Bow Valley College helps grant access to education for Strathmore and rural residents

Times Reporter

 

After more than a year of consultations with different communities in Southern Alberta, Bow Valley College, BVC, out of Calgary hired three new education representatives, including Teri McKinnon for Strathmore. McKinnon and her cohorts in the outlying communities of Okotoks and Cochrane will be helping residents and employers find education and training programs within their communities. 

“It’s totally exciting for the town,” said McKinnon. 

The positions were created by BVC to evaluate the demand, while creating more access to post-secondary education in southern Alberta. 

“Being the Regional Education Representative is more about building Strathmore’s capacity by increasing access to post-secondary education in the community through partnerships with community members and local businesses” said McKinnon.  

“My ultimate goals are to promote community development and rural revitalization through educational advancement.”

Depending on the success of the first three communities, BVC may expand the program to include several other communities in Alberta. 

“Outcomes from this work could include the development of new post-secondary opportunities ranging from increased access to online learning, programs that blend distance delivery with local classroom approaches, or the establishment of community learning centres in partnership with other post-secondary institutions and local resources,” said Anna Kae Todd, Vice-President, Learning, BVC. 

The decision to start the program in the first three communities came from BVC’s Labour Market Partnership survey, which was done in 2009 to access the educational needs of communities in the region. McKinnon will be working with local businesses, individuals, and community leaders to identify education and training needs in the community and link them with educational programs or services. At this point in time, they are not looking to build a centre in Strathmore.

“Right now we just want to get familiar with what the direct needs of the community are,” said McKinnon. 

To find out more about what all BVC is proposing and what McKinnon hopes to accomplish, call her at 403-462-2550 or e-mail her at tmckinnon@bowvalleycollege.ca.