(Lethbridge College)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge College applying to become a polytechnic, U of L open to playing greater role in health training

Nov 12, 2021 | 12:27 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge’s two largest post-secondary institutions look to grow and evolve.

Lethbridge College (LC) has asked the Ministry of Advanced Education to consider changing its designation from a Comprehensive Community College to a Polytechnic.

Polytechnics Canada defines a polytechnic as an institution of higher education, providing technical, applied, hands-on learning. These schools offer applied degrees, diplomas, certificates, and apprenticeship training, fueling business innovation with applied research expertise.

LC Board Chair Mike Marcotte tells LNN that changing the designation would not result in many significant differences from what the college is today as they already offer much of what polytechnics do.

“We’re already doing a tremendous amount of applied research in Lethbridge College today. Again, it would just open up some opportunities to continue to offer applied degrees, diplomas, certificates, apprenticeship training, right? So it doesn’t really change a lot of what we do, but I think it does improve the ability to go for two-year degrees in this area for students who live in this area.”

Week-in-review: Federal Budget, water agreements and success for tourism industry

Apr 20, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: April 19, 2024

Apr 19, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: April 15, 2024

Apr 15, 2024

Grande Prairie Regional College and Red Deer College recently became polytechnics themselves.

With those changes made, Southern Alberta is the only region in the province to not be served by that type of post-secondary education.

READ MORE: College President sees bright future for GPRC with shift to polytechnic

READ MORE: Red Deer College to become polytechnic institution

Earlier this week, Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf asked the Minister of Advanced Education, Demetrios Nicolaides, about Lethbridge College’s application.

One of Neudorf’s hopes was that, through a variety of post-secondary efforts, more medical professionals would be able to be trained in the area.

Marcotte said the change to becoming a polytechnic would do little in that regard, but he is optimistic about what other initiatives in the Alberta 2030 plan could do to enhance local training programs for the health care sector.

READ MORE: Lethbridge College and U of L react to “Alberta 2030” post-secondary plan

He is hoping to hear back from the province in December on the application.

As for the University of Lethbridge (U of L), Neudorf mentioned that the school was looking to add a “medical training program” for students to study in Lethbridge and the surrounding rural areas.

A spokesperson for the U of L told LNN that, “While the University of Lethbridge has no formal proposal for the establishment of medical training in front of government at this time, we have had internal discussions about the potential for the University to play a broader role in the delivery of health care services in southern Alberta.”

It was not specified what exactly the greater role would entail, but “expanding our role is one solution in which we see potential, and one that has been shown to be successful in other provinces throughout the country.”

The provincial government says the Alberta 2030 plan will “[strengthen] work-integrated learning, deconsolidation our largest institutions, expanding re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities, and creating new apprenticeships.”

Alberta 2030 has six primary goals:

• Improve access and student experience
• Develop skills for jobs
• Support innovation and commercialization
• Strengthen internationalization
• Improve sustainability and affordability
• Strengthen system governance