September 18, 2014
Northern Students Celebrate Grand Opening of Expanded Campus at Frontier Collegiate Institute
– – –New Facilities will Prepare Students for Good Jobs in Manitoba's North, Help Businesses Meet Demand for Skilled Workers: Premier Selinger
CRANBERRY PORTAGE—Students at Frontier Collegiate Institute (FCI) have started this school year with a brand new expanded campus, power-mechanic shop and a new classroom, which will give them the skills and knowledge they need to find a good job in their community, Premier Greg Selinger said here today as he joined staff and students to celebrate the grand opening.
“Frontier Collegiate has played an important role in educating students from all across northern Manitoba. Students from over 30 northern communities attend the school to get a quality education and valuable training they need to succeed in their future careers, right here in the north,” said Premier Selinger. “These new facilities will help students develop the skills they need to take advantage of Manitoba’s growing economy.”
The expanded campus includes a new 57,000-sq.-ft. dormitory facility which can house up to 200 students, a 5,100-sq.-ft. power-mechanic shop with four bays, which will allow students to work with state-of-the-art tools and machinery, and a 600-sq.-ft. classroom. Construction of the facilities created upwards of 200 jobs and provided business for seven Manitoba-based companies, the premier noted.
“The Frontier School Division is committed to creating academic environments where students can be competitive and successful no matter where they come from,” said Ray Derksen, chief superintendent. “We thank the Province of Manitoba for the support we have received to build these facilities, which will enable us to give our students the practical skills and apprenticeship options they need to become successful in a variety of career paths.”
“Our government believes in strong communities and strong schools, this is why we have made this strategic investment in northern Manitoba. We know there is a definite need for skilled workers in Manitoba’s north. This new facility will help train Manitoba’s new workforce and ensure northern economic prosperity and growth,” said Premier Selinger.
“Frontier Collegiate Campus is grateful for the support and vision the Province of Manitoba has demonstrated in completing this huge facilities expansion project,” said Cathy Fidierchuk, superintendent, Area 4: Frontier School Divsion. “Providing equitable educational opportunities for northern students has always been a mission we share. The future is bright for students who choose to live and learn on the FCI campus.”
The Manitoba government has launched a comprehensive skills strategy with targeted investments in schools to provide students with access to state-of-the-art equipment that will create a pathway to post-secondary education and good jobs, the premier said. This includes:
- a new, $30-million Skill Build Shops fund to build and expand trades and skills shops in high schools across the province;
- a new, $1-million career development fund to ensure students leave high school with a good idea of where they want to go and how to get there, whether it is through a university, college, work placement or on-the-job training and apprenticeship; and
- a new, $1-million Skill Build Equipment fund to upgrade classrooms to an apprenticeship-accredited level and bring welding, electrical, carpentry and culinary arts equipment into schools across Manitoba.
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