July 26, 2016

New this fall, Medicine Hat College (MHC) will be expanding their partnership with Prairie Rose School Division No. 8 to offer students at Schuler School, Jenner School and the Redcliff Mennonite Alternative Outreach School hands-on experience in a variety of trades through the Career and Technology Foundations (CTF) program.

Currently, the college offers three, 10 to 12 week sessions throughout the academic year to Parkside School and Notre Dame Academy in Medicine Hat and Brooks Composite High School and St. Joseph’s Collegiate at the Brooks campus. Each session features a different trade including welding, plumbing and carpentry. Students are brought on campus once a week to work under the supervision of their instructor as well as MHC employees. 

Reagan Weeks, assistant superintendent with Prairie Rose, explains that they are grateful to be able to give more students an opportunity to experience this program and take advantage of the facilities and expertise offered at MHC.

“We have received very strong feedback, not only from the students but also their parents. It is both providing our students an opportunity to be on a post-secondary campus, which we know increases the chances that they will attend one, and giving them a chance to learn from people who are actually journeymen in their respected field and have completed that work in our community,” says Weeks.

Boyd Craven, vice-principal of Parkside School mentions that from their experience the elective is very popular with all grades.

“We’ve had students who took the program more than once and it turned out to be a great fit for them. They were able to make the connection and see a real-world application on what they were learning at the college to what was happening at school. For some it is providing future direction,” says Craven.

Dennis Beaudoin, dean of trades and technology at MHC mentions that the benefit goes two ways.

“Our staff and instructors have thoroughly enjoyed having the students on-site. These students want to be here. They are committed to their projects and program and that enthusiasm is great to work with, it is inspiring as brings the best out of everyone.” 

To learn more about this program and the college’s work with students throughout southern Alberta visit www.mhc.ab.ca.