The region’s municipal leaders are pressing the importance of Confederation College to northwestern Ontario.
The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association spoke to provincial ministers in Ottawa this week about funding, access to skilled labour and immigrant students.
President Rick Dumas states that the college and its regional campuses are crucial to the area’s economy.
“The government’s working with colleges and having the programs like Stay and Learn where you can look at a weakness within your municipality or region and offer those programs and those individuals will come and train at the college and the regional campus, stay in their home, stay in their community, doesn’t have to uplift and go to the city for a one or two year program,” says Dumas.
“Part of that deal is to stay in the community after you’ve graduated and you’re now in the workforce. It’s a great program, great partnership with the college, the regional communities and the campuses as well as the government of Ontario.”
Dumas felt the discussions were positive.
The NOMA delegation also had the opportunity to sit down with federal Labour Minister Patty Hadju.
“We don’t normally get to meet with federal ministers, but we also had the opportunity to meet with her and talk about that very thing about the immigration and the programs that the federal government runs and promotes, and how we expand that program outside the city of Thunder Bay.”
Dumas came away feeling good about the discussions, with plans to continue working on the issues with Hadju and the other ministers.
