrial Trades (Stephenville, Baie Verte);
7. Equipment upgrades for the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program, School of Health Science (St. John’s);
8. Equipment upgrades that will allow for additional courses and enhanced training at the Graphic Arts Centre of Excellence (St. John’s);
9. Equipment upgrades for the Automotive Service Technician Program and the Office Administration Program (St. John’s).
“Investments in the development of a skilled labour force are key to achieving the goals set out in the Government of Canada’s Innovation Strategy,” said Minister Byrne. “To be competitive in the global economy, we must be able to develop, attract and retain the brightest and the best. To ensure that Canada has enough highly qualified people with the skills needed for a vibrant economy, we must make these investments today.”
" We are very pleased to receive this funding from ACOA," said Pamela Walsh, President of College of the North Atlantic. “It will allow us to upgrade and modernize equipment used in our training programs, keeping College of the North Atlantic on the leading edge in post-secondary education in Canada, and giving our graduates a competitive edge when seeking employment with industry."
“I am pleased to see the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency make such significant investments in our College system,” said MP Bill Matthews. “The College is looked to as a source of training for current and emerging labour market needs and today’s investment allows the College to further develop its infrastructure and training capacity to provide that essential service.”
The College of the North Atlantic is investing $1.15 million towards these initiatives.
The College of the North Atlantic is Newfoundland and Labrador’s public college. It is one of the largest post-secondary educational and skills training centers in Atlantic Canada offering over 80 full-time programs and more than 300 part-time courses.
ACOA’s funding comes from the Business Development Program. Non-commercial investments through the program support the development and promotion of entrepreneurship, trade, tourism, marketing and education through industry, community, youth, educational institutions and business associations.
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Project Background Information
Province-wide
Upgrade technology to enhance the quality of student services available across the province through the College's Student Services Division. ($201,897)
St. Anthony
Implement a technology upgrade for its program offerings in the School of Engineering and Information Technology. Modernizing equipment will allow for delivery of first-year engineering courses in real-time video to students at the campus via the Port aux Basques and Corner Brook campuses. ($37,840)
Stephenville
The College will introduce a Small Equipment Repair program at the School of Industrial Trades to meet emerging needs. ($323,730)
Corner Brook
Introduce new programs at the Corner Brook Campus to address current and anticipated shortfalls in skilled labour related to industrial trades and engineering technology. These include: a three?year Manufacturing Operations Technology (MOT) program, a two?year Welding program and a two?year Millwright program. ($442,371)
Placentia
Modernize and enhance the program offerings at the Industrial Training Center in Placentia. The equipment that will be purchased will allow students involved in the Machinist and Millwright programs to be exposed to modern equipment and processes at the entry level, advanced level and post journeyman's level. This will include specialty courses such as: hydraulics, pneumatics, laser alignment, optic levelling and CNC machining. ($361,144)
Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Establish a new Industrial Trades Program at the Happy Valley ?Goose Bay Campus addressing current and anticipated shortfalls in skilled labour in the area of mechanized forest harvesting. The College requires assistance in the acquisition of a mechanized forest harvester and a harvester/forwarder simulator needed for the new Mechanized Forest Equipment Program. ($463,300)
Port aux Basques
Equipment upgrades to modernize and enhance technologies for a number of programs in the School of Engineering and Information Technology. ($34,891)
Baie Verte
Equipment upgrades at the School of Industrial Trades for the Machinist entry-level program.
($31, 438)
St. John’s
Enhance the equipment and software capacity of the Graphic Arts Centre of Excellence at the Prince Phillip Drive Campus in St. John's to facilitate the introduction of new courses. This project will build upon the on?going modernization of programs at the Centre. These additions to the Graphic Design and Graphic Production Technology programs will increase capacity at the Centre. Furthermore, through the purchase of new equipment, the program offerings will be modernized and enhanced at the Centre located at the Prince Phillip Drive campus. Funds will be used to purchase new equipment to replace existing obsolete technology in an effort to keep pace with industry standards. ($658,864)
The College will enhance two course offerings under its Industrial Trades Program and its Business Studies Program. Both the Automotive Service Technician program and the Office Administration program require equipment upgrades to keep pace with industry standards.
($74,818)
Implement a technology upgrade for its program offerings in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at the Ridge Road Campus in St. John's by purchasing much?needed new equipment. ($202,975)
Purchase a state-of-the-art clinical chemistry analyser for the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the Topsail Road Campus. ($71,940)
For more information, please contact:
Stephen Lee
Communications Officer
709.643.7928