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This week, the provincial government officially approved council orders that will change the name of Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) to Northwestern Polytechnic after years of discussions.
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“It has certainly been a long journey,” said Justin Kohlman, Northwestern Polytechnic president and CEO, “going back several years.”
Along with the name change, the institution will now have a greater mandate to offer skills-based training similar to other Alberta polytechnics such as SAIT and NAIT.
The school will now seek to form closer partnerships with local businesses to offer more job-ready training programs for a variety of industries.
“The biggest difference is that as a polytechnic, we need to really align with the needs of the industry in our community,” Kohlman said.
“There are a lot of projects going on here, I was lucky enough to meet a lot of people, and we want to be a part of that, and be part of the solution to help people get the workforce they need for the future,” Kohlman said.
The new designation will also allow Northwestern Polytechnic to offer degree programs, and current students will now have a polytechnic credential upon graduation.
“One of the biggest goals for us is to offer the full degree here, so students don’t need to go elsewhere,” Kohlman said.
Kohlman believes the institution’s increased capacity to offer degrees and more integrated skills-based training in the North will allow the region to help retain talent, further contributing to the economic growth of the community.
“If you look at the needs of our industry here, that also means that a lot of those people can stay here, work part-time, and make connections in this community,” Kohlman said, “so when they finish their credential, they can go straight into the workforce here rather than elsewhere. “
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The name change is part of a broader change by the provincial government to move toward more skills-based postsecondary education opportunities that will feature greater integration with industry, as outlined in its Alberta 2030 vision.
Kohlman believes that the new status will also make the institution more attractive to national and international students and faculty.
“I also believe that the polytechnic designation makes it more recognized nationally and internationally,” Kohlman said, “it will allow us to bring in people from across the country and around the world to help meet the employment needs of this region in a way that I couldn’t have done it like a university. “
Currently, GPRC’s social media channels have changed to the new Northwestern Polytechnic namesake, however, the institution will continue to reference GPRC until March 2022.
Reference-www.dailyheraldtribune.com