Portage College is putting the 1.3 million dollars in Federal Funding it received to good use.
The Natural Resources Technology (NRT) lab space & greenhouse project will build a greenhouse along with other facility enhancements that will support applied research in the environmental sciences. Along with the SIF funding of $400,250, the Alberta Government also saw the merit in this project and provided funding of $300,250. With the college’s contributions of $190,000, the total investment to the NRT Program is $890,500.
The grant towards the new Water and Wastewater Operator Technician courses will include a lab that provides a simulated training environment for water and wastewater operators. This will allow operators to obtain training closer to home and deal with the current shortage of qualified staff in our region. With the SIF funding of $752,460, $600,000 from Lac La Biche County and $400,000 from Portage College this project totals $1,752,460 investment.
Finally, the IT grant will enable the college to enhance its IT infrastructure to support remote learners across the region. The college has seven campuses in which 4 are remote and rely heavily on information technology to deliver content to students. Through these enhancements in the Colleges’ Information Technology Infrastructure, the college has an opportunity to enhance the course offerings in our remote locations. With the SIF funding of $210,000 and a matching contribution by Portage College, the total investment in this project is $420,000.
“We’re grateful that the Water and Wastewater project has received significant financial support from the Lac La Biche County which we’ve been partnering with,” says Vice President of IT & Infrastructure Tracy Boyde.”The College serves 7 First Nations communities and 4 Métis settlements and through consultations with these communities, water management was identified as a priority we plan to support.”
“Portage College and Lac La Biche County have worked together for years, and the Water and Wastewater Management project is a valuable partnership between our two organizations,” added County Mayor Omer Mograbhi. “I’m pleased to see the provincial government supporting post-secondary programs and infrastructure in our area. Given our location in Alberta’s Lakeland and Lac La Biche County’s commitment to environmental responsibility, it’s hard to overstate the importance of water management. I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.”