march 19, 2010

$32,250.00 was awarded in 36 scholarships to Parkland College students on Monday, March 15. Congratulations to the deserving student s! A special thanks to all the donors who support higher education and training. Their gifts assist students in pursuing their careers close to home. If you would like to know more about how you may contribute to the success of students at Parkland College please call Gwen MacHnee at 786-2587 or Fay Myers at 728-6588.
A Career Fair is scheduled for March 24 at the Yorkton Campus, Parkland College. This will involve a number of booths set up by employers and the college to talk to high school and college students across the region on opportunities for training and employment close to home. Take this opportunity! Come to see what they have to offer!
There are a number of community Trade Shows happening across the region in the coming few weeks. Parkland College will be there! Stop by to talk to us and explore ?the answers? we may have for you!

december 2009

Our 2009 college calendar year has gone by so quickly and December is always a month of rush; rush in the office and at home. Parkland College staff and Board have accomplished a great deal in supporting economic and community development in the region and province this past year. Look for our 2008-09 Annual Report to be published on our website very soon. It highlights our achievements over the year including the delivery of a Professional Firefighting Program, the first in the province.
International Development continues to be a focus at Parkland College. I was fortunate to travel on a consultancy trip to Kimathi University College of Technology, Nyeri, Kenya in October 2009. I led a workshop on gender participation and economic growth, attended meetings on the project workplan and future directions, participated in launching the Tourism Diploma Program and Coffee Quality Lab and took some time out to play with the animals. As the learner college, Parkland College staff and students have gained a better understanding of the global environment.
Wishing you all the best in the holiday season and in the New Year! Parkland College will continue to be Your Answer… Come see us in person or on our website!

thursday, november 5th

Jambo everyone. My week has been very full with Monday spent at Kimathi with Rosemary, the Director of the Institute, who came to Ottawa at the beginning of the project in November 2006. Then on Tuesday Mr Munwegee, the Prinicpal of Muringato and EvaLynn one of the teachers and the Chairman of the school Board took me out to a game farm where I petted a cheetah and had an elephant lift me up with his tusks. I have some awesome pictures of the farm. Then on Wednesday I attended the launch of the Coffee Quality Lab at Kimathi. The CEO and a Board member from the African Wildlife Federation were there from Washington as well as the Regional Director of Starbucks who lives in Kenya. It was very interesting as they performed the ‘cuppa’ process on different grades of coffee. There was the Kimathi choir than sang and a beautiful lunch. It all took about 4 hours.

Today I am on my way back to Nairobi after 2 nights at The Ark – a beautiful place where I saw the first elephants in the wild. Hope all is well and will see you all this coming week.

november 2nd

Hello to everyone at Parkland. I am feeling a bit better today and am spending time with Rosemary at Kimathi. She had come to Ottawa in November 2006 when we first started the project – Sonja will remember her. Everyone is very friendly here and like to shake hands.

Sarasar is away in Nairobi today but Prinicpal Kioni is here so will probably see him. Nick and Graham went back to Nairobi yesterday so I am on my own for a few days. They are very good to me here at Kimathi but they are very busy with exams. It is very busy as they are starting the university from scratch and having to set courses, policy, prices, etc.

I will be attending th opening of their coffee lab on Wednesday so am looking forward to that. They really do up the celebrations here. I have taken some wonderful pictures of the Sustainable Tourism program opening.

Hope all is well. Asanti san.

friday, october 30th

Jambo! Today was a very exciting day with the official launch of the Sustainable Tourism Diploma course developed by KUTC and COTR. Lots of speeches and African dancing with lunch afterwards. It took about 3 hours and lots of pictures taken.

The dancing was beautiful and we have been treated very well. All the meetings are mostly men so I am not too vocal but they are very good to include me in the discussions. Today I am not feeling so well so am going to rest this afternoon. Tomorrow I will be with Principal Mwangee from Muringato to go see his father who is 100 years old and then to see our student Isaac, so will take pictures to bring back.

I have arranged my stay at The Ark for Nov. 4 & 5 to relax and hopefully see many of the animals. Then back to Nairobi for Nov. 6, 7 and home late on the 8th. I will be here in Nyeri at Kimathi for the opening of their coffee research lab next week. The CEO of Starbucks, Canada is to be here for the opening so that will be interesting to meet him.

thursday, october 29th in kenya

Today was my turn to do a workshop with the managers at Kimathi. It was on gender equity and economic growth and I think it went well. There were 12 men and 3 women so the gender equity is lower women in management. It was fun and they really appreciate whatever you can give them and talk about. I learned a great deal about their culture and social structure.

Then we had a meeting on the project to determine what needed to be done by the end of March. Tomorrow is a big day with many people coming for the celebration – release of the Tourism certificate program. They say there are many speeches, so will be very interesting.

Every day is interesting and the people and children are very friendly.

day 2 in kenya

Jambo everyone. They are trying to teach me Swahili language here but I am very slow learner. Last night it rained very hard which is good as they have had a drought. Today was a beautiful day and I took lots of pictures of jacarunda trees, boughanviliia and poinsetta trees.

Today we met with a microfinancing group, Kenya Women finance trust on their loaning programs – very interesting. We toured the grounds of kimathi university and haad lunch with Principal Kioni. Then we went to Muringato school to visit with the children and teachers. Lots of pictures of the children to show all of you. They speak of our College and all those who have come- kami, sonja, Wendy and Michelle. Thank you so much for the funding for Issac, I will see him saturday with the principal.

I am safe and well and sleeping well. Graham and Nick are good to travel with and it is all so rewarding to see the growth in Kimathi and Muringato.

nyeri day 1

Jambo everyone. I arrived in Nairobi this morning at 6 AM after an 8 hour flight from London on Kenya Airways. i did very well to get my visa, through immigration, picked up my suitcase, bought a phone card and found Geoff, my driver for going to Nyeri. The drive to Nyeri was very long with a lot of potholes in the highway but very beautiful farms, trees and flowers. Did not see any animals on the road but took pictures of the coffee farms. Arrived at Nyeri and showered and went over to Kimathi University College of Technology where Nick Rubidge and Graham from COTR were involved in a presentation on results based management. I was able to join them for lunch and met my friend Rosemary again.

Then they gave us a tour of the new administration building that is being built with some classrooms as well. It will be lovely and much of what we could use as well.

Tomorrow we will be meeting with Kenya Women Finance Group to help prepare my workshop presentation on gender and economic development. The afternoon we will be seeing the children and staff at Murinato School to give them gifts we have brought. I hope to make arrangements to see our student, Isaac, who has gone on to secondary school.

september 18, 2009

Parkland College was very pleased to host a partnership luncheon on August 28 with the Honorable Rob Norris, Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labor as our guest speaker. Minister Norris took the opportunity to speak with businesses about their current and future labor market needs and the role of Parkland College in addressing the preparation of the trained labor market. The Parkland College Board of Governors was pleased to host this first business luncheon with over 20 local employers represented.

On Thursday, September 17, I was pleased to officially open the newly renovated Industrial Lab at the Parkland College, Esterhazy Campus. Members from the Industrial Sector Steering Committee, who supported this renovation, were on hand to assist in the celebration. The Industrial Mechanics Apprenticeship program starting October 5 will be the first group to utilize this new lab.

august 2009

August 2009

“Summer time and the livin is easy” – gives students and staff a time for slowing down the pace and vacations. Many of us were fortunate to spend more time with family and friends at our special place at the lake or sightsee parts of Canada and enjoy the wonders of our country. Hopefully all had time to relax, reflect and refresh for another exciting year.

One of the most enjoyable outings of summer is golfing with friends. My husband, Ed and I were joined by Glen and Linda Miller of Melville in our annual college Dollars for Scholars golf tournament. A successful tournament was held raising over $11,000.00 towards student scholarships. Mark your calendars and come out and support students in taking their post-secondary trainingclose to home at Parkland College on June 18, 2010!

And, students and staff at Parkland College have an exciting year ahead. Programs filled to capacity include Firefighting Training, Power Engineering, Level 3 and 4, Industrial Mechanics Journeyperson, Licensed Practical Nursing and Primary Care Paramedic. Check out our website for other programs being offered this fall and winter! Consider Parkland College as your College of Choice for university courses and programs, upgrading and up skilling needs, and for professional development and labor market training. Let us know what your training and education needs are and we will work with you to meet them!

july 10, 2009

Parkland College was honored to host Principal Kioni, Kimathi University College of Technology, from Nyeri, Kenya on Monday, June 8. Parkland College and College of the Rockies in Cranbrooke, B.C. have partnered with Kimathi on an international project for the last 4 years. There have been 6 staff members and one student from Parkland College who have participated in this project. It has brought a new cultural, global component to the environment of Parkland College. I will be travelling to Kenya later this fall with the President of College of the Rockies to deliver some workshops on strategic planning and to bring the international project to a close.

Graduation, held on Friday, June 12, is the crowning highlight of the year for staff and students alike. It is very rewarding for all from the college to see the pride of students and supporters as they cross the stage at graduation. 2008-2009 year is one of the largest graduation classes of the college with 352 students graduating from a variety of programs including Masters of Adult Education, Social Work Degree and technical and upgrading programs. It was particularly rewarding to grant 5 Parkland College staff with their Masters in Adult Education Degree ? congratulations to Shawn, Gwen, Carolee, Barb and Jackie! Well done! I was also a proud parent this year with my daughter-in-law, Christy Myers, completing her Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

Great news! Dollars for Scholars golf tournament raised almost $12,000.00 on June 19. A big thank you to all the golfers, sponsors, tournament committee and volunteers. This will increase the Entrance Scholarships for students taking their first year of credit studies at Parkland College. Lets strive for evenhigher next year on June 18th, 2010.

april 6, 2009

Good news! According to a recent Economic Impact Study, Parkland College is a sound investment for students, taxpayers and society as a whole. Students benefit from improved lifestyles and increased earnings and see a 17% rate of return on their educational investment. Taxpayers benefit from an enlarged economy and lower social costs and see a 15% rate of return on their dollars invested in Parkland College. Society as a whole benefits from increased job and investment opportunities, higher business revenues, greater availability of public funds and an eased tax burden.

Parkland College commissioned Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc., a leading provider of impact and strategic planning tools to colleges in Canada and the United States, to analyze how the Parkland area economy benefits from the presence of the college. Using student and financial data from the 2007-2008 year, an economic and investment analysis was provided.

Students! Taxpayers! Communities! More results of the study coming out through presentations and media releases. If you would like more information or a presentation on the study, feel free to send me an email at f.myers@parklandcollege.sk.ca. Parkland College is excited about his good news story and wish to tell it!

march 16, 2009

Parkland College will be releasing an Economic Impact Study within the next few days which will answer the question: What role does Parkland College play in the provincial and local economy? Watch for it in your local paper! Send me your comments and questions! I am pleased to inform you that the results of the survey demonstrate that Parkland College is a sound investment from multiple perspectives.

39 scholarships worth a total of over $31,000.00 were presented last week to very worthy students from within a variety of college certificate, diploma and university programs. Take a look at the recipients and donors on our college website www.parklandcollege.sk.ca A very special thank you to all the donors for their generous support of Parkland College students. If you would like to participate in this worthy scholarship program, please contact me at this site or at (306)728-6588.

Today, Parkland College is honored to begin a second intake this year of the Firefighting Program in Melville with a total of 19 students. The College has again partnered with Fire, etc. from Lakeland College in Vermilion to deliver this course in Saskatchewan. The program is being delivered at the Melville Fire Hall by two instructors ? Jim Fairbank and Curtis Brooks. Best of luck to all involved!

january 12, 2009

January 12, 2009

Parkland College has had many exciting training and education opportunities delivered over the last few months and 2009 has started with plans for many more. The student scholarship drive has started with approximately $39,650 available to access by the end of January. Parkland College students take up this opportunity! Apply today for the scholarships available!

In December, the college was honored with two Employer Recognition Awards presented by the Saskatchewan Indian Training Assessment Group Inc. Yorkton Tribal Council and File Hills/Qu?Appelle Tribal Council nominated and recognized Parkland College for the opportunities and training given to First Nations within the region to realize employment success. Larry Pearen, Manager of Skills Training and I were very pleased to accept the awards on behalf of the college.

Western Trade Training Institute, a private vocational school delivering Crane and Hoist apprenticeship training, Boom truck training, other sub trades and competency operation was purchased by Parkland College in the fall. I am very pleased to report that the training schedule is up and running and in place until the end of May. If you are a business or individual interested in this type of training, check out the website http://wttionline.ca or call (306)665-7709.

november 3, 2008

Parkland College signed a Learning Alliance with the Good Spirit School Board on October 28. This is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. The purpose of the Learning Alliance is to enable both organizations to support initiatives of common interest in order to further the principles and practices of high quality education and training. The Learning Alliance will support the work of trustees and governors as well as senior administrators to explore, enhance and refine organizational practices. I look forward to making progress together through this Learning Alliance.

We were very pleased to host Jim Knight, President of Association of Canadian Community Colleges and Beverley Crossman, Executive Director of the Association of Saskatchewan Regional Colleges on a tour of our Fort Qu?Appelle College Campus. The mobile training lab is currently located on site delivering a welding program to a number of students throughout that area.

Thank you to the students and staff for an excellent tour and discussion of the training needs in the Fort Qu?Appelle area.

Western Trade Training Institute, a Private Vocational School in Saskatchewan, was purchased by Parkland College this fall. A news conference was held in Saskatoon on October 31 at Innovation Place to advertise this change in ownership. Western Trade Training Institute will continue to offer apprenticeship level training for the Crane and Hoist and Boom Truck Trades as well as certificate training in the many sub trades accompanying this type of employment.

We were pleased to have Minister Rob Norris, Ms Vicki Chyz, former owner of Western Trade Training Institute and Rick Ewen from Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Commission join us for the announcement.

october 27, 2008

On October 2^nd on behalf of Parkland College, I was pleased to participate in a signing agreement between Saskatchewan Regional Colleges and First Nations and Metis Relations to continue our work towards a representative workforce. This agreement will provide dialogue, training and recruitment practices among all colleges with their First Nations and Metis communities.

Regional Colleges are both employers recruiting towards a representative workforce and also trainers who prepare the workforce.

Saskatchewan Platoon #1 celebrated the completion of their firefighting program on Friday, October 24 in Melville. This first Firefighting Program delivered by Parkland College and accredited by fire, etc. of Lakeland College was a huge success with 23 successful graduates. It was a pleasure to be a guest at this momentous occasion celebrated by families, instructors and college staff.

september 15, 2008

International Literacy Day on September 8 was an exciting day for Parkland College and I was pleased to be there with students and staff to celebrate. The College celebrated 30 years of delivering Literacy programs throughout the parkland region through the dedication of many, many volunteer tutors. If you or someone you know needs help in developing or improving their skills, contact Carol McCullough at 1-866-783-6766 at the Yorkton Campus, Parkland College.

Welcome back to students! Flipping burgers! and greeting students and staff was a fun time for all on September 9 at the Yorkton Campus. Thanks to everyone who helped in any way. September is a busy time at the College.

We look forward to the start up of the program year and to meeting and getting to know our students. A Student Representative Council is being formed at the Yorkton Campus this year. Parkland College is committed to supporting students in their time with the college.

Our Firefighters in training are an active group! Fundraiser for Children?s Wish Foundation on September 13 was well attended. Car wash, burgers and hot dogs, door prizes, dunk tank and rides were all part of the day. My granddaughter, Sarah, was puzzled? curious? about Sparky, the mascot who was out to help the fundraiser along.

A wonderful event for the students to organize and the College was pleased to take part.

september 5, 2008

Parkland College Board, staff and students have begun another exciting and inspiring program year with a wide array and continuum of education, training and services being offered. Literacy, English as a Second Language, Skills Advancement, Adult Basic Education, Certificate and Diploma Skills Programs, University degree and graduate degree courses and a wide variety of support services are all being delivered in the region. Please give the College a toll-free call at 1-866-783-6766 to learn more about the programs and services we offer!

The College is very excited to be delivering the Firefighting Training Course in Melville in cooperation with fire, etc., Alberta. This is the first course to be offered in Saskatchewan and plans are underway to offer a second course in February 2009. Please join us on Saturday, September 13 at the Melville Fire Hall from noon to 4:00PM for a barbeque and car wash to support their fund-raising project in support of the Children?s Wish Foundation.

I was pleased to meet the students in our Hairstylists program, one of the first technical programs to begin this year.

Carmella Kirchman-Lutz, the college lead instructor for a number of years, has a great group of students from throughout the college region and beyond. Their hairstylist shop will open December 1^st for bookings so be sure to utilize the many services they will be offering to the public.

There are many opportunities at Parkland College for support, guidance, training and professional development. Just give us a call, whether as an individual, organization or business and our skilled staff will be very happy to help you.

september 25, 2007

On Friday, September 14th Parkland College held our annual Dollars for Scholars golf tournament to raise funds for student scholarships. The golfing was great as the Texas Scramble format includes everyone and is fun and relaxing. I particularly enjoyed being outdoors with friends and fellow staff members in support of our students. I want to extend a very special thank you to the College Scholarship Committee for their time and effort in coordinating this event again this year. They did a wonderful job and I know put in extra hours and effort to ensure it was successful. Others who I would particularly like to thank are the students who came to help, businesses who contributed through sponsorships and all the golfers who supported this initiative. The Royal Bank of Canada, as our major sponsor, contributed time and funding and we do appreciate their support. I am pleased to relay that Dollars for Scholars raised over $9000.00 for student scholarships for this coming year. Matching dollars will be added from the Department of Advanced Education and Employment. Please consider being part of this worthwhile and rewarding event next year through sponsorship or team entry!

I was pleased to attend, along with the Parkland Regional College Board of Governors, the annual Premier?s Dinner held in Yorkton on September 18th. In Premier Lorne Calvert?s address to the audience, he noted the good work Parkland Regional College is doing in this region. He particularly mentioned two programs the College delivered in the past year with Cote First Nations and Kahkewistahaw First Nations. It was rewarding to hear these praises for the work we do in partnership with other businesses and organizations in our region.

october 30, 2007

Last week the college was honored to host Principal Mbugua from Kimathi University College of Technology (KUTC) in Nyeri, Kenya and President Nick Rubidge from College of the Rockies (COTR) in Cranbrooke, B.C. We are in a 5 year partnership funded by CIDA to develop KUCT?s capacity to develop, produce and deliver technical skills training courses to meet the changing employment needs of the community, centered on sustainable job creation, entrepreneurial skills enhancement and the development of value-added cottage industries. I was very proud of our students and staff who openly welcomed our guests, spent time touring them in our college and communities and demonstrated how the college is involved in training and education. Thank you to all who contributed to make their visit a success. If you would like to know more about our international project check on the college website or call me at (306)728-6588.

The college honored staff for their ?years of service? on Monday, October 29 at the annual Board/Staff workshop. There was 15 staff who received awards for 5, 10 and 15 years of service. I was very honored to have received my 10 year recognition award. It is always a fun and rewarding event with lots of laughter and meaningful words of praise for individuals and the people they work with every dayCongratulations to all the recipients and a special thank you for your dedication to the students and the college. It is a great place to learn and work!

nov. 20, 2007

This past week was International Week and Parkland Regional College was honored to host a delegation from the Guarani Tribe from Argentina. They were interested in meeting First Nations students, leaders and learning about the economic development within First Nations communities. They live in the rainforest of Argentina which has beautiful waterfalls. As the tourism business is growing in Argentina, their area of habitat can be developed. Niagara College in Ontario is involved in an international project with them to develop the workforce and build capacity. In their time with the College they toured and met key people at the Kahkawistahaw Gas and Convenience Store and Gift Shop and the Yorkton Tribal Council in Yorkton, the Treaty Four Governance Center and Leading Thunderbird Healing Lodge in Fort Qu?Appelle and the First Nations University of Canada in Regina.!

Building and implementing customized Workplace Essential Skills continues to be an area of expertise in the college. Our work with employees of Kahkawistahaw Gas and Convenience Store has been highlighted as one of 5 pilot projects demonstrating best practices across Canada through the Association of Canadian Colleges. If you are interested in learning how this service can improve your business see more about this area of expertise on our college website or contact Gail at (306) 786-2597.

dec. 17, 2007

I was pleased to attend the Parkland College annual Christmas party and celebrate the holiday season with staff and partners. The humor and talents of many were unveiled! And a special thanks to our Manager of Industry Training, Darrell, who rose over $120.00 towards the student hampers with his Karaoke contest. It was wonderful to relax and have fun together as a college and I look forward to it each year.

Yorkton Campus also planned and held a Christmas party for the children of students and staff with movies, sleigh rides, Santa and goodie bags. The children and parents alike find this a special treat. To view the excited face of a child at Christmas is a joy for everyone.

In the New Year 2008, Parkland College will be celebrating its 35th anniversary year with special events held at each of our campuses. This is an open invitation to all alumni, former staff and Board members and the public to come out and help us celebrate our achievements and successes over the past 35 years in bringing adult education ?close to home? in East-Central Saskatchewan. We will be unveiling a new logo with an accompanying slogan as part of the festivities. Come out and celebrate with us!

On behalf of the Board and Staff of Parkland College, I wish you all the best in the coming holiday season and the New Year. Happy holidays to all!

jan. 7, 2008

From all of us at Parkland Regional College, we wish you a healthy and happy New Year! As we start the celebrations for our 35th Anniversary, all of us at the college are excited about the new and innovative training opportunities we will be offering. Some of these will include a variety of credit and non-credit Firefighting programs, a second intake into the Rural Apprenticeship Industrial Mechanics program and an extension of our work with industry in preparing employees on Essential Workplace Skills.

Our calendar year begins with a number of staff and Board attending an ACCC sponsored conference in Victoria, B.C. on Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Disadvantaged and Low Skilled Learners. This knowledge will then be shared with instructors and counsellors to assist all of our learners to achieve success.

As the college celebrates our 35th Anniversary, we will be unveiling a new logo, slogan and look. We will be holding anniversary events at all of our Campuses and inviting communities, learners, partners and industry to come out and help us celebrate our past accomplishments. Our future looks bright in Saskatchewan! Our future looks bright at Parkland Regional College!

february 4, 2008

It is with pleasure that Parkland College accepted a donation from the Securtek Pioneers Volunteer Group to assist in resources for the Literacy and ESL programs. As immigration increases in our region due to labor shortages, a larger number of individuals are requiring English as Second Language training. We are able to deliver the training through the generosity of many volunteers and instructors.

High School Students! Thinking of going onto university this fall? Have a look at our new Entrance Scholarships at Parkland College! Study in Yorkton and Succeed! The highest success rate of first year university students is achieved at the Regional Colleges in Saskatchewan. Come and be part of that success factor!

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with the City of Melville Mayor and Council. The City of Melville is celebrating their 100th Birthday in 2008 with the Head Office of the college being a part of the Melville community for 35 years. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure the decision-makers within the city of Melville recognized the assets of having a post-secondary institution with training and education offerings close to home. To read more on this I refer you to the January 30th edition of the Melville Advance.

march 30, 2008

It was with great pleasure that I presented an Award of Excellence to Parkland Regional Colleges Adult Basic Education Counselor, Carol Bobowski, on behalf of the Saskatchewan Adult Basic Education Association at their annual conference in Saskatoon on March 14. Carol has had a 19 year career at the college in the counseling and support of students. She is a very worthy recipient of this award and we are all pleased for Carol for this recognition of her dedication to students and their success.

The 2008-2009 technical program line-up has been released with two new programs in particular of interest ? Fire Fighting Training and Power Engineering both to be delivered in Melville. I am very pleased with the interest shown in the Fire Fighting Training from across Saskatchewan. There are 19 applications received to date out of a possible 24 training spots which demonstrates the real need and interest for this training in Saskatchewan. I am very proud of the college staff who worked hard for over two years to put this training in place.

On March 11 the College hosted our annual Scholarship Tea. This year with the support of regional businesses, organizations and the provincial government, we awarded 32 scholarships with a total value of $37,500. These scholarships are very valuable to the students and to their success. I am also pleased that this year we have additional entrance scholarships totaling $28,000 for students entering the college this fall in full-time post-secondary programs. Future Parkland Regional College students, Be Aware! Apply! These scholarships range from $1000 to $2000 which would significantly assist in the purchase of your books and materials. They are available to you! Take advantage!

Vera Pezer, the Chancellor from the University of Saskatchewan visited Parkland Regional College to attend a Regional Advisory Committee meeting on March 25. Along with a number of college staff and a student, I attended the meeting to discuss how the University of Saskatchewan can be more responsive to the communities and people of Saskatchewan. She was very receptive to suggestions and discussions and intends to review these with President McKinnon after completing her provincial tour.

Of special highlight was a recent meeting the College held with Minister Norris, Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labor, Mosaic Potash, Esterhazy and the Saskatchewan Mining Association in Regina. Two years ago Parkland Regional College began delivering a Rural Industrial Mechanics Apprenticeship Program in Esterhazy with apprentices from Mosaic Potash and other businesses in the region. This program has come to the Ministers attention due to its strong connection to businesses in rural Saskatchewan. The 3rd Level Industrial Mechanics training is now in delivery with the final 4th Level scheduled for the Fall of 2008. Another Level 1 has begun and future expansion in apprenticeship level training is being planned in the electrical and welding trades. Apprenticeship training at these levels connected to employers is unique in rural Saskatchewan. College staff has identified the need and intend on continuing the partnerships with local businesses to deliver trades training in rural Saskatchewan.

may 12, 2008

Just a note to let folks know our Annual Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 20 at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton. Please join us individually or with a team in support of student scholarships! It is a fun time and weather has been on our side! It is a Texas Scramble format so even I can get in on the action and fun!

The Literacy Program of the college celebrated 30 years of delivery with a banquet and Recognition Event on Thursday, May 1. It was very well attended by tutors and learners including a large number of English as a Second Language students and instructors. This program continues to grow and Parkland College is pleased to provide expanded language training throughout the region. I send out a special thanks to the many volunteers and college staff who work together to make this a very special part of the college offerings.

I along with a number of staff attended the Regional Colleges Conference at Lakeland College, Lloydminster this week. The opportunity to have fun together and relate to other Regional College staff is an annual event. This year Parkland College was hosted to a luncheon by fire,etc., Lakeland College in recognition of our partnership agreement to deliver Firefighting Training in Melville in August, 2008. 

This training opportunity has been well received across the province and we now are putting plans in place to deliver a second course in February 2009. Saskatchewan was in need of firefighting training, close to home! Parkland College wants to acknowledge the residents of Saskatchewan for their immediate response and applications to take part in this credit training.

june 27, 2008

I was very proud to be part of the Parkland College Graduation Ceremonies held on June 13 in Yorkton. It is very rewarding to see the graduates and their families celebrate this achievement where for some it is their first academic success. Please check out our college website further to read more about our celebration. Thank you to our partners and businesses across the region and the province for helping to make this day successful for Parkland College students. Thank you to you, the students, who made Parkland College your institution of choice!

Staff, volunteers and the public again came out to golf and contribute to student scholarships at the 3rd annual Dollars for Scholars golf tournament in Yorkton. It was a beautiful day with a lot of fun and sun! The prizes were immense and again the RBC as the major sponsor assisted college staff with a wonderful, well-organized event. Make it a date to come out and join us next year! We can take more golfers, prizes and enthusiasm! Thanks so much to the students who provided us with much needed sustenance as we played the Texas Scramble.

From Parkland College ? Have a wonderful, relaxing, enjoyable summer!