Alberta is adding more than 8,000 post-secondary spaces through a $148-million investment to train workers for high-demand fields. The province says the funding will be provided over three years through the third round of its Targeted Enrolment Expansion program.
The University of Alberta will receive funding for more than 1,100 new seats, including at its Augustana Campus and Campus Saint Jean. The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) will receive funding to create over 170 seats.
The new spaces will be added to degree, diploma and certificate programs in areas including health care, education, engineering, technology, early learning and skilled trades. The latest round will create nearly 1,000 nursing spaces, more than 150 paramedicine spaces and more than 750 engineering spaces.
More than $15 million will also be directed toward nearly 1,000 additional spaces in education programs over three years. Those spaces include Bachelor of Education and after-degree programs, as well as programs offered through Alberta’s new expedited teaching certificate pathway.
Post-secondary institutions submitted proposals for individual program expansions, with funding decisions based on factors such as student and workforce demand, costs, institutional capacity and provincial priorities.
The spaces are intended to expand opportunities for domestic students in Alberta, who will continue to pay applicable tuition and fees.
The latest funding brings the province’s total investment through the first three rounds of the program to nearly $461 million, which Alberta says will create more than 23,000 funded post-secondary spaces.
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