Hannah Wright
Omineca Express
The Nechako Valley Post-Secondary Education Committee are looking to hire a consultant to develop a plan for the future of post-secondary education in Vanderhoof and area.
During a council meeting on November 23, mayor and council voted to support a grant application by the committee to the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition for $44,000 to help fund the project.
The total cost to hire a consultant will be $50,000, but CNC have already committed $5,000 and L&M Lumber have provided $1,000.
When hired, the consultant will work on a plan to be presented to the BC Ministry of Advanced Education.
The Nechako Valley Post-Secondary Education Committee is made up of a number of individuals from the community who collectively represent a community interest in seeing the expansion of post-secondary education and training in Vanderhoof.
The group is being led by Gary Blattner, Al Fitzpatrick and Lori Borth and is supported by numerous notables including the president of the College of New Caledonia, John Bowman, District Economic Developement Officer, Kathie Laforge, President of the School District 91 Business Company, Ray LeMoigne and Vanderhoof Mayor, Gerry Thiessen.
“Every where I go, businesses are saying they would like to come to our community and they ask what kind of trained experienced workers we have,” said Thiessen.
“If we are going to get to that next level of stability we need to make sure that there’s good access to post-secondary education and that’s going to require lots of community engagement.
“The key to a recession proof community is a well educated community,” he said.