College Seeks City Support

Monday, November 05, 2007 07:29 PM

The College of New Caledonia can count on Prince George City Council for support.

The College says if it doesn’t get a substantial increase in operational funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education, it will have to make substantial cuts to programs.

The College President, John Bowman, says CNC is providing the right kinds of courses at a time when the workforce is screaming for new people. A two year college graduate can make, on average, $42 thousand dollars a year. He says the College pumps more than $389 million into the regional economy as graduating students are able to get higher paying jobs which in turn means more disposable income, and more money to the provincial tax coffers.

The College , says Bowman, has been integral in training people in the north for jobs that will keep them in the north, for instance, the soon to be launched medical imaging program will be tied to the development of the Cancer Centre in Prince George..

Bowman says the college is highly dependant on Provincial funding as only 15% of the revenue comes through tuition. The inflation pressures on the college can add $800 thousand to $1.2 million dollars a year. "Given that we are living under a tuition cap, it is posing some problems for us" says Bowman.

There are some 600 people waiting for an opening in the trades programs but they may not be willing to wait until there is an opening here, "If they go south to get their training, they may stay south" says Bowman

"Trades training is the future" says Mayor Colin Kinsley who says the College has lots of support from Council because there is so much the College can be proud of.

Councillor Deborah Munoz was the one to ask if there was anything Council could do to help the College get extra funding? Bowman says letters are always a help, but if Councillors use any opportunity possible to chat it up with MLA's and Provincial Ministers that too would be positive.

Mayor Colin Kinsley wrapped up the discussion by pledging Council support "I have no reservations at all to assure you this Council will do all it can to help you through any trials and tribulations."

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Posted on Monday, November 05, 2007 07:29 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on November 5 2007 7:55 PM

I am sure our city council can influence the provincial govt. when it comes to how it spends it's educational dollars. Postage is cheap, city councillors. Have at it. Speaking about trials and tribulations, I sure am glad next November is gonna roll around pretty soon.

Posted by: Runner46 on November 5 2007 9:03 PM

Glib answer to a difficult problem.

Can`t wait to hear what positive alternatives all the wanna be councillors are gonna have.

Posted by: Harbinger on November 5 2007 10:16 PM

Glib answer to the problem that seems to arise only every fourth year. Hire a polling firm, and send out letters asking why "you" don't go downtown. And just plainly count the reasons and fix them. Too simple? e.g. parking, denizens, bums, tramps, thieves, hobos., homeless, drug addicts, panhandlers, and people in general that make you feel uncomfortable. Shopping malls can keep those creeps away simply because the malls are private property. Whereas downtown is free and open. Cool, eh?

Posted by: bohemian on November 5 2007 10:54 PM

"Postage is cheap..."

Postage? What's that? Is that some fancy new e-mail system?

Posted by: owl on November 5 2007 11:56 PM

Spend some money, send a mission .....

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So we finally see the reasons for that nonsensical study which is similar to the one done for UNBC.

�A two year college graduate can make, on average, $42 thousand dollars a year. He says the College pumps more than $389 million into the regional economy as graduating students are able to get higher paying jobs which in turn means more disposable income, and more money to the provincial tax coffers.�

Guess what people, that two year college graduate can make that sort of money no matter where they get their education � Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan �.. and so on. It is cheaper to import than to graduate our own.

The economic driver is not the college. The economic drivers are those who need the services and products and the firms who are able to procure the contracts to provide those services from their operations in PG. Those individuals may get their workers from CNC, or UNBC, or Camosun, or BCIT, or Nova Scotia Tech. or even the odd one from the Technical University of Aachen.

As it says, the graduates CAN GET higher paying jobs. It does not say the graduates CREATE those higher paying jobs. It is those who create the need for those higher paying positions who pump the $389 million into the regional economy.

That being said, having CNC and UNBC here provides an opportunity which will cause families to want to be in Prince George rather than Williams Lake or Quesnel or Fort St. John for instance. It will also cause those considering a move to include PG in with other similar sized cities that have similar education facilities.