Almost 5,000 new seats in 'high demand' Edmonton post-secondary programs funded
The province is spending $70 million to help Edmonton post-secondary institutions expand enrolment in high-demand programs, like health care, child care, business, IT and engineering.
The University of Alberta will receive $48.3 million, while the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology will get $9.2 million and $1.5 million will go to Concordia University of Edmonton. NorQuest College and MacEwan University will receive $7 and $4 million, respectively.
Those funds will support the addition of more than 4,900 new seats over three years at those institutions, with funds starting to be made available this September.
On Thursday, Demetrios Nicolaides, minister of advanced education, said the province's investment represented the "largest targeted enrollment expansion in Alberta history."
"Alberta's economy is taking off," Nicolaides said. "Whether in tech, film and television, agriculture, or oil and gas, or engineering, wherever you look, you see strong signs of economic growth."
"Employers in every corner of our province are expressing concern about not being able to hire the staff that they need," he added.
In February, the province approached post-secondary institutions to solicit their input on what programs the targeted spending should go toward. Nicolaides said the investment would help address employment pressures in "key economic areas."
"This investment in the capital region is a win-win," the minister said.
"It will ensure students can participate in these high-demand programs," he added, "and it will ensure Edmonton will have the talent it needs to thrive."
Bill Flanagan, University of Alberta president, said funding enrollment growth is critical as the province grows and more young people seek post-secondary education.
"We need to maximize this opportunity and keep Alberta's young people right here in the province," he said. "Give them the opportunity that they need to acquire the skills and the knowledge to thrive in the society and economy of tomorrow."
David Eggen, Official Opposition critic for advanced education, said in a statement that the funding announcement paled in comparison to the $690 million in cuts to post-secondary institutions.
"These announcements in Edmonton are deeply hypocritical," Eggen said, adding that students seeking those same in-demand programs received exceptional tuition increases approved by the minister.
"It has become increasingly difficult for Albertans to advance their education or seek career training due to the UCP's generational cuts to post-secondary institutions," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.