A Campus Alberta Central presence in Sundre will undoubtedly open educational doors for people, and businesses, in the community.
Anyone who has put off pursuing a path in post-secondary or perhaps pre-trades training due to the prohibitive distance that must be travelled to reach such opportunities in places like Red Deer and Olds, might be interested in a new local option.
Sundre is the most recent location where Campus Alberta Central, which acts as the regional rural education service partnership between Red Deer College and Olds College, has set up. Courses and programs in a variety of disciplines will be delivered on an as-needed basis depending on what people want.
From management skills and leadership development to administrative positions, computer technology and social media, pre-trades as well as health-care aide programs, there are many potential options that could benefit anyone seeking to enhance their qualifications in a particular field or even forging ahead on a whole new career path.
As a bonus, even local businesses stand to benefit by having a more affordable avenue available to help employees receive education without incurring costs such as accommodation and lost man-hours by sending them out of town.
Courses could be a combination that includes video conferencing or online learning, face-to-face lessons with instructors at the Sundre Community Centre’s boardroom, and on-site job training as well.
Anyone interested in learning more or signing up for a program can contact Campus Alberta Central’s general inquiries line at 403-823-8300. Alternatively call Jon Allan, Sundre’s economic development officer, by reaching the municipal office at 403-638-3551, and he will be able to refer people in the right direction.
The first courses to become available — as well as corresponding program schedules — have yet to be determined. But discussions have been underway with industry partners to identify what options would be most beneficial to the community.
“If there’s a demand for a particular program and we can fill it, then we can look at ways of how that’ll work with the space that’s here,” said Iaian Park, business development manager for Red Deer College’s school of continuing education.
So if the distance and travel time involved in seeking training or education out of town is the only reason you’ve held off pursuing post-secondary education, delay no more.
We hope that people will not hesitate to capitalize on this opportunity and look forward to seeing what kinds of courses generate the most demand.
— Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
