Nearly $5 million announced for N.W.T.'s Collège Nordique
Yellowknife's Collège Nordique is getting nearly $5 million in funding to help meet the labour requirements of Yellowknife's francophone community, says a joint news release Tuesday.
Of the funds, $4.2 million comes from the federal government's Official Languages Support Programs to be doled out over three years. The N.W.T. government is putting up $680,000 over the same time period.
The project is funded under the Canada–Northwest Territories agreement on minority-language education and second official-language instruction from 2019–20 to 2022–23, the release reads. The funds are meant to go toward creating a strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion. It will also help classrooms to facilitate virtual teaching.
"The announcement of multi-year funding … will enable us to implement projects in our new business plan. This plan was developed with the community and reflects the dreams and goals of the Northwest Territories' French-speaking students," said Patrick Arsenault, the executive director of Collège Nordique.
"This funding demonstrates a serious commitment on the part of the federal government to minority-language post-secondary education, and we are grateful for it."
Collège Nordique is the only French-language post-secondary institution in the North. It's about to mark its 10th anniversary.
"The funding announced today is very important for the Franco-ténois community," said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, minister of Official Languages, in a statement.
"This targeted regional strategy will help Collège Nordique graduates enter the labour market with the tools they need, having completed their studies in the official language of their choice."
