(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard

Mayor says city to review plan for local impact

RDC future remains unclear as Alberta announces 10-year post-secondary strategy

Apr 29, 2021 | 2:16 PM

The City of Red Deer says it will be reviewing what the provincial government’s newly announced 10-year strategy for post-secondary education might mean for Red Deer College.

Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said Thursday that the “Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs” strategy sets the road map for a re-envisioned post-secondary system focusing on high-quality education and the skills and training needed for Alberta’s future.

“At its core, the strategy will work to build skills for jobs to ensure that Albertans develop the knowledge and competencies they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world,” he said.

The strategy establishes six goals:

• Improve access and student experience

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• Develop skills for jobs

• Support innovation and commercialization

• Strengthen internationalization

• Improve sustainability and affordability

• Strengthen system governance

“The Alberta 2030: Skills for Jobs Review addresses some students’ concerns surrounding the rising costs of tuition and insufficient financial aid in Alberta. The Alberta Students’ Executive Council is encouraged that the review has called for predictable tuition with reasonable increases and, following the 2022 academic year, the minister has committed to keeping these increases tied to inflation,” said Brittany Lausen, chair of the Alberta Students’ Executive Council and president of the Students’ Association of Red Deer College.

There was no mention Thursday of the future status of RDC and whether it will become a university. The former NDP government gave the green light in March 2018 for the college to pursue university status, but that was put on hold by the UCP government pending its review of post-secondary education in Alberta.

“RDC is committed to working with the Ministry of Advanced Education and within the new Alberta 2030 framework,” RDC officials said in a statement. “We will continue to support our students in their academic journey through innovative programming, work-integrated learning, and applied and relevant research opportunities. These opportunities will help meet the demand from industry and provide our students with the ability to stay and learn in central Alberta.”

College officials including President Dr. Peter Nunoda and Board Chair Guy Pelletier are expected to provide further comment next week.

“Our community’s generally expressed priority is that RDC is cleared to grant degrees while maintaining its trades and applied learning programs. For our city and region to fulfill our potential, we need to not only retain our existing population, we need to become a competitive contender in attracting new population to our city,” Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer said Thursday in a statement.

“One of the most promising means of doing so is through the development of a skilled labour force, offering a broader spectrum of career options locally, and attracting population who will stay and strengthen our local economy through their future contributions in various sectors.”

Veer says The City of Red Deer will be reviewing the report in the coming days, and will reserve judgement “until the recommendations can be reviewed in consideration of the broader, best interests of the community we serve.”