Junior high and high school students from across the County of Newell are getting hands on trades experience at Medicine Hat College (MHC) Brooks Campus this spring.
Working in partnership with Grasslands School Division, MHC's Extended Learning department and Brooks Campus have teamed up to welcome students onsite to explore fabrication and welding as part of their Career & Technology Foundations (CTF) and Career & Technology Studies (CTS) courses. Over 20 students from eight schools, including Brooks Composite, Brooks Junior High, Duchess, Rosemary, Bassano, Alcoma, Rolling Hills and Tilley, are visiting the regional campus this semester to learn more about skilled trades and related careers.
"Our students have benefitted immensely from this partnership with Medicine Hat College Brooks Campus. The welding partnership fills a gap in our programming that has allowed students from across our division to develop a skill that can lead to a career for them in the future," says Katie Graham, assistant superintendent for Grasslands Schools.
"We are excited to see where we can continue to build on this partnership and develop this program to complement our CTS programming in our schools and Career Pathways opportunities for our students."
Christie Wilson, manager of extended learning at MHC, looks forward to increasing non-credit programming to meet the needs of learners in Southeast Alberta.
"New opportunities in the region are growing, and we want to empower people to become more qualified and encourage lifelong learning. Our extended learning programs and courses focus on reskilling or upskilling, like the welding and fabrication course now underway with Grasslands students, or support professional development in technology and business, customized training and community wellness," explains Wilson.
Extended learning programs are designed to ladder in and out of MHC's credential program mix, providing greater opportunities for education and growth.
