By Erika Chorostil

Starting January 2021

Drayton Valley partners with Northern Lakes College to offer post-secondary education

Nov 18, 2020 | 1:33 PM

The Town of Drayton Valley has announced a new education partnership with Northern Lakes College to increase access to post-secondary studies.

Starting in January 2021, Northern Lakes College will be offering services to Drayton Valley through its unique Supported Distance Learning model. Students can study from home or work, or access their courses at the Drayton Valley Clean Energy Technology Centre (CETC).

Northern Lakes College brings over 50 years of expertise to support the distance education needs in Drayton Valley and the surrounding area. The post-secondary institution has 24 locations in rural communities throughout northern Alberta, and this will be its 25th location.

The college provides a broad range of programming, including Academic Upgrading, Apprenticeship and Pre-Employment Trades, Business and Administrative Studies, Health Careers, Human Service Careers, Resource Technology, and University Studies. Many programs available through Northern Lakes College offer dual credit opportunities, allowing high school students to receive credit for college-level courses while still in high school.

“This is an exciting moment for the advancement of post-secondary education in Drayton Valley,” commented Mayor Michael Doerksen.

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“Increasing accessibility to education, especially in rural communities, is more important than ever. During these tough economic times, students experiencing barriers to education, including location, has grown in the last few years. Northern Lakes College coming into Drayton Valley provides a ray of hope to many students and families who are looking to further their education or reskill themselves amid a changing economy. This provides some much-needed hope in Drayton Valley and our surrounding communities.”

“Northern Lakes College is thrilled with the opportunity to provide post-secondary programming to the community of Drayton Valley,” said President and CEO, Glenn Mitchell.

“We are committed to providing accessible and community-based learning opportunities and to finding collaborative ways to support the provincial goal of increased engagement in the post-secondary sector.”

Those interested in applying for courses can visit www.northernlakescollege.ca or call 1-866-652-3456.