Photo Courtesy EverythingGP Staff

By Tanner Smith

NWP

Budget 2023 funding to NWP leads to Enrolment Expansion and Skilled Trade Lab addition

Apr 24, 2023 | 5:20 PM

Funding from the province’s 2023 budget has been allocated to Northwestern Polytechnic, to go towards expanding enrollment and the addition of a new skilled trades lab.

NWP received over a million dollars to expand enrolment for its practical nurse and primary care paramedic courses, along with over $10 million in capital funding to support a Power Engineering and Instrumentation Lab.

Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard says with this announcement, the Alberta government is attempting to create and retain a local Peace Region workforce.

“As part of the partnership between the Government of Alberta, industry, and the Northwestern Polytechnic, the government is investing $11.3 million to create a new Power Engineering and Instrumentation Lab. Also, it involves an expansion of seats, 80 for the LPN program and 48 for Primary Care Paramedic.”

Allard adds this is only the tip of the iceberg for NWP.

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This year alone, both trades and medical courses received lab upgrades and the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital NWP wing announced earlier in the year. Allard believes this will help attract skilled professionals, students, businesses, and professors to the region.

“When you talk about health care and nursing in particular, that’s one thing we’re globally short on, nurses and physicians, and so to see this healthcare funding expand locally, one of the things I’ve learned in my years as a private sector business owner and as well in the last four and five years in politics has been, when you train in an area you’re more likely to stay there, you meet your spouse there, you get integrated into the community.”

Besides being good news for residents and youth in the Peace Region that were not sure what they wanted to do for a career, Allard thinks it’s also good news for the whole province.

“I hope it makes people excited. I believe Alberta’s best days are ahead, and I think it’s a very hopeful announcement for not only our region but our province, that were identifying labour trends and needs now, and were addressing them, I think it’s huge, and as a parent, I wish it was around a couple years ago for my kids, but I’m glad it’s here now.”

Moving forward, the Alberta Government hopes this will lead to more economic growth in the region, strengthening rural workforces and improving retention, leading to a rise in the economy, following an expensive winter due to inflation.