Northlands College and Northern College are pleased to announce a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at supporting increased access to education in Northern and remote communities.
This collaboration will place specific focus on Truth and Reconciliation through program delivery, and foster labour market and economic development, all while working to make education more accessible to northern communities.
“Both Northern and Northlands College’s service regions share a strong commitment to supporting Indigenization as well as economic and social capacity development within our service regions while also supporting employers who operate in both northern Ontario and Saskatchewan to transcend provincial boundaries,” stated Northlands College President and CEO, Karsten Henriksen.
This cooperative approach to educational innovation is rooted in both institutions’ shared experiences and challenges as educators in rural and remote areas of Canada.
“Both of our colleges have worked together in the past, and as we look to the future, will support the development of natural resource sectors accessing mining and forestry with a focus on sustainable energy and environmental management,” Henriksen said of the synergies both organizations have. “We also commit to reflecting best practices in adult learning while fostering much-needed Truth and Reconciliation for the country,” he added.
“Fundamentally, education is about sharing,” stated Dr. Audrey J. Penner, President and CEO of Northern College. “Sharing knowledge, understanding and insights is the basis of our role as educators. Finding like-minded institutions who are addressing the same opportunities and embracing similar challenges while sharing in the same values-based approach to learning and reconciliation is a powerful first step towards achieving these outlined goals to strengthen community.”
The MOU could mark the first step in a wider-reaching agreement which would stitch together many institutions across Canada, forming a united front in approaching the challenging issues of educational access, delivery and partnership as the nation works towards Truth and Reconciliation. Northern College is pleased to cement this partnership with Northlands College, confident that through cooperation and coordination, both institutions can work to improve the quality and accessibility of the educational opportunities made available to the remote areas, communities and the learners they serve.