NWP News

��˴�Ƭ Focuses on Specialized Classroom Supports

��˴�Ƭ (NWP) is launching two new online certificates that will equip educational assistants with the in-demand skills needed for Alberta classrooms.

Beginning Fall 2024, NWP will be offering an Educational Assistant (EA) certificate specializing in Literacy Supports. An additional Educational Assistant certificate for Inclusion Supports will be added for the Winter 2025 term.

"Educational assistants are invaluable members of the multi-disciplinary teams in schools across the province," says NWP President and CEO, Dr. Vanessa Sheane. "As classrooms strive for inclusive education, the need for qualified EA staff has grown exponentially. NWP is doing our part to deliver timely workforce solutions."

The certificates have been designed with convenience and flexibility in mind. Each of the online offerings will take four-months to complete. Along with the virtual classroom component, students will benefit from a work-integrated-learning placement at the end of their studies. The approach ensures that students can easily work towards obtaining their qualification as they continue their employment or tend to their day-to-day commitments.

"These certificates have been collaboratively developed with the support of our community partners in order to address a widely recognized need for qualified educational assistants," says School of Business Dean, Dr. Jodi Peebles. "At present, EA staff can range from highly specialized professionals to volunteers with more limited qualifications. Our goal is to provide avenues for learners who would like to formalize and enhance their skillset."

While NWP currently offers a 12-month EA certificate program, the two new additions will allow learners to prioritize specific skill acquisition. The Educational Assistant - Literacy Supports certificate will focus on concepts around foundational literacy while the Educational Assistant - Inclusion Supports will equip graduates to help students with exceptional needs. Once completed, both of these courses can be applied towards NWP's full-year Educational Assistant certificate.

"NWP is delivering a solution for learners across the board," adds Dr. Peebles. "Not only are we being responsive to traditional barriers to post-secondary education, we are also ensuring that the tools for a fulfilling and very much in-demand career are within reach."

Learn more about NWP's Educational Assistant programs and opportunities at NWP.me/EducationalAssistant.

A Great Sign for a Healthy Partnership

The outlook for rural medicine in northern Alberta brightened as ��˴�Ƭ (NWP) and the University of Alberta (U of A) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize an innovative medical education partnership in Northern Alberta.

More than 100 eager witnesses gathered at ��˴�Ƭ's Health Education Centre, located in the state-of-the-art Grande Prairie Regional Hospital (GPRH), for the historic event. Representatives from the U of A, NWP, and Maskwa Medical Centre were on hand, as well as MLAs, local government leaders, and health and education professionals from across Alberta.

"This MOU signals another step forward for health and education in our region," says ��˴�Ƭ President and CEO, Dr. Vanessa Sheane. "We are deeply appreciative of the Government of Alberta's continued support and commitment to the North, and grateful for the efforts of all who have been on this journey with us over the last two years."

The establishment of the Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres (RMEPTC) is part of an Alberta Government strategy and investment announced earlier this month.

"This agreement is an example of how post-secondary institutions can collaborate to solve challenges and create opportunities that benefit all Albertans," says University of Alberta President and Vice-Chancellor Bill Flanagan. "By giving more students access to the University of Alberta's top-tier medical education, we are playing a lead role in ensuring that people throughout northern Alberta will have access to high-quality primary health care where they live."

With the MOU now official, ��˴�Ƭ and the University of Alberta will continue to work together to fill 30 seats in the inaugural Doctor of Medicine program. Aspiring medical professionals will have the opportunity to become diverse, competent, and compassionate physician leaders, as they complete the entirety of their University of Alberta medical degree at ��˴�Ƭ's Grande Prairie Campus and adjacent Health Education Centre.

Clinical placements in a variety of acute, community, Indigenous, and other healthcare settings will also be integral in deepening physician ties to the North. A unique feature of this new northern partnership is also a teaching clinic within the upcoming Maskwa Medical Centre development. Once operational, this integral component of the broader RMEPTC initiative, will add much needed primary care capacity for Albertans.

"Maskwa Medical Center Executive and Board have stepped up to support the medical school mandates set out by the Province in June of 2023," says Ken Drysdale, Chairman, Maskwa Medical Centre. "We are proud to partner with University of Alberta and ��˴�Ƭ medical academic programs to ensure the healthcare needs of NW Alberta residents are met in the coming years. Our facility will complement the training of family physicians, providing wrap around services to GPRH staff and patients. We will continue to advocate for a team-based approach to specialists in diagnosis of complex medical conditions."

Working together, the U of A and NWP are hoping to attract, train, and retain physicians where they are needed most. The U of A will be accepting applications starting July 2024 for the anticipated first program intake in Fall 2025.

For more information, please contact medicine@nwpolytech.ca or visit NWP.me/Medicine.

��˴�Ƭ Corrals Opportunity to Grow Programming

��˴�Ƭ is having a bumper year with three new program announcements in as many months, including a one-of-a-kind program that promises to leave a positive imprint in Alberta's growing communities.

With an anticipated start date of November 2024, the latest offering is a two-year Agriculture Operations diploma that will build on the Polytechnic's roots in Fairview and provide quality training for next generation agriculture professionals.

"Agriculture is a time-honoured profession that is transforming at an impressive rate with the benefit of technological advances and process improvements," says NWP President and CEO, Dr. Vanessa Sheane. "We are looking forward to equipping graduates with skills for modern agriculture and farm operations, and to helping address the workforce challenges being felt across our signature industries."

In addition to having been developed with input from industry partners, NWP's new diploma includes two extensive work terms where students will have the opportunity to develop practical skills alongside experienced growers, animal handlers, and agriculture professionals.

The program will provide a solid foundation in the operation and maintenance of equipment, teamwork and leadership, hauling and transporting grains/livestock, evolving technology and industry trends, productivity and ethical land/animal practices, and farm safety.

"Our new diploma pathway provides a great balance of theoretical and practical knowledge for aspiring grain and livestock professionals," says Dr. Brian Redmond, Dean of Applied Science and Technology. "We recognize the significant opportunity for impact locally and are committed to working with our partners on productive solutions in this space."

Applications for NWP's Agriculture Operations diploma will open shortly. In the meantime, prospective students are encouraged to visit NWP.me/Agriculture for more information and to register their interest in the program.

Investing in Health Care Across Alberta

Alberta's government is investing $224.8 million in Budget 2024 to help solve the shortage of physicians in rural areas.

Alberta is currently facing a shortage of physicians across the province, disproportionally affecting Albertans in rural areas. Because students who learn in rural communities are more likely to work in rural communities, Alberta's government is working with post-secondary institutions to train more physicians in rural areas.

"Albertans deserve access to timely medical care in every corner of our province. The new training centres in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie is the first of many steps to solve the rural physician shortage. Advanced Education is committed to increasing support for Alberta's medical schools, along with significant support to encouraging more physicians to live and practice in rural settings."

Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education

With support from Alberta's government, the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, and ��˴�Ƭ are working together to develop new Rural Medical Education Program Training Centres (RMEPTCs) in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie. The University of Calgary will partner with the University of Lethbridge to develop the new training centre in Lethbridge, and the University of Alberta will partner with ��˴�Ƭ to develop the new training centre in Grande Prairie.

Both training centres will deliver an entire undergraduate medical education program and deliver hands-on learning experiences in rural communities surrounding the training centres. Students will train alongside other health professionals, gaining practical medical experience while serving rural patients.

Once up and running, the training centres will provide primary care in Lethbridge and Grande Prairie, with each general practitioner in the teaching clinic caring for approximately 1,200 patients. These clinics will also operate after regular hours to reduce congestion in local emergency departments, adding much needed primary care capacity for Albertans.

Budget 2024 investments would be used for both capital and clinic operations in Grande Prairie and Lethbridge. This includes renovations to accommodate local student training, including the addition of classrooms and simulation and clinical training to meet accreditation standards.

Of the total funding, $43.2 million in capital funding will be provided for the new training centre in Lethbridge, $55.6 million will support operating expenses for the training centres in both Lethbridge and Grande Prairie, and an additional $126 million will support the overall physician training expansion.

"There has never been more demand for dedicated and skilled medical professionals with ties to rural communities. ��˴�Ƭ is grateful for the opportunity to be part of a collaborative way forward that will help attract, educate, and retain the physicians needed in our northernmost communities and across Alberta."

Dr. Vanessa Sheane, President and CEO, ��˴�Ƭ

"This is an important investment in medical education and primary healthcare in our province. These regional training centres will give more students access to a world-class education with hands-on training in rural settings. I'm proud that we can play a leading role in building a more robust healthcare system in Alberta."

Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

Quick facts

The Ministries of Health and Advanced Education are jointly responsible for the education of physicians in Alberta.
Currently, there are two Doctor of Medicine programs in Alberta: one at the University of Alberta and one at the University of Calgary.
In 2023, Advanced Education provided $1 million to a Working Group on Rural Physicians to explore the feasibility of expanding Alberta's medical training pathways with the goal of improving access to physicians in rural and remote areas of the province.
Since 2022, Alberta's government has invested more than $225 million to create over 12,500 new seats at post-secondary institutions across the province, including more than 3,700 seats in healthcare related programs.
Government is working with the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary to increase the number of undergraduate medical training seats, residency positions for newly graduated doctors, and residency positions for international medical graduates (IMGs). Once the seat expansion is complete, more than 100 additional Alberta-trained physicians will be ready to practise annually.
The RMEPTCs will use a distributed medical education model - a program where universities partner with local institutions to develop regional training campuses where medical students complete most of their medical education outside the metropolitan regions. This will benefit rural communities as evidence shows that students who learn in rural areas are more likely to practice in rural areas after their training is complete.

New Program Pipeline Continues to Flow at ��˴�Ƭ

��˴�Ƭ (NWP) is adding another program into its career-focused education stream. Starting in Fall 2024, students with an interest in the control and operation of water resources will be able to complete a 12-month Water and Wastewater Technician certificate locally.

"Water management is integral to the maintenance of safe, healthy, and sustainable communities," says NWP President and CEO, Dr. Vanessa Sheane. "This new program is yet another example of NWP's commitment to advanced technical education that meets the needs of our region and produces knowledgeable and skilled graduates who can add value."

NWP will be working collaboratively with local industry leader, Aquatera Utilities to develop Level 1 and 2 Water and Wastewater Technicians who will be able to monitor and operate essential water control systems and equipment.

"This is a tremendous learning and partnership opportunity as our students will have the benefit of hands-on training in a world-class facility that services municipalities across Alberta," says School of Applied Science and Technology Dean, Dr. Brian Redmond. "This type of job-anchored programming will set NWP graduates up for workforce success and strengthen our water management system as a whole."

NWP's new program will be the second of its kind in Alberta and is a welcome local training solution. Students will focus on maintaining and operating specialized equipment, water and wastewater treatment, as well as wastewater collection, freshwater distribution, and industry awareness. Classroom theory is then followed by 600 hours of an industry practicum prior to graduation.

By offering a range of certifications, NWP can provide foundational knowledge to new students, as well as upskilling opportunities for existing technicians who are looking to expand their scope of practice.

"The delivery of this program is unique in that NWP will be offering courses in condensed three-week blocks to facilitate industry participation. Current industry professionals will have the opportunity to selectively choose courses to upgrade and maintain their certifications," explains Dr. Redmond. "We have designed every element of this in-demand program to meet industry and learner needs, and we are so grateful for the broader community support."

Aquatera is also eager to welcome NWP students. The industry leader has deep roots in the community and is looking forward to supporting local talent with a scholarship fund for operator training.

"Through collaboration with NWP, we're not just shaping careers; we're shaping communities. Together, we're cultivating a new generation of water and wastewater technicians, stewards of our most precious resource, ensuring a sustainable future for all," says Aquatera Chief Executive Officer, Vaughn Bend.

Learn more about NWP's Applied Science and Technology programs and opportunities at NWP.me/WaterTech.